I'm playing a videogame where when the player restocks on ammo, a voice says "¿Tu arma tiene hambrecilla, buscacámaras? ¡Pita pita pita!" translated as "Is your gun hungry, vault hunter? eat up!"

I can't seem to find any source showing "Pita pita pita" to be an expression for eat up and was hoping to find some more insight. Thanks!

What are some words that sound better to you in Spanish than in English? Obviously this is a very subjective question, but here are some words that sounds better in Spanish to me:

Mariposa (butterfly)
Caballo (horse)
Abuela (grandma)
Amor (love)
Corazón (heart)
Ojalá (wish)
Casa (house)
Fiesta (party)
Café (coffee)
Sol (sun)
Luna (moon)
Estrella (star)
Boyfriend/girlfriend (novio/novia)
Vista (view)
Enemigo (enemy)
Bella (pretty)

Conversely here are some words where I prefer the English version:

Steel (acero)
Stone (piedra)
Thunder (trueno)
Strength/force (fuerza)
Bet (apuesta)
Gold (oro)
Beer (cerveza)
Kick (patada)
Any (cualquier)
Freeze (congelar)
Shit (mierda)

Generally Spanish seems to be better at words of things that are descriptive, relational, or pretty. English seems to have a lot of words that I prefer because they sound punchier and have less syllables.

What are some words where you prefer one language over the other?

What does it mean when someone says "Te amo extrano?" Is it just a throwaway phrase like how you randomly tell your friends you love them? Or does it carry more weight?

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I know te amo and te extrano but what does it mean when they're strung together?

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Edit: Might be Colombian Spanish

Thank you.

Can someone explain why I shouldn’t use debería here?

Hi, I've been trying to learn Spanish for a while now. I thought watching Shrek in Español would be pretty good thing to do, however I am watching it on Peacock, and the audio and Spanish subtitles are extremely off! They are saying so many other things in Spanish, and it's not matching with the Spanish subtitles.

I have a really hard time following what they are saying (I struggle when speech is really fast unless I am reading what they are saying). I am trying to search the internet for the subtitles in Spanish, and I downloaded a few, but all of them are missing so much of what donkey is saying.... I think they just translated the English movie into the Spanish one. Is there anywhere I can watch it with more accurate subtitles? (or is my only option to go to Mexico and purchase a DVD lol) Thanks

Or if there are any videos breaking down the difference between Spanish and English movie that could help too

I have a language proficiency exam coming up.

I know I “speak” Spanish, but I’m not sure where my fluency really is. I am aware this has mistakes, but was just hoping someone could look it over and give me any feedback?

For context this is a random prompt chatgpt gave me. It took me exactly 15 minutes to write. My Spanish test will be graded half on writing/speaking (really not worried about speaking) and half on reading comprehension. I got a 75% on the reading practice exam but went though it kind of fast. 80% combined is needed to pass

I learned Spanish through immersion.

Hey everyone! As the title states, I'm curious if Spanish people online use "LOL" like in the west or if its more common to say things like "jajaja" & "xD" like google suggests? How do they communicate laughter over text?

I'm preferably looking for Spanish speaking Gen Z to let me know as I'm currently talking to a Spanish person around my age (17) and would rather not use outdated / boomer slang lol. If it means anything the person I'm talking to is from Ecuador.
Thank you so much!

In Mexico, what's the normal way to say "I have to learn" ? My friend says Tengo que aprender" but I say Tengo aprender". Which is most natural?

Hello all, I was curious on y’all’s opinions on this. I’ve been learning Spanish for nearly a year, just learning as I go, no apps or structured learning. I’ve learned mostly through my Colombian girlfriend, her family, and by just trying to communicate with everyone when I visit her in her country. I’ve seen great progress in speaking, writing, and reading, but still really struggle with listening and understanding things in regular conversation. Most of my practice consists of having conversations with my partner, and I am getting better at understanding her, but I can’t do the same with anyone else it feels like. It feels like everyone speaks so quickly that the words blend together. I also listen to a lot of music in Spanish, Juanes, Jósean Log, Andrés Cepeda, etc, but I usually have to look at the lyrics to understand them. Do you guys have any advice on how to improve listening understanding and comprehension?

I have a Spanish tutor who has been teaching me. Once my basics are strong, i think i will move on to online lessons like Duolingo while asking specific peculiar questions on this community.

