Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Anatomical bloopers .... oops!

Everyone makes mistakes when learning a new language - it's part of the fun, and nothing aids the learning experience like making a fool of yourself.

Spanish has a handful of easy-to-make errors that form dangerous ground for the unwary, especially when those mistakes result in you inadvertently referring to body parts and processes.

Take age, for example. The English expression

"How old are you?"

translates into the Spanish

"¿Cuantos años tienes?" ("How many years do you have?").

Make doubly sure that you pronounce (or write) that ñ with it's tilde (años is pronounced 'ANyos')! Without it, you're asking how many anos (anuses) somebody has ...

Making such a mistake is likely to leave you embarrassed.  Whatever you do, don't try to explain this by saying that you are embarazada (pregnant) ... unless you are, of course ... the word you're looking for is avergonzada.

The marketplace has its own dangers. Remember that chicken breasts are pechugas de pollo - the word pecho refers to the human breast.  And remember that chicken itself is a masculine noun - asking for polla will raise a few eyebrows, as it is a colloquial term for 'manhood' - especially dangerous if you happen to be asking for a large one!

Oh and one last thing:
cajones = drawers (e.g. in a cabinet)
cojines = cushions
cojones = testicles.
You have been warned.

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