The way that Spaniards and Latin Americans talk about the past includes differences as well. Planning a trip? = ¿ha llegado Sally? Castilian is Spanish. As some others have said, I think it depends and where and how you will be using Spanish. For example a person who lives in Buenos Aires speak spanish with a different accent than a person who lives in Barcelona, but every spanish speaker can speak and understand each other. Equally, indigenous languages have left their mark on Hispanic American Spanish, a fact which is particularly evident in vocabulary to do with flora, fauna and cultural habits. Of the more than 400 million people who speak Spanish (or Castilian) as their mother tongue, more than 300 million are in Latin America. Avoid getting scammed! The more you are exposed to different accents, the easier they become to understand. If you want to ask ‘¿Tú quieres ir a la fiesta?’ (Do you want to go to the party?) Photography and infographics cannot be used without permission.Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms and Conditions. Boricuas (or Puerto Ricans) speak fast! There are also many more words that vary between dialects. Spain is the only Spanish-speaking country where the pronoun vosotros and vosotras is used, giving Spaniards an extra ending to memorize for each tense. So, the word ‘lloviendo’ (raining) in Argentina sounds more like ‘/sho-vien-do/’. But after a couple of days we got used to the sounds and rhythm of Puerto Rican Spanish. Impress the locals with these 22 essential travel phrases [FREE GUIDE], 7 Top Differences Between Spain Spanish and Latin American Spanish You Didn’t Know. There are a few notable differences between European/Castilian and Latin American Spanish. Make sure you get my free Latin American Spanish phrase guide. Center accredited by the Cervantes Institute, Speakeasy Language school is an official partner of the following organisations, The Spanish Christmas tradition of los Reyes Magos, Speakeasy student Polina and her Spanish-learning journey, 8 eggcellent Spanish expressions with eggs, Come in, we're open! With their arrival came their language, Spanish, which began to spread all over the region. This could explain why the words and phrases people use in Latin America are different – the language didn’t have time to “catch up” to its mother country (Spain). I'm the 'guide' behind The Intrepid Guide, a hub for travellers and language learners with thousands of readers and a popular newsletter. Vosotros is the plural form of the second person (you) and is used in a casual manner. For those who speak Spanish in Latin America, this is simply referred to as Latin American Spanish. We spent over a month around the island and we never had any problems communicating with the locals. For example, in Venezuela, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico the word ‘vamos’ (let’s go/we go) sounds more like ‘vamo’. For example, driving around the island we often saw signs of “Gomeras”. Some say that Argentinians have a “sing-song” accent, Colombian Spanish is the most neutral sounding, or that some countries drop an S at the end or in the middle of words. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, learn the difference between a Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish person. She'll walk you through them––with some delicious taco breaks along the way. For example, when speaking to a group of friends in Spain you might say ‘Vosotros sois mis mejores amigos.’ Whereas in Latin America you would say ‘Ustedes son mis mejores amigos.’ (You all are my best friends). Another sound they tend to drop in some Latin American countries is the letter ‘d’ in the last syllable of a word. Most native Spanish speakers in the United States also commonly use or recognize this version. Learn faster with 78 of the BEST dictionaries used by polyglots! Besides the very obvious differences, the Spanish language stays practically the same all over the world thanks to the RAE – La Real Academia de la Lengua Española (The Royal Academy of the Spanish Language) – which is Spain’s official institution in charge of promoting linguistic unity and to ensure the stability of the Spanish language within all territories where Spanish is spoken. Let us know if you have any questions about our courses, our school and life at Speakeasy. Would a Colombian be able to get by in Spain? (Spanish Vocabulary) Don't Miss Out! However, it can be tricky to grasp the speed and intonation of the different accents at first, but after a few days tyou’ll have no trouble understanding each other. Which we will dive into a little bit later. If, for example, you’re learning Colombian Spanish and want to visit another Spanish-speaking country, doing a little research ahead of time will do wonders. – Roma Small. In general, the biggest divisions in Spanish are those between Spain and Latin America. This is the universal and somewhat arbitrary name that is given to idiomatic and native expressions and to the specific vocabulary of the Spanish language in Latin America. ... grammar, and slang. In Latin America, since vosotros doesn’t exist, they simply use ustedes in both formal and informal situations. Planning a trip? Spanish. The vast majority of Spanish words are universal, but some are not. In Latin American Spanish ‘z’ is always pronounced like an ‘s’. The idea of “continental lag” was first coined by the linguist Albert Marckwardt to describe the that the language which is brought to a new place changes less than the language from where it originated. Here at Speakeasy you'll find courses for all abilities and timetables, an incredible team of talented and motivated teachers and classmates to share your interests and passions. Something similar happens with the letter ‘c’ in Spain Spanish. Want to learn Spanish before going to Latin America? manejar el negocio (to manage a business). In Latin American Spanish ‘z’ is always pronounced like an ‘s’. With a few exceptions—some local accents can be difficult for outsiders—people in Spain watch movies and TV shows from Latin America without … You’ll certainly earn more respect from the locals if you at least try. Think of the English language for a moment. The learning methodology is great, and easy to follow and found that I progressed much faster in the last 4 weeks than I ever did on my own or using other language apps. There are some differences, sure, but nothing major. Just as there are differences between American English and British English, there are differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and the Spanish spoken in Latin America. While some of these will make it harder than others to understand what you’re hearing, it’s especially important to know these differences if you want to continue to improve your speaking and sound more like the natives. 3. All Rights Reserved. There are many reasons for learning Latin American Spanish. It has been influenced by Rioplatense Spanish and the Spanish spoken in Andalusia in Spain. How to Master Italian Phrases for Travel FAST! Learn the local language for less than the cost of eating at a tourist trap restaurant! In Latin America, these two letters are pronounced as S, while in Spain you would hear a TH sound. In Spain, it is common to talk about a completed action using the present perfect tense: Hoy he ido al trabajo (I have gone to work today). And if you need a visa for your stay, then of course we're able to help and advise. For example, a pen is boligrafo in Spain but lápiz pasta in Chile, lapicera in Argentina and so on. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. However, in Latin America, the simple past tense is preferred in these kinds of situations, so it would be ‘Me quedé en casa hoy’. Which of these differences between Castilian and Latin American Spanish surprised you the most? Way back in the 15th-century, the Spanish conquistadors began to colonize the Americas to spread the word of god and gather precious metals. The only major difference comes from personal pronouns and related verb conjugations -- with vosotros (y'all) being predominantly used in Spain, and ustedes more common in Latin America. If you're in Europe, maybe Spain-Spanish would be best. As of 2013, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística in Spain listed at least 10 surnames that 20% of the country. 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