Colloquial expressions in modern Spanish. Those Strange Spaniards: Manners
Manners
Etiquette
The fact that in ninety-eight cases out of a hundred no one is at such meetings is considered good form. Spaniards consider it a bad form not to listen to their interlocutor, whoever he is and whatever he is talking about.
And since the Spaniards are never in a hurry, they can tell you about their affairs for hours. And since interrupting the interlocutor or hinting to him that you have another meeting is considered indecent, then humble yourself and reassure yourself that the one with whom you had an appointment five hours ago is not waiting for you impatiently at the appointed place, because he himself listens to the endless stories of his friend, whom he, like you, also cannot interrupt and therefore has already missed three trains and two buses.
Since punctuality is a common trait among Spaniards, many married couples live in the happy belief that they will never have horns, because it is simply impossible to commit adultery in Spain.
The husband, of course, can rent a room for a fleeting rendezvous with his secretary, say, on Tuesday afternoon, while the wife is visiting an aunt who lives somewhere very far away, but this meeting is unlikely to take place, because:
1. On the way to the hotel, he can meet his classmate and invite her for a cup of coffee to remember his youth (three hours).
2. The secretary can be invited for coffee by another secretary to discuss whether she should go to a rendezvous (four hours).
3. The wife may not go to her aunt who lives far away, because at the station she can meet a very nice young man who will invite her to a cup of coffee in the station cafeteria to tell her how much he likes her figure (two to three hours) .
Queues
Of course, I can’t say that the queues in stores are an invention of the Spaniards, but breaking ahead in the store, and the rougher the better, is considered a matter of honor here. "Extranheros" (foreigners) do not immediately learn the art of standing in lines, say, in a butcher's shop.
Strong sharp elbows and solid weight are a big advantage here; knowledge of what is happening in the butcher's family will not interfere, in order to give him a couple of tips over the heads of those who stand in front.
The butcher, or his wife, or his apprentice is so much above the fuss on the other side of the counter that they serve not the one who stood in line, but the one who was in sight or told them the latest story.
If you have a fresh gossip about a girl in your stash that your neighbor managed to "pick up", then you can be sure that you will get your piece of pork without waiting in line.
It happens that foreigners are skipped ahead. Naive foreigners! They do not know that the reason for this is not politeness at all. The Spaniards give them such attention for the sole purpose of pushing them out of the store as quickly as possible in order to laugh a lot at their, say, funny straw hat.
At present, knowledge of languages is becoming more and more relevant every day. The desire to travel, make new friends, get acquainted with the culture and traditions of other peoples - these are just a few reasons for having a good command of the language. When arriving in a new country, it is very important to know how to properly address a person so as not to inadvertently get into an awkward situation or accidentally offend someone. In this article, let's take a closer look at polite lexical forms of address in countries such as Italy, Spain, England and Germany.
Italy
In all countries, in most cases, the forms of addressing a person depend on age, position (status) in society, position or education. In Italy, when politely addressing a married woman, they say "Signora"(signora), and to an unmarried - "Signorina"(signorina). Usually such an appeal is used before the position or surname. Word "Signorina" used even when the woman is not married. Sometimes it is difficult to predict whether a woman is married or not, especially if she is older. Italian women react very emotionally if you do not address them correctly. Don't be discouraged if this does happen. Just apologize.
Youth are often approached "ragazzi"(translated from Italian - guys). Remember, Adriano Celentano even had such a song - Ciao Ragazzi Ciao("Hey guys, hello").
As a sign of respect for people with higher education, in Italy they are treated as a doctor, professor, lawyer, or even an accountant (depending on the profession). Even teachers in Italy are called "professor" (although he may not actually be a professor). High-ranking officials, such as members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, are usually addressed as "onorevole"(translated from Italian means venerable, respected or venerable).
In the circle of family and friends, Italians do not hesitate to call each other beloved and dear. Eg: "dolce"(sweet, tender) "tesoro"(Cute), "amo"- an abbreviated version of "amore" (favorite), etc.
Spain
As in any other country, Spain has its own peculiarities of speech treatment. In an official setting, turning to a man, they say Don And Senor, to a woman - Dona, Senora and Senorita. It should be noted that Señorita is most often a young or unmarried girl (sometimes a middle-aged unmarried woman is called this). Treatment option Senor or Senora acceptable in an official situation or in case of subordination (seller - buyer, waiter - visitor, boss - subordinate, etc.). Don or Doña are most often spoken informally and add a name to show more respect.
