IANCTIVE

In English we frequently say certain words that can be very strong in Spanish. These are words that should be avoided because they can be offensive.

One example is the word “stupid”. In English, some people commonly say, “that was stupid” and other similar phrases. The word “stupid” in Spanish is “estúpido” [es-too-pea-though]; it is incredibly strong and should be avoided in Spanish speech.

Now on the opposite end of the scale, we’ll look at a word that is pretty strong in English but more commonly used in Spanish – in certain circumstances. It is the word “ugly”. In English, “ugly” is a pretty negative word generally used to talk about appearance. Because it’s so strong, you would never call someone ugly unless you were purposely trying to offend them.

In Spanish, the word “ugly” has the same meaning as its English counterpart and is also considered very negative. However, it is also used in a few different contexts. Here are two examples below:

I have a Latin friend that came to live in the U.S. from South America. He was in a conversation with his soon-to-be in-laws (from the U.S.), and they were talking about different foods. He talked about how certain American dishes were just plain “ugly” to him. After he said that, they looked at him with a strange look because food usually isn’t referred to as “ugly” in English.

As Americans, we don’t refer to food as “pretty” or “ugly.” After a few minutes of confusion, the family laughed when they finally realized that “ugly food” to him meant that it tasted bad. In Spanish, they say, “la comida está fea” which means “The food is ugly,” or “The food tastes bad.”

Here is another interesting Spanish use of the word “ugly.” A couple of months ago, I was in Disneyland with my family on vacation. We were riding the parking trams and a Spanish speaking couple was behind me.

I love listening to Spanish speaking people talk, and then surprising them by commenting to them in Spanish. Usually people think I don’t speak Spanish because I definitely look like a “gringo.” Anyway, the lady was talking and reminded me of a phrase that is commonly used in Spanish. She was talking about a certain thing her friend had done socially and said, “Eso se ve feo.” The literal meaning is “That looks ugly.” Its equivalent in every-day English would be, “That doesn’t look good,” or “That just isn’t right.”

Moral of the Story: When learning a different language, it’s important to learn some of the differences of how words are used. Otherwise you can end up offending someone or causing a lot of confusion. Differences in language and culture can be very educational and fun to learn about.

¡Qué le vaya bien! (May everything go well for you!)

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Written by Dave Clark.
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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.