C2 · 50 words
Regional variants in Spanish
Words that are said differently, or meant differently, on the two sides of the Atlantic.
One word in this list is ours, and it came back in a shape we never used. El living is the sitting room in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay — half of « living room », kept as a noun with a Spanish article in front of it: el living está al fondo. English has no « a living » in that sense at all, and Spain, which never took the loan, says el salón or el cuarto de estar. The same half-borrowing shows up in el water for the lavatory and, in Argentina, el country for a gated suburb with a golf course. Hearing an English word is not the same as knowing what it will mean.
The words
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Phrase (35)
el ordenadorthe computer, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El ordenador se llama computadora al otro lado.The computer is called computadora on the other side.
la computadorathe computer, as America says itPhraseC2
La computadora es la palabra corriente en América.Computadora is the ordinary word in America.
el móvilthe mobile phone, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El móvil se dice celular en casi toda América.The mobile is called celular in almost all of America.
el celularthe mobile phone, as America says itPhraseC2
El celular es la forma general al otro lado del Atlántico.Celular is the general form on the other side of the Atlantic.
el cochethe car, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El coche se llama carro en buena parte de América.The car is called carro in a good part of America.
el carrothe car, as much of America says it, and a trolley in SpainPhraseC2
El carro en España es un carrito de la compra.Carro in Spain is a shopping trolley.
el zumothe fruit juice, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El zumo se pide como jugo en América.Zumo is ordered as jugo in America.
el jugothe fruit juice, as America says itPhraseC2
El jugo es la palabra normal fuera de España.Jugo is the normal word outside Spain.
la patatathe potato, as Spain says itPhraseC2
La patata se llama papa en América y en Canarias.The potato is called papa in America and in the Canaries.
la papathe potato, as America says it, straight from QuechuaPhraseC2
La papa vino del quechua.Papa came from Quechua.
el autobústhe bus, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El autobús tiene media docena de nombres en América.The bus has half a dozen names in America.
el camión urbanothe bus, as Mexico says itPhraseC2
El camión urbano en México no transporta mercancías.The camión urbano in Mexico carries no goods.
la acerathe pavement, as Spain says itPhraseC2
La acera es vereda en el Cono Sur.The pavement is vereda in the Southern Cone.
el pisothe flat, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El piso se dice departamento en el Cono Sur.The flat is called departamento in the Southern Cone.
la neverathe fridge, as Spain says itPhraseC2
La nevera es heladera o refrigerador según el país.The fridge is heladera or refrigerador depending on the country.
la camisetathe T-shirt, as Spain says itPhraseC2
La camiseta se llama remera en Argentina.The T-shirt is called remera in Argentina.
la chaquetathe jacket, as Spain says itPhraseC2
La chaqueta es saco o campera según la región.The jacket is saco or campera depending on the region.
las gafasthe spectacles, as Spain says itPhraseC2
Las gafas son anteojos o lentes en América.Glasses are anteojos or lentes in America.
los anteojosthe spectacles, as the Southern Cone says itPhraseC2
Los anteojos se usan en Argentina y Chile.Anteojos is used in Argentina and Chile.
el bolígrafothe