If on the street or anywhere in Spain you decide to address a stranger or stranger, use the following expressions:
- por favor - please
- disculpe - excuse me
- perdone - sorry
- oye / oiga (usted) - listen
- Podria usted decirme...? - Could you tell me…?
- Hágame el favor - be kind
- Tenga la bondad de... - be so kind.
In colloquial speech, the Spaniards like to express their friendly attitude with diminutive forms of names ( Concepción-Conchita, Fernando-Nando etc.). In order to express their love and affection, expressive Spaniards often use the words Carino(Love), Mi amor(My love), Vida mia(my life), Bonito(a) (cute) Querido(a) (dear (th)), Tesoro(treasure).
England
In English-speaking countries, it is customary to address an unmarried woman miss, to married - "missis"(from mistress- translated from English "mistress", "mistress"; abbreviated Mrs.). Appeal Madame applicable to an adult woman. When addressing several women, they say "Mmes".
It is customary to address a man, regardless of his age and position - Mister(on the letter - "Mr."). In addition, as a sign of respect, it is mandatory to add the surname after Mr. If they address several men, then they use the word "Messrs". Synonymous with Mr. is the form Esq. that comes after the family name (eg Adam Smith, Esq.). The form "Sir" (Sirs is plural) is used when the person's last name is not known.
When addressing their significant other, the British like to say Love, Dear, Honey, Sweetie.
Germany
In Germany, the polite form of address is expressed in the use of the words Herr(Mr.) and Frau(Madam) using a surname. If a German has a professorial or doctoral degree, then he will be addressed with the word doctor. The teacher is usually addressed as Herr Professor.
In Germany, it is customary to call only friends and relatives by name, the rest should be called by their last names. The Germans are obsessed with verbal politeness, so in order not to be considered ignorant, follow this rule. Come to the lessons with our teachers and you can learn more useful information.
We hope that now, no matter in which country you find yourself, it will not be difficult for you to address a foreigner in the correct form. Be polite, friendly, benevolent, and you will be answered the same! Learn foreign languages with us!
In Spanish culture, however, as in any other, there are norms of verbal communication, and politeness plays an important role among them. Without knowing the correct forms of address adopted in Spanish, you can not only get into an awkward situation, but also inadvertently offend your interlocutor. The use of different forms of address depends on the degree of formality of the situation, on how well you know the interlocutor and how you treat him.
A reservation should immediately be made, this article will consider lexical appeals that are commonly used in Spanish speech, as well as those that are typical only for Spain, since each Spanish-speaking country has its own peculiarities of speech etiquette.
You probably remember from books written by Russian classics and old Soviet films such appeals as “sir”, “sir”, “comrade”, “citizen”, etc. In everyday communication, addressing our interlocutor in this way, we will look at least strange. And in an official setting, such words are used in extremely limited situations. The same thing happens in Spanish. Some time ago, the Spaniards were characterized by such forms of politeness, unthinkable for us now, as Vuestra Merced (Your Grace) or Su Nobleza (His Nobleness), and often superlative adjectives were added to such appeals to make speech more pompous.
For modern official Spanish, lexical references Don-Doña and Señor-Señora-Señorita are considered the most characteristic. The words Don and Señor are addressed to men, and Doña, Señora and Señorita to women, and only a young woman or girl can be called a señorita. It should be noted that there are differences in the use of these addresses. Don-Doña are used in a more informal setting, to express respect for the interlocutor and are always used with names, for example:
¿Doña María, cómo lo pasa usted? Dona Maria, how are you?
Señor-Señora-Señorita are used in formal situations and always with a surname!
¿Señor Fernández, podrìa ir a visitarle? - Senor Fernandez, can I come to you?
When using the titles Señora and Señorita, one must be very careful, as they are used in common speech and refer to persons of a low social level. By addressing a stranger like this on the street, you can not only insult her, but also show your low level of education. This option can only be acceptable in an official situation (boss-subordinate), as well as in a dialogue between a seller and a buyer, a waiter and a visitor, etc.:
– ¿En qué puedo servirle, señora ? - How can I help you, sir?
