A blog post covering the many embarrassing mistakes I’ve made speaking Spanish and the several miscommunications I’ve had with people here.
I'm not by any means making fun of anyone. I want to show that we can laugh at ourselves once in a while when learning a new language. These are meant to show the comical side of miscommunications based on language barriers!
1. *playing taboo with two kids from my private lessons*
me: “High five, for team cojonudo!”
Response: -wide eyed- “You just said a bad word …”
One of my friends told me cojonudo is a word describing something awesome or amazing so in my head, I thought I was saying “we’re team awesome,” but what I really said was something more like “we’re an effing amazing team.” Cojonudo is a really slang vulgar term and used with older kids talking to each other, but it’s not a good word to use with kids.
2. *after hanging out with some friends for some time*
Me: Pues, me voy.
This is a common phrase to use when you are going to head back home. It also has two other meanings and one of them is very sexual, and if you know even just basic Spanish, you know what this can also mean.
3. Me: “Hey do you want to go that way and do the other hike?”
“I can’t be arsed.”
We thought ‘asked’ was said, but some Irish and English people say this if they don’t want to move their bum from where they are to the next place which is why the word ‘arsed’(ass) is used.
4. me: “Hey I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Nice, I like it.”
5. my roommate: “Chaaaa, I have a stomach H”
6. *playin Thanksgiving themed taboo with my students from private lesson*
student: *sees the word beer* Eh the thing Santa clause has!!
other student: um um um beard!
student: YES!
7. *first day of teaching*
me: How is everyone doing today?
students: *silence*
me: How is everything?
students: *silence*
me: umm, How are you?
students: Ahhh, vale, We’re fine!!
“How are you?” in both English and Spanish have many different forms, and if I was asked “How are you?” with another phrase other than ¿Cómo estás,? I would be just as confused.
8. "So if the word badass exists, does goodass exist?"
"Never thought of that, but I must say that is a valid question."
9. "Pssst, teacher what does horny mean?"
"And ... why do you know this word?"
"I heard it in an interview that I was watching of Cameron Diaz."
"Ohhhhhh"
10. *Singing along to spice girls*
"Ill tell you what I want what I really really want ....a traveli a traveli a travelia a traveliduduh ahhh"
"The first half of what you sang is correct, the second part...I have no idea what you are saying."
I'm really not one to speak as I am horrible with lyrics myself and I am a native speaker of English, and if you know me, I'm horrible with song titles-- "What's that song again where they are like...umm single ladies, single ladies?" "Omg Cha, it's called Single Ladies."
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For those of you learning a new language or teaching a language, I'm sure you've had experiences like this!
Yours truly,
TLT
I'm not by any means making fun of anyone. I want to show that we can laugh at ourselves once in a while when learning a new language. These are meant to show the comical side of miscommunications based on language barriers!
1. *playing taboo with two kids from my private lessons*
me: “High five, for team cojonudo!”
Response: -wide eyed- “You just said a bad word …”
One of my friends told me cojonudo is a word describing something awesome or amazing so in my head, I thought I was saying “we’re team awesome,” but what I really said was something more like “we’re an effing amazing team.” Cojonudo is a really slang vulgar term and used with older kids talking to each other, but it’s not a good word to use with kids.
2. *after hanging out with some friends for some time*
Me: Pues, me voy.
This is a common phrase to use when you are going to head back home. It also has two other meanings and one of them is very sexual, and if you know even just basic Spanish, you know what this can also mean.
3. Me: “Hey do you want to go that way and do the other hike?”
“I can’t be arsed.”
We thought ‘asked’ was said, but some Irish and English people say this if they don’t want to move their bum from where they are to the next place which is why the word ‘arsed’(ass) is used.
4. me: “Hey I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Nice, I like it.”
5. my roommate: “Chaaaa, I have a stomach H”
6. *playin Thanksgiving themed taboo with my students from private lesson*
student: *sees the word beer* Eh the thing Santa clause has!!
other student: um um um beard!
student: YES!
7. *first day of teaching*
me: How is everyone doing today?
students: *silence*
me: How is everything?
students: *silence*
me: umm, How are you?
students: Ahhh, vale, We’re fine!!
“How are you?” in both English and Spanish have many different forms, and if I was asked “How are you?” with another phrase other than ¿Cómo estás,? I would be just as confused.
8. "So if the word badass exists, does goodass exist?"
"Never thought of that, but I must say that is a valid question."
9. "Pssst, teacher what does horny mean?"
"And ... why do you know this word?"
"I heard it in an interview that I was watching of Cameron Diaz."
"Ohhhhhh"
10. *Singing along to spice girls*
"Ill tell you what I want what I really really want ....a traveli a traveli a travelia a traveliduduh ahhh"
"The first half of what you sang is correct, the second part...I have no idea what you are saying."
I'm really not one to speak as I am horrible with lyrics myself and I am a native speaker of English, and if you know me, I'm horrible with song titles-- "What's that song again where they are like...umm single ladies, single ladies?" "Omg Cha, it's called Single Ladies."
-----
For those of you learning a new language or teaching a language, I'm sure you've had experiences like this!
Yours truly,
TLT