7 Frequent Issues Gringos Make When Speaking Spanish

Today, I will communicate about 7 faults that Gringos or indigenous English speakers make when talking Spanish. This post will support you steer clear of these issues when speaking Spanish. I have a friend from Nueva York (New York) who is keeping with me right here in Medellín even though he appears to be for a position to live. He arrived listed here to Medellín to study Spanish. He is likely to be having classes at a community university. He arrived about a week ago and he has made of ton of errors while talking Spanish. Most of them are widespread gringo glitches. So enable me convey to you about his problems so that you stay away from them.

Tom (not his true identify) and I went to an Italian restaurant Saturday evening to try to eat. And just by coincidence, the proprietor is a male from the Bronx from what applied to be an Italian neighborhood, not pretty much from wherever I as soon as lived in the Bronx.

When the “mesero” or waiter took our orders I asked for my favourite “entrada” or appetizer:

Berenjena parmesana (eggplant parmesan)

That’s when Tom designed his initially error. Tom asked for “un vaso de vino.” You do NOT get in touch with a wine glass a “vaso.” “Vaso” does signify drinking glass, but you have to use the phrase “copa” when referring to a wine glass. For case in point:

Me regala una copa de vino.
May perhaps I have a glass of wine.

And the 2nd error that Tom designed also concerned the wine. It is a typical oversight for English speakers to practically translate English words and phrases when talking Spanish. So it did not surprise me when Tom requested for “vino rojo.” But which is not how to say “purple wine” in Spanish. The phrase is “vino tinto” (pink wine).

Tom then made a third oversight. Effectively, it was not in fact a blunder. Tom is also from the Bronx. And New York born Puerto Ricans and Dominicans converse Spanish that is great deal much more casual than the Spanish of Colombia. So that’s the sort of Spanish Tom is applied to listening to.

And when Tom dropped his knife and fork which have been wrapped in a “servilleta” (serviette) in get to get the waiter’s attention Tom shouted “¡Mira!” “¡Mira!”

When that did not get the awareness of the “mesero” or waiter, Tom then shouted “¡Oye!” “¡Oye!”

In the Bronx or some Spanish-talking pieces of Nueva York, you may perhaps get someone’s focus by yelling “¡Mira!” or “¡Oye!” but not in Colombia. In Colombia, yelling “¡Mira!” or “¡Oye!” “¡Oiga!” to get the focus of the “mesero” is deemed “maleducado.” By the way “maleducado” does NOT necessarily mean what you consider it means. “Maleducado” is an “amigo falso” (bogus friend). “Phony friends” or “amigos falsos” are Spanish words that are pronounced and spelled a lot like English phrases but have quite diverse meanings.

“Maleducado” does not necessarily mean poorly educated or that 1 has a terrible education and learning. “Maleducado” indicates discourteous. So what is the good way to get someone’s interest in Latin America?

In Latin The united states, in buy to get the consideration of anyone, you should say “Perdón” or “Disculpe.” But most Colombians would simply say “señor” or “señora” in order to get someone’s attention. And in Tom’s scenario if the waiter (or waitress) took place to be more youthful than him, phrases these types of as “muchacho” or “chico” or “niña” are all satisfactory in Colombia.

Lastly, Tom did get the waiter’s consideration by yelling “¡Oye!” And when the waiter approached our table Tom instructed him:

Se me cayeron las cubiertas.

Tom in fact amazed me with that phrase. His grammar was ideal. But his alternative of vocabulary experienced a different typical gringo mistake, which now made 4 mistakes for Tom.

“Los cubiertos” are having utensils. But “las cubiertas” suggests “the tops” or “the handles.” So Tom ought to have said:

Se me cayeron los cubiertos.
My feeding on utensils fell.

Considering the fact that Tom applied the wrong vocabulary words and phrases the waiter did not have an understanding of him and asked Tom “Cómo?”
And Tom responded and fully commited a FIFTH oversight:

Se me cayó la cuchilla.

“Cuchillo” indicates knife in Spanish. But “cuchilla” indicates razor blade. But the waiter apparently understood Tom simply because he returned with a “servilleta” (serviette), “tenedor” (fork), “cuchara” (spoon), and “cuchillo” (knife) — as an alternative of a “cuchilla” or razor blade for Tom to shave.

Just after we completed ingesting our meals Tom manufactured oversight quantity 6. He mentioned to me in Spanish:

Déjame pagar el cuento.

Tom gave me a pretty puzzled search when I responded by stating “Why? Is the waiter heading to inform us a fairy tale?”

“Cuenta” signifies monthly bill or account or cafe verify. But “cuento” indicates story or fairy tale. So Tom must have claimed:

Déjame pagar la cuenta.
Allow me shell out the invoice.

As we were being leaving, Tom manufactured a seventh and closing Gringo blunder. There was a few waiting for a taxi and blocking the restaurant’s entrance, and this time he explained “Perdón”

The pair did not go but appeared at Tom as if he was trying to get their consideration. That’s when I claimed “permiso” which is the appropriate way to say excuse me when you are attempting to pass and someone is blocking your way. You can both say “permiso” or “con permiso.”

So I hope that by understanding about Tom’s 7 issues this will help you to stay away from creating these very same Gringo mistakes when speaking Spanish.