– Puede traernos dos cocteles? – Can we have two cocktails?
It is worth noting that if earlier only an unmarried girl or a woman of any age was called a senorita, now an unmarried middle-aged woman is called a senora.
However, at present, the use of such forms of personal appeals has significantly decreased. Now even people of respectable age prefer to be called only by their first names. Therefore, impersonal forms, such as por favor (please), disculpe (excuse me), perdone (excuse me), oye/oiga (usted) (listen), ¿Podría usted decirme, are much more acceptable for attracting the attention of a stranger. …? (Could you tell me…?), Hágame el favor (Be kind), Tenga la bondad de … (Be so kind):
¿Perdone, por donde queda la plaza de España? – Excuse me, where is the Plaza de España?
¡Oye! ¿Tienes hora? “Listen, what time is it?”
However, the last three expressions have practically fallen out of everyday use and are found only in the official language.
All of the above referred to communication with strangers and in formal situations. Now we will try to clarify what are the rules for applying appeals in informal communication.
It should be noted that in colloquial speech, personal names in their full form are not so common. Emotional Spaniards like to emphasize their friendly (and sometimes familiar) attitude towards a person, calling him a diminutive name: Juanito (Juan), Nando (Fernando), Paquito (Francisco), Rosita (Rosa), Conchita (Concepción), etc. d.
Also, conversational familiar communication is characterized by such appeals as: mujer (woman), hija (daughter), niña (girl), nena (child), etc., and it doesn’t matter whether they address a little girl or a middle-aged lady years.
When referring to males, the following words are used: hombre (man), chico (boyfriend), joven (young man), muchacho (boy), niño (boy), hijo (son).
Often, expressive Spaniards can express their affection for a person by referring to him Cariño (love), Mi amor (my love), Vida mía (my life), Bonito (a) (sweet (th)), Querido (a) (dear ( aya)), Tesoro (treasure), etc.
– ¡Mama! - Mother!
– ¿Qué quieres, mi vida? What is my life?
When informally communicating with people you know, it is acceptable to use such impersonal addresses as ¡Eh! (Hey!), ¡Hola! (Hello!), ¡Pss(Pss!)! :
¡Eh! ¿Tienes hora? - Hey! What time is it now?
In Spanish speech, an important place is given to pronominal forms of address: to one person - tú / Usted (you / you) and to many people - vosotros (as) / ustedes (you).
Spaniards often try to avoid the formality of communication, so tuteo (in Russian “poking” in Russian) is very common among them. However, when addressing an unfamiliar interlocutor, a person older than you in rank or age, you should still use the polite Usted (short for vuestra merced “your grace”).
Recently, a situation has begun to be observed when Usted began to be replaced by tú when referring to service personnel, young teachers or in a conversation between two young people, and the degree of acquaintance with each other does not matter. This address should not be abused, as many Spaniards consider it excessive familiarity.
Dialogue between teacher and student
– Pedro, ¿ha hecho el dibujo de la flor? – Pedro, did you draw a flower?
- Si, aquí está. ¿Te gusta? - Yes, here he is. Do you like it?
It should be noted that in the countries of Latin America, the use of pronominal forms of address has a slightly different option: to one person - tú, vos / Usted and to many people - only ustedes.
Vos cantas bellamente instead Tucantas bellamente (You sing beautifully).
What is characteristic of the spoken language of the Spaniards? The predominance of simple and incomplete sentences, an abundance of exclamations, emotionally colored interjections and interrogative sentences, which are often used by Spaniards when greeting in order to learn about health, family, business.
A long, even well-formed phrase will surprise you. But not ridicule - the Spaniards are very respectful of foreigners who can connect a few words in Spanish.
How to apply
A foreigner in a foreign country needs to attract attention in order to ask a question (meaning your address to an unfamiliar Spaniard / Spanish woman in “you” - usted):
You need to use the title Señor / Señora / Señorita, add Por favor (por favor, please), or Perdone (perdone), or Disculpe (disculpe) and formulate a question.
Your attempt to attract attention with the words: Perdón (perdon, sorry), Perdóneme (perdoneme, excuse me) or ¡Oiga! (oiga, listen).
If you say Tendría la bondad (Tendría la bondad, (be so kind) or Hágame el favor (Agame el favor, do me a favor) when speaking), Spaniards will be stunned and will immediately understand that you have read Spanish classical literature and have an idea about grammar Spanish... After that, you will simply be surrounded by attention!
