Look at how something is called differently in the different Spanish speaking countries!
English Phrase
|
Translations by
Country
|
Comments
|
Apricot
|
Most: albaricoque
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay: damasco Mexico: chabacano |
In Spain: saying that
someone is "chabacano" means he is vulgar.
|
Baby
|
Most: bebé
Argentina, Uruguay: beba (girl), bebe (boy) Chile: guagua |
In Cuba, the Dominican
Republic, Puerto Rico and the Canary Islands: a "guagua" is a bus.
|
Bug
|
Most: bicho
Mexico: insecto |
In Puerto Rico:
"bicho" has a sexual meaning (it's a key part of the male anatomy).
A bug killer was once translated as "mata bichos" and, as you can
imagine, this sounded very funny in Puerto Rico.
|
Cake
|
Most: pastel
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela: torta Bolivia, Costa Rica: queque Colombia: ponqué, torta Cuba: cake Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico: bizcocho Panama: cake, dulce Peru: queque, torta Spain: tarta |
"Torta" in
Mexico means "sandwich" (torta de jamón)
“Torta” in the
Dominican Republic is most of the time refer to the whip cream thrown into
people’s faces in TV shows
|
Car trunk
|
Mexico:
"cajuela", in other countries "maletero",
"baúl"
|
|
Department Store
|
Mexico:
"cajuela", in other countries "maletero",
"baúl"
|
Most: grandes
almacenes
Cuba: tienda Colombia: almacén grande Costa Rica: tienda de departamentos Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Venezuela: tienda por departamentos Mexico: tienda departamental Panama: Almacén |
Elevator
|
Mexico: elevador, in
most countries "ascensor"
|
|
Eyeglasses
|
Most: anteojos
Colombia: gafas, lentes Cuba, Puerto Rico: espejuelos Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, México, Venezuela: lentes Spain: gafas |
"Anteojos"
is an old fashioned word in Mexico.
“Gafa” in Venezuela
mean dumb girl
|
Grocery Store
|
Colombia: mercado
Costa Rica: compras Cuba: bodega Dominican Republic: víveres El Salvador: pulpería Guatemala: tienda Mexico: super, tienda de abarrotes Panama: abarrotería Puerto Rico: colmado Spain, Venezuela: supermercado Uruguay: almacén |
|
Hello? (answering
telephone)
|
Most: ¿Dígame?
Argentina, Bolivia: ¿Hola? Cuba: ¿Oigo? Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Venezuela: ¿Aló? Mexico: ¿Bueno? Panama, Puerto Rico: ¿Haló? Uruguay: ¿Aló? ¿Hola? |
|
Hot pepper
|
Most: chile
Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela, Peru: ají Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico: ají picante Costa Rica: chile picante Ecuador: pimiento picante Spain: guindilla |
|
Jacket
|
Most: chaqueta
Argentina: campera Dominican Republic, Panama: saco Mexico: chamarra Peru: casca Puerto Rico: blazer (women), gabán (men) |
In Spain, for example,
a "saco" is a large bag, for example, a large bag of potatoes. In
Mexico "saco" is used for suits.
|
Lawn
|
Most: césped
Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru: pasto Colombia: hierba, manga, pasto, prado Cuba, Dominican Republic: yerba Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela: grama Puerto Rico: grama, pasto |
In Spain:
"pasto" is grass for animals (for grazing) and "grama" is
a type of grass for the lawn.
|
Muffin
|
Most: panecillo
Argentina, Colombia: muffin Bolivia: pancito Guatemala: mollete Mexico: muffin, panqué, pastelito Peru: quequito
Venezuela: ponqué
|
In some countries:
"panecillo" is a dinner roll and "panqué" is a pancake.
|
Popcorn
|
Cuba: rositas de maíz
Argentina: pochoclo Venezuela: cotufa Spain: palomitas, palomitas de maíz |
“Palomitas” can
also mean little pigeons
|
Sidewalk
|
Mexico: banqueta,
acera
In many countries: "acera" |
In Spain:
"banqueta" is a bench
|
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