More Puerto Rican Spanish

Tu sabe?

My high school Spanish teacher would’ve given me zero points if I put this on my homework. But today I heard it on the radio.  It is a combination of the formal and informal.

Puerto Ricans drop their S’s. Buenos días becomes buen dia. Gracias is gracia.

So I never know to use the formal or informal when talking to people and taking their lead is of no help. So, sorry everyone, you are all informal to me. Haha

 Here are some other funnies that made my tutor laugh:

1) You don’t ask “May I have water”. You have to ask “would you give me water” me podrías dar agua.  This one bugs me. I think they are two different questions.

2) Roller coasters are “Russian mountains” montaña rusa

3) upsidedown = mouth up boca arriba 

4) DJs don’t play music. They put it on. “The DJs put on this song during swing dances” Los DJs (yes they just say DJ in English) ponían está canción durante los bailes de swing. 

5) If you say, “My family went to the beach” it is not assumed that you went too! You have to say Mi familia y yo fuimos a la playa   Which just sounds bad in my head. My family and I we went to the beach. Bleh.

6) Did I write this one before? You don’t get exercise. You make it. Totally makes sense! Estoy haciendo mucho ejercicio. I am making a lot of exercise.  If we just ‘got’ exercise it would be a ton easier!

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7 Responses to More Puerto Rican Spanish

  1. Cassie says:

    These are good ones! I hadn’t heard the montaña rusa one!

    I think you meant “dar” instead of “sar” on the asking for water. And “buen día” isn’t an example of the aspirated S (though “gracia” instead of “gracias” is). Buen Día means Good Day whereas Buenos Días means good morning…but could also mean good day depending on the context.

    Also listen for the double RRs sounding like a J (Perro sounds like Pejo, Arroz sounds like Ajó, Carro=Cajo). This is more of a country/jibaro dialect but very common. I hear it more often than the standard around here.

    Here’s another Puerto Rican word that is used super often here that has a different meaning elsewhere: Bregar. It means to deal with something.

    • Laura says:

      Thanks I fixed it – typing on my phone you know 😉

      And good to know about the other words 🙂 I think you learn different words since you are in different scenarios. I’m really good at saying “put your dress down.” “That’s disgusting” and “would you please take your plate to the kitchen” haha

    • Joe says:

      Our rr’s don’t sound like, Js, tho.

      Well, at least not like our Js. Our Js sound like H.

      No, our rr’s sound is more like French or Brazilian Portuguese Rs.

  2. Barbara Schutt says:

    haha, thank you for the lessons, ladies! I really need to buckle down and learn Spanish 🙂

  3. Brenda Bravo-Kapper says:

    Hi,
    Really you never heard me use “cuban” Spanish. I tried to keep it clear.By the way, what we island people do is aspirate the s. So if you listen carefully, you can hear it. Los puertoriquenos tambien a veces no pronuncian bien la r ; Example Por favor turns into Pol favol.
    Educational but boring comment 🙂

    • Laura says:

      Good to know!! I wish I would’ve paid more attention in your class. And more importantly, USED what I learned. I didn’t know I would be living in Puerto Rico in the future! haha We should get together next time I’m back in WI

  4. Reinaldo says:

    Years ago somebody mention me that the spanish language in the USA will be gone like in 20 to 30 years like the german , italian in past generations. That man was wrong spanish in USA is stronger now than ever before my prediction is that it will be official language like english in 1 generation.Im glad that american expatriates want to be bilingual

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