Hilarious DIFFERENCES Between Latin American Spanish and European Spanish

¡Hola amigos y amigas! ¿Cómo están? 🤩

Today I bring you some differences between European Spanish and Latin American Spanish. Although each variety of the language has its own particularities, it is important to point out that Spanish speakers understand each other without much difficulty, whether they live in Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, or Malaga. It is the same as when an American English speaker talks to a British or an Australian: they understand each other.

In Latin America, we refer to the language as “Español”, since it was brought by the Spanish colonizers. In Spain, however, it is usually called “Castellano”, in reference to the region of Castile, considered the birthplace of the language. Moreover, many people in Spain choose to call it Castilian because Catalan (or Valencian), Galician and Basque are also Spanish languages.

Below, I have created a table with some of the clearest differences in vocabulary, referring mainly to the differences in vocabulary in Chile with other countries. 

Vocabulario

ENGLISH	SPAIN AND OTHER COUNTRIES	CHILE
1. WAITER	CAMARERO/-A	GARZÓN/-A, MESERO/-A
2. TO GET ANGRY	ENFADARSE	ENOJARSE
3. SENSITIVE TO COLD WEATHER	FRIOLERO/-A	FRIOLENTO/-A
4. CAKE	LA TARTA	LA TORTA
5. HURRY UP	DARSE PRISA	APURARSE
6. JUICE	EL ZUMO	EL JUGO
7. GET HURT	HACERSE DAÑO	LASTIMARSE
8. GLASSES	LAS GAFAS, LOS ANTEOJOS	LOS LENTES
9, TO WALK	ANDAR	CAMINAR
10. TO DRIVE	CONDUCIR	MANEJAR
11. BAG	EL BOLSO	LA CARTERA
12. SINK (BATHROOM)	EL LAVABO	EL LAVAMANOS
13. SINK (KITCHEN)	EL FREGADERO	EL LAVAPLATOS
14. STROLLER	EL COCHECITO PARA BEBÉ	EL COCHE
15. CAR	EL COCHE	EL AUTO
16. WALLET	LA CARTERA	LA BILLETERA
17. BABY	EL BEBE	LA GUAGUA
18. COMPUTER	EL ORDENADOR	EL COMPUTADOR
19. LAPTOP	EL PORTÁTIL	EL NOTEBOOK
20. BUS	EL AUTOBÚS	LA MICRO
21. FLAT	EL PISO, EL APARTAMENTO	EL DEPARTAMENTO
22. CELL PHONE	EL TELÉFONO, EL MÓVIL	EL CELULAR
23. TO TAKE, TO GRAB	COGER	TOMAR
24. BRA	EL SUJETADOR	EL SOSTÉN
25. PANTIES	LA BRAGA	EL CALZÓN
26. TAP	EL GRIFO	LA LLAVE
27. FIRE HYDRANT	LA BOCA DE AGUA	EL GRIFO
28. BATH	LA BAÑERA	LA TINA
29. FRIDGE	LA NEVERA, LA HIELERA	EL REFRIGERADOR
30. MONEY	EL DINERO, PASTA	EL DINERO, PLATA
31. STAND UP	PONERSE DE PIE	PARARSE
33. POTATO	LA PATATA	LA PAPA
34. STRAWBERRIES	LA FRESA	LA FRUTILLA
35. CORN	EL MAÍZ	EL CHOCLO
36. PUMPKIN	LA CALABAZA	EL ZAPALLO
37. COURGETTE, ZUCCHINI	EL CALABACÍN	EL ZAPALLO ITALIANO
38. MISS SOMEONE	HACERLE FALTA, ECHAR DE MENOS	ECHAR DE MENOS, EXTRAÑAR
39. TO PARK, PARKING LOT	APARCAR, APARCAMIENTO	ESTACIONAR, ESTACIONAMIENTO
40. HERE	AQUÍ	ACÁ
41. THERE	ALLÍ	ALLÁ
42. PEACH	EL MELOCOTÓN	EL DURAZNO
43. LIGHTBULB	LA BOMBILLA, EL BOMBILLO	LA AMPOLLETA
44. TENT	LA TIENDA DE CAMPAÑA	LA CARPA
45. HITCH-HIKING	HACER AUTOSTOP	HACER DEDO
46. SALESPERSON	DEPENDIENTE/-A	VENDEDOR/-A
47. SANTA CLAUS	PAPA NOEL, SANTA	VIEJITO PASCUERO
48. SWIMMING POOL	PISCINA, PILETA	PISCINA
49. PARKA JACKET	CAZADORA	PARKA
50. RIGHT NOW	DE INMEDIATO	ALTIRO, AL TIRO
51. AVOCADO	EL AGUACATE	LA PALTA
52. PEANUT	EL CACAHUATE	EL MANÍ

Ustedes

In Latin American varieties of Spanish, the pronoun «vosotros» is not used for the second person plural, instead «ustedes» is used. Thus, students in Spain have to memorize one more ending when learning the verb tenses.

For example, in Spain you can ask your friends «¿cuándo fue la última vez que os visteis?», but many people would opt for the more formal alternative to address older people («¿cuándo fue la última vez que se vieron?»). In Latin America, the formal variant is always used, regardless of the context.

Ustedes is also used in the Canary Islands; «vosotros» is only used in the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain. Of course, if you speak Latin Spanish, they will understand you perfectly well in Spain… and they will probably find it very polite!

Should you learn Spanish in Spain or in Latin America?

There are those who say that Colombian Spanish is the clearest and most beautiful variety of the language. Others say that Argentine Spanish is the most attractive, while others believe that Madrid Spanish is the most important since that’s where the Real Academia Española is based.

But it shouldn’t be a question of European Spanish or Latin Spanish. When choosing where to learn Spanish, think about where you would prefer to be, what kind of experience you want to have, and obviously, with whom you are going to practice the language the most. If your girlfriend or boyfriend is Chilean, you will probably need to learn vocabulary and expressions related to Chile.

Anyway, I can assure you that no matter what variety of Spanish you speak, you will be understood around the world.

What do you think? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE SPANISH DIFFERENCES?

I will love to read your comments

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Abrazos y hasta pronto

Giane