However, on the streets more in the course of the appeal ¡Hola! and ¡Eh! (letter h is not pronounced).
How to say hello
Let's start with the most famous greetings that do not have a stylistic coloring:
Good morning or good afternoon (before noon) - ¡Buenos días! (Buenos dias)
Greeting from noon until dark - ¡Buenas tardes! (Buenas tardes)
In the evening, after dark - ¡Buenas noches! (Buenas noches)
If you know the person who greeted you, or want to show your affection for the speaker, you can reply: ¡Muy buenos (muy buenas)!
In Spain, you can often hear the greeting-address ¡Hola! (ola). So on the street you can turn to a stranger, but only if he is not much older than you.
Spanish colloquial speech is characterized by the frequent use of interrogative sentences during greetings: ¿Que tal? (ke tal?), ¿Como va la vida? (como va la vida?), ¿Como te va? (komo te wa?), ¿Todo bien? (todo bien?).
It is customary to be interested in health, family.
How to say goodbye
For parting, you can use: ¡Adiós! (adios), ¡Hasta luego! (hasta luego), ¡Hasta pronto! (asta pronto, see you soon), ¡Hasta mañana! (asta manyana, see you tomorrow), ¡Hasta la vista! (asta la vista, see you later).
How to meet
The form of acquaintance depends on the participation in this process of the intermediary, as well as the age of the people who get to know each other. Young people consider most forms of human representation to be outdated and archaic:
Permítame presentarle (or -les if you are introducing a person to a group of people) a ... (permítame presentarle a ...).
Quisiera presentale a .... (quisiera presentale a ...).
Such forms are replaced by a simplified expression: Te presento a...
The reaction to the presentation of a person can be expressions: Es un placer, (es un placer), Mucho gusto (much thick), Encontado (a) (enkontado or enkontada). The person being introduced usually answers: El gusto es mío (el thick es mio) or A sus órdenes (a sus ordes, at your service).
The youth introduce themselves simply: Me llamo … (me llamo, my name is), and simply ask: ¿Cómo te llamas? (como te llamas, what's your name).
How to express gratitude or ask
Simply and briefly, we must thank ¡Gracias! (gracias). You can thank ¡Muchas gracias (options - mil gracias or muchísimas gracias)!
It is considered good form not to be limited to a short thanks, but to thank in more detail: ¡Muchas gracias por su amabilidad! (muchas gracias por su amabilidad, thank you very much for your kindness), or ¡Gracias por su atención! (gracias por sous atension, thank you for your attention).
In the request, be sure to say Por favor (por favor, please). This is the accepted norm throughout the Hispanic world, and making a request without a "please" would be impolite. At the same time, Por favor is used in any case: you were pushed - Tenga cuidado por favor (please be careful - tenga cuidado, por favor), order black coffee - Un solo por favor (un solo, por favor).
Politeness is considered the norm of colloquial speech, and if you do not want or cannot comply with the request, it is better to answer: Lo lamento mucho (lo lamento mucho, I'm sorry). Or Lo siento pero no puedo (lo siento pero but puedo). Do not answer that you do not want - No quiero.
Some commonly used colloquial expressions
Asking for a price is very simple: ¿A cuánto? (and cointo, how much?). And don't ask difficult questions.
In Spanish restaurants, what we call "menu" is understood as menu del día (menu del dia, business lunch menu). Correctly say: La carta por favor (la carte). And they will bring you a full menu. The bill is asked for Cóbranos por favor (cobranos, count us) or La cuenta por favor (la cuenta, bill).
A glass of red / white wine - Una copa de vino tinto / blanco (una sora de vino tinto / blanco).
Meat with blood - poco hecho (poco echo), medium rare - medio hecho (medio echo), well fried - bien hecho (bien echo).
¡Eh! ¡Buen provecho! (buen provecho, bon appetit). Just a few phrases, and you will never, as they say in Spain, be able to perder el norte (perder el norte, literally - lose the north, go astray). ¡Suerte! (suerte, good luck).
If you are in a business environment, then after a verbal greeting, a handshake will suffice. In a friendly atmosphere, a kiss on the cheek or an air kiss will follow. There are many options - just choose the one that suits you best or come up with your own combination.