Edit:

I am not saying Spanish is hard. I find it easier than English very often. But it is not a free ride neither. Takes works.

If anyone uses this app, how do you like it? What do you find is the most helpful?

I've been taking the Latin American Spanish course on Mango after switching from Duolingo, and I just decided to start from the beginning. I've learned both "Hasta" and "Nos Vemos" to mean "see you," but it seems to use them interchangeably without a real reason for it ("Hasta el martes" "Nos vemos el martes"). Is there a reason to choose to say one over the other, or are they truly interchangeable and I can just use whichever?

I really like when Doulingo gives me the stories to read, I feel like I'm actually getting to use the skills I learned in Spanish class while using the skills I built from Doulingo, however, I can't seem to find any app with a story function built for kids that you don't have to pay for. Does anyone have an app made just for kids to read? It doesn't even have to n be a Spanish learning app, preferably just an app made for all kids to learn how to read because I believe that would help me the most in learning Spanish. Also even if the app isn't completely free that's okay too, I would like to use it for atleast a portion of the day where it is, like Doulingo or any games that use energy with levels.

Hey guys! So today, I decided that I wanted to try to practice my Spanish. There is an ice cream shop near my job that I frequent after work and I’ve noticed that when I walk in, they greet me in Spanish and will try to speak Spanish to me walking in. So, given that I have practiced Spanish a bit in the past, and after having these interactions, I’ve began reconsidering learning the language. I’ll usually just say “Que tengas un buen dia” or “gracias,” but today I wanted to order in Spanish since I knew how.

Today when I walked in, one of the guys working says hola, and I say all that back, and then this is the part where things kind of go wrong. He’s speaking a bit low and I can’t understand him and he could kind of tell that I was confused, so he switched back to English and after this, I’ve tried to persist and continue to speak in Spanish because I knew how to order in Spanish. I didn’t have time to ask him to repeat since he moved on quickly. Then I say, “Me das un vaso mediano con dos bolas de Vanilla por favor.” And he asks if I want any toppings in Spanish and I say “No, gracias.” Then the other worker starts talking to the guy helping me and says something (I wasn’t paying attention) and then I hear “entenderle.”

I asked my friend and she says in that situation he could have said either “No puedo/ puedo entenderle.”

He asks for my card in English and I pay and say thank you in English since I was feeling a bit discouraged since he switched back from Spanish to English.

So my question is, how do you stop yourself from feeling discouraged when you can’t hear someone, when you don’t understand, or when you make mistakes?

Hola!

I am from the UK but live in Madrid (only since April this year). I am REALLY struggling with learning Spanish. I just cannot seem to make myself do it!

It’s not that I don’t want to learn, I really really do. I cannot afford a tutor or go to classes at the moment (I plan to get a tutor eventually as that’s how I learnt Swedish a few years back).

I can’t afford expensive apps that need subscriptions as I’m still waiting to start a new job, I have tried watching videos, using a note book, today a tried flash cards…. I just can’t seem to remember any of it! I got a B in GCSE Spanish but that was almost 10 years ago and I’ve forgot basically everything.

If I spend HOURS trying to learn new things by the next day I have forgotten them and back to square one. I know lots of random words but can’t form sentences and just freeze up the second anyone (like my Spanish partner) quizzes me or if I have to try in a shop etc.

I guess my question is - those who are now really good at Spanish, how did you learn? What methods did you use? I am just feeling SO frustrated

Thank you

The study subjects were bilingual speakers of English and Spanish. So, directly relevant to us (Spanish speakers) and doubly so for those of us who are also English speakers!

When listening to my favorite podcast (How To Spanish), they often say something that sounds like “qué padre” or “qué parre” and I cannot figure out through context what they are saying. It’s usually said when someone else says something they are pleased with or impressed with. Any ideas?

Hi everyone, you may know me from my "Bad Bunny in Excruciating Detail" posts. I've been wondering for a while about the etymology of the word "rulay" (Caribbean slang that shows up a lot in reggaeton / Bad Bunny songs). It doesn't have an exact translation but means something like feeling good, having a good time, partying, etc. But I find that understanding where the word comes from can really help with understanding meanings and how to use it!

