16 Feb Spanish curiosities
Hej alla,
some time ago I read an article about spanish words that don´t exist in English. It was something I´ve never taken time to think about it and, actually, these words are so normal for me and some of them I use it in my daily life. This happen in Swedish too, for example with the word “lagom“. It doesn´t exist in other languages, it´s an original Swedish word and you can´t translate it literally into English or other languages. If you look for the meaning of this world you will find that it means “just right”, “just enought”, “sufficiently”… If I have to explain “lagom” I will say that it means “not to much, not to less, only the perfect among” but, for sure, a Swedish person is going to explain it better than me 🙂
So, the same happens in Spanish and I want to show you some of the words that I found and I´ll try to explain the meaning.
First one: SOBREMESA
It´s something that Spanish people love and if you have a lunch, dinner, metting, … with your friends, relatives, co-workers, etc It´s going to happen. We have weird schedules, I know it, but if you have, for example, a lunch with your friends probably it will be around three and when you will finish to eat then you are not going to stand up and go home. Then it´s time for the “Sobremesa” that means you are going to spend around one hour, more or less, sitting at the table only talking with the others. So if you have a meal with a spanish person you should keep in mind that after it you will spend more time talking with that person about random things 🙂
Second: EMPALAGAR
This one is a bit difficult to explain. It´s like the feeling that you have when you have eaten so many sweets that you can´t think of eating more or you will vomit. You can also use it for a person when this person is excessively kind, sensitive, emotional,… and you can´t stand more that person.
Third: FRIOLERO
I like this one because sometimes I´m so “friolera” but other times I´m so “calurosa”, I have not limit. We use this world to describe someone who is always feeling cold. It doesn´t matter if you feel warm, this person is going to feel so cold. In the case of “caluroso” it´s the opposite, we use it to describe someone who feels always warm, even if outside is raining and windy this person will be warm.
Fourth: TE QUIERO / TE AMO
In English, and I think also in Swedish, you only can say “I love you” but in Spanish we have two ways to say “I love you”. First we have “Te quiero” that it´s less strong than “Te amo”, so I use “Te quiero” with mi friends and my family, you can use it with you couple but it´s not the same as “Te amo”. I won´t never use “Te amo” with my family or friends… it´s something I will say to someone that I really love but in a romantic way. You use it with that person you are crazy or mad about… When you are really in love with someone you can use it. Of course, if you use this expression at the beginnig of the relationship the other person is going to think you are crazy.
Fifth: ESTRENAR
This is easy to explain. When you buy something the first time you will use it you are “estrenando” this thing. We use it more for clothes so in English is like “I am wearing it for the first time”.
Sixth: ANTEAYER
It´s a day, but it isn´t today, yesterday or tomorrow… “Anteayer” o “Antes de ayer” is the day before yesterday. Yes we have an specific word for that day, I don´t know why, maybe becuase we are so lazy and it´s easier to use only one word.
Seventh: DESVELADO
This moment when you were deeply asleep and you woke up but you couldn´t fall sleep again. We have a word in spanish for that moment, we say that you have “desvelado”.
Eighth: MERENDAR O MERIENDA
The “merienda” is somenthig typical when you are a kid and you go to the park in the evening. Then around six in the evening your mam comes and goves to you the “merienda”, usually is some kind of sandwich. Maybe it´s like here in Sweden and fika.
Nineth: TUERTO
There is not too much to explain here. We call “tuerto” to that person who has only one eye. And we have also a said, if you are having really bad luck because everything is going wrond we say that ” one tuerto looked at you”. I don´t know why, I can´t explain it.
Tenth: TARDÓN
We use it for that persons who are always late. You meet with this person and he or she appears 10 or 15 minutes late, or more, so this person is a “tardón”.
I´m sure there are more words that have not translation into English but I saw these and I had to explain them.
Have a nice week
Laura 🙂
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