Spanish greetings are not limited to well-known Hola And Buenos dias: today we have compiled a comprehensive list of Spanish phrases for you to start a conversation with.
- Hola- Hello.
This is the simplest greeting and can be combined with any of the ones below. So you can say "Hola, buenos dias", or Hola, buenas tardes. And we will not tire of reminding: the letter "h" is not pronounced! - Buenos dias- Good morning.
Literally translated as "good day", but means "good morning". "Buenos Dias" usually used before noon. - Buenas tardes- Good afternoon.
In the event that you want to say hello to someone, and it's already one in the afternoon or later, you can say "buenas tardes". In Spain, this greeting can be used until late in the evening, and in a number of Latin American countries and Caribbean countries - only until sunset. - Buena nights- Good evening.
This phrase also means "good night". Always be mindful of the context, as you may accidentally say goodbye. - ¿Como está?- How are you doing? (formal address).
This is a polite way to ask someone about their state of affairs. As a rule, it is necessary to use this phrase in a conversation with older people or people in leadership positions, as a sign of respect. Use this phrase in South American countries to always feel confident. Are you in business? It is important to inquire about a person's well-being before any business conversation. This will be a sign that you care about your client or partner. - ¿Como estas?- What's up? (informal address).
Adding a letter "s" at the end means that you are talking to a peer or someone younger than you. If you hear "tuteame", which means that the interlocutor invites you to turn to "you", regardless of his and your age. - ¿Como estan?- How are you? (plural)
Greeting a group of people? The letter "n" at the end will mean that you are referring to all at once. If you know everyone in the group, you can greet everyone with a friendly kiss. But if you are a guy, kiss only girls, shake hands with other guys. Are you traveling in Spain? Ask "¿Como estáis?". - ¿Que tal?– How are things going?
To some, this appeal may seem too familiar, but, in general, this question can be asked to any person, being in an informal setting. - ¿Que pasa?– What's new?/What's going on?
Do you have a conversation with friends or with someone who is younger than you? Use the phrase "¿Qué pasa?" It can also be heard in situations where they want to clarify some point. - ¿Que hubo?– What happened?
This phrase is considered an informal greeting in some Spanish-speaking countries. Use the phrase when communicating with friends or family. Just remember that the letter h has no sound (we know that you are already tired of us). - Bienvenidos- Welcome.
Would you like to invite someone to your home? In Spanish it would sound like this: Bienvenidos. Save the final "s" if you are greeting several people. removing "s", you will receive a greeting for one person. When addressing a woman, say bienvenida, and to a man - bienvenido. A group of girls invited? use the word bienvenidas. Do not take this as discrimination and male chauvinism, but you need to speak bienvenidos, if both girls and men are present in the group of invitees.
- Mi casa es su casa- My home is your home.
If you want a guest to feel comfortable in your home, you can say: "Mi casa es su casa". This does not mean at all that you are giving him your home, but it does mean that those invited can feel at home. If the guest is the same age, just replace "su" on "tu". - ¿De donde eres?- Where are you from?
Use this expression when you want to ask someone your age or younger where they are from. The question will change and will sound like "¿De donde es usted?" if you are addressing a person of older age or higher in status. - ¿Como te llamas?- What is your name?
Literally means "What do you call yourself?" is what you say when you want to know someone's name. This time has several options, depending on the type of appeal. An older person in Spain is asked: "¿Como se llama?" - ¿Alo?– Hello?
This is a common way to answer a call in many Spanish speaking countries. Depending on where you are traveling, you can hear "bueno", "si" or diga in response to a phone call. Regardless of the phone greeting, you should respond by introducing yourself and asking how your interlocutor is doing. It would be impolite if you did not show such a courtesy. Thank your interlocutor. Then you can go to the purpose of the call. - ¿Adonde vas?- Where are you going?
Greet someone in a hurry? To ask someone where they are going, use this phrase. Change the verb to "va" for formal address, and if you are asking a group of people in Spain where they are going, change to "vais". - ¿Dónde has estado?- Where did you be all this time?
Have you not seen each other for a while? Tell "¿Dónde has estado?" and find out where he's been for all these years. Get ready to listen to the whole story! - ¡Hace tiempo que no te veo!- How long have I not seen you!
This is how you greet someone you haven't seen in ages.