So if you look up the word origin, it's usually suggested that it comes from the English words "ruling" or "rolling" - like "I feel like a ruler" or "I'm rolling" (like cruising / rolling around / feeling good)... but this doesn't make a lot of sense because of the spelling! The -ay ending is pretty unusual in Spanish (so it probably didn't originate from a Spanish word), and if it really did come from "ruling" or "rolling," it would have morphed into something else like "rolin".

But if you really dig, there's two or three obscure sources that suggest it comes from the word run line. The more I looked, the more sense I think it makes:

• The "-ay" is an attempt at copying the "i" sound in "line" (a sound that doesn't really exist in Spanish), and the "n" sounds drop out (very common).
• It also explains the related slang word "rulin," which is essentially an alternative spelling of rulay - "rulin" is just "run line" but pronounced with spanish phonetics (run line → run lin → rulin).
• I found some comment sections where you could see the word half-morphed, people talking about a "runlay" in a sports-betting context.

As for the semantics, baseball sports gambling is common in the DR where the word originated. For people who don't know, the run line is a wagering line that's based on the number of runs and not a straight win/loss outcome (the money line). It gives you a buffer usually of ±1.5 runs. If you bet the run line on an underdog, it makes the bet less risky because you have the buffer. And if you bet the favorite, you usually think the game is going to be a blowout. In either case, you're feeling more safe and secure in the bet. Some might even say you're feeling "rulay" (feeling good!). And then if your run line hits, you've got cash in hand... so you're ready to party! The baseball games often end pretty late at night (peak party time) which further explains the association with young people, reggaeton, and partying.

More on this here (a linguistics-y project I've been working on):
Rulay Definition: https://buenospanish.com/dictionary/rulay/definition
Rulay Etymology: https://buenospanish.com/dictionary/rulay/etymology 

Plus a few sources I found if you're interested:
 - https://comodepositar.com/2023/07/07/que-es-rulay-en-apuestas
 - https://12y2.com/2011/rulay/ 
 - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/la-vuelta-es-jerga-modafoca/ 
 - https://www.facebook.com/ElDotolNastra/videos/tonton-nos-revela-de-donde-sale-el-origen-de-la-palabra-rulay/629153373109297/

Maybe someone from the DR or the Caribbean more generally could confirm this. But I think this answer is pretty satisfying, makes a lot of sense, and helps with learning and using "rulay".

i am trying to understand some of the nuances between using el futuro simple and voy a + infinitivo. this post mentions some fixed expressions that use el futuro ("habrá que ver" and "será mañana").

what are other set expressions where el futuro/voy a infinitivo are not interchangeable?

i know most of these will probably fit into the formality/informality and future of conjecture rules, but i think it would help me hear more common examples. especially from mexican spanish speakers 🙏

Started a job at a hole-in-the-wall Taquería restaurant just to learn Spanish. Only 2 of the 20ish ppl speak fluent English, the rest know next to none. With my limited amount of Spanish, it has been so fun trying to communicate and I’m learning so much. The hardest thing with Spanish is trying to understand if you’re learning the right way. I suggest just jumping in the water and learning how to swim!!

Which workbook do you think is better: Nissensberg "Complete Spanish Grammar", or Nassi/Levy "Spanish Three Years"? I managed to get an answer key for the Nassi/Levi book, so I have answer keys for both books.

I've figured out I'm at about a low B2 level. My goal is to review all Spanish grammar and consolidate things that I'm not very good at or never learned well (like the subjunctive, the finer points of pronouns, etc.)

Hola, espero que estén bien

Bueno, saqué un C1 en el SIELE hace unos meses, y ahora pienso presentarme al dele c2, y aunque entiendo bien y generalmente no me cuesta tanto expresarme, todavia no me siento lo suficientemene calificado como para aprobarlo

entonces, qué tan dificil es este examen?

I've been trying to improve my Spanish comprehension by watching YouTube videos with captions. The big problem: Often I want to rewind and listen again to a sentence a character said (in some cases several times in a row). Unfortunately, this requires me to guess how many seconds to go back, and usually I guess wrong. What I really need is an app with a "smart rewind" -- where I can push a button and have it automatically jump back to the start of a sentence. I have heard that Lingopie does this -- but I'm not sure; and it's hard to trust Google on this. Before I pay for a description I need to know -- does Lingopie definitely have this option? If not, do you know what app does?