Learn Spanish Blog » Culture Tips

To Be Scared in Spanish

Jake Beus — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:53:40 +0000

In honor of Halloween and the Day of the Dead, I want you to be able to be able to express your fear in the Spanish language. Here is some helpful Halloween Spanish vocabulary you can use tonight and for the next few days:

to scare, frighten | asustar, achantar

Ejemplo:
A mí las brujas no me asustan.
(The witches don’t scare me.)

to be scared | estar asustado

Ejemplo:
A pesar de todos los ladrones, no estoy asustado.
(In spite of all the robbers, I’m not scared.)

to be scared stiff | estar muerto de miedo

Ejemplo:
José estaba muerto de miedo cuando oyó las noticias.
(José was scared stiff when he heard the news.)

scaredy-cat, easily frightened | asustón/asustona
Claudia tiene miedo de todo. ¡Que asustona!

I hope that you have a fun and safe Halloween or Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) tonight and over the next few days. Be sure to practice this Halloween vocabulary. Don’t get too scared!

Halloween and Spanish

Jake Beus — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:45:20 +0000

For those of you who do not know this, Halloween is on Monday. This means that the beginning of Día de los Muertos starts at midnight on Monday, October 31. If you want an explanation of how the Day of the Dead is observed, please visit this article on about.com entitled Mexico’s Day of the Dead Celebration. It’s a very well done explanation of Día de los Muertos.

Did you see the Halloween Spanish video with Dave and me? Check it out:

You’ll have to compliment Dave on superb acting and voices, especially for the hippie voice. Somebody commented on Facebook that Dave must have seen Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure a few times. Hopefully you learned a little bit in the video and will be able to greet any Spanish-speaking trick-or-treaters.

Whether you will be celebrating the Día de los Muertos or Halloween, I hope you will be safe but have as much fun as you possibly can. Treat yourself. Eat and give away as much candy as you can. Here are a few Spanish phrases I hope you won’t have to use this weekend:

I am out of candy. | Me he quedado sin dulce.
I am tired. | Estoy cansado/a.
I don’t want more chocolate. | No quiero más chocolate.
I have gained weight. | He aumentado de peso.

That’s it! Have fun! Feliz Halloween!

Sarcasm

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:28:28 +0000

Who hasn’t known a sarcastic friend or co-worker at some point in your life?

Enjoy friends!

Signed E

Careful changing English words to Spanish

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:51:45 +0000

Adding the letter -o to the end of a word does not instantly change the word from English to Spanish. This is a common mistake made by many. We’ve heard people do it, and probably get a laugh or two out of it. Just be careful as it can be both disrespectful and offensive.

Here are some instances where it actually does work.

English Spanish

Active Activo

Passive Pasivo

Massive Masivo

Notice how -ive ending changes to -ivo ending in Spanish. Isn’t learning Spanish fun?

Signed

Say Hi for me!

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:41:32 +0000

How many times has someone asked you to tell someone ‘Hi’ for them? Did you actually do it? I have to admit, there are many occasions where even I have not followed through. I tend to get wrapped up in other projects or commitments, and it slips my mind.

I admire this about the Latin culture. They obviously care about each other and look out for one another.

If you are going to learn Spanish and travel to Latin America, I’d make sure to remember to say ‘Hi’ to someone if you say you are going to do it.

Fútbol!!!

Tue, 17 May 2011 16:25:51 +0000

I’ve never really been one to keep current on fútbol (soccer). However, this year was a little different for me. Not sure if there was just nothing else on the tube, but I was keeping a closer look on my favoite teams. I’ve always rooted for Brazil and Spain.

Here in the US, we aren’t quite as extreme as other countries. I remember hearing of many riots in other countries after their teams were sent packing. It amazed me that people would be so upset that they would cause public damage and harm to those in their way.

However, those who win, play hard afterwards. This year, when Spain won the World Cup in South Africa, it seemed like the country partied for weeks. It was so great to see a country gather and celebrate together.

Have you had any experiences with this sort of thing? I love to hear from you!

more Ensenada

Tue, 10 May 2011 19:06:28 +0000

This week Dave talked about land in Mexico. There are many American companies that have plants in Mexico. This increases the need to learn Spanish for those who travel to Mexico for work.

My husband recently joined the Air Force and we may have the opportunity in the future to travel abroad. What experiencing have you had that required you to move abroad for work, or pleasure? How long till you were able to adjust with the language barrier?

I’d love to hear stories of your experiences.

Ensenada, Mexico

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:35:35 +0000

I loved the descriptions in this week’s newsletter. Ensenada, Mexico sounds beautiful. I have never been there, but now, I just might put that on my list of places to visit. Horseback riding on the beach, a warm climate and someone special to share it with sounds like heaven.

Have any of you been to Ensenada, Mexico? If so, what did you like most?

I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Spanish Variations Between Regions

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:56:36 +0000

For those of you who travel extensively, you are aware of the many variations of Spanish between countries. There can be many variations within a country as well. The best thing to remember is that, for the most part, the language is still the same. There are simply some words that have different meanings.

This is true for English speakers as well. People in the United States speak English as do those who live in England. We can understand each other and communicate; however, there are some word meaning differences.

It’s something to watch out for when traveling…if you are learning Spanish to travel, you’ll want to remember this tip.

Happy trails

Signed…E

More hand gestures…

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:14:54 +0000

This weeks topic is on more hand gestures used in Latin America. Now the gesture that we are talking about today is one of those that I just can’t get the hang of. My husband spent some time in Brazil and he is very good at this.

Bring your thumb and middle finger together at the tips. Make sure the index finger is loosy goosy. Throw your hand in a downward motion and quickly back up again as if you were cracking a whip. You should hear and feel your index finger snap again the middle finger. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time praticing and still have been unsuccessful. I can only imagine what others who might peep in on my practice session is thinking. Needless to say, I had to abandon my efforts. I’m pretty sure my wrist will be sore for the next couple of days. I guess I’ll need to find another way to express getting in trouble or ándale (as Speedy Gonzales used to say).

If you want to try this gesture out, watch the video below. Hopefully this helps you out. This kid gets a little fancy but I think you get the idea.