Although many Hispanic Americans have lost fluency in Spanish due to pressures of assimilation and fears of being ostracized, language continues to be an important part of our cultural identity. The Spanish of South and Central America is particularly unique, with words changing from country to country.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, here are some words in Mexican Spanish.
ℹ️ Did you know that Drops has separate courses for Mexican Spanish and Spanish from Spain (Castellano)? This is because the dialects and cultures are wildly different!
The list goes from popular requests like “how do you say what is your name in Spanish?” to more obscure ones like “how do you say goat in Spanish?” We don’t judge. Let’s get started!
That’s ¡Felicitaciones! With two soft c’s and much exclamation! One more time, slowly: fe - li - si - ta - si - o - nes. Now you say it.
ℹ️ Repeating words out loud as you learn them increases memorization strength
Perfect! Now you’re ready to congratulate someone on their birthday, promotion, new home, etc. in Spanish. For better pronunciation guidance, check out the Drops Mexican Spanish Language Course with each word professionally recorded.
If you’re wanting to order lime for your tacos or for a certain popular Mexican drink, then you’re going to want to know how to say lime in Mexican Spanish. While the internet is filled with the countless ways Spanish speakers say “lemon”, we’re going to get straight to the point with one word that’ll be understood:
The Lime = La Lima
ℹ️ You can learn the Spanish words for all your favorite fruits & vegetables in the Food & Drinks courses in Drops.
The girlfriend = La novia (la nov-ya)
My girlfriend = Mi novia
Unfortunately, Spanish is still very much a gendered language. Fortunately, people are taking strides to help make it more inclusive, and there is a more gender neutral option:
My partner = Mi pareja
ℹ️ Learn more gender neutral options in Spanish with the Drops LGBTQ+ vocabulary courses.
The most common way to ask for someone’s name in Spanish is not a direct translation from the English version. Instead of “what is your name”, we say “how are you called”:
How are you called = ¿Cómo te llamas?
What is your name = ¿Cuál es tu nombre?
For some reason, this is an extremely popular request. Whether you’re looking for a goat yoga class, some delicious cheese, or wanting to adopt a pet goat, here’s how you say it in Spanish:
The Goat= La cabra
That wraps up our first round of “How do you say that in Spanish”. Keep your eye out for part two. In the meantime, enjoy learning about Hispanic Heritage, and brush up on your Mexican Spanish vocabulary with Drops!
Elissa Gonzalez is a Venezuelan American UX Writer living in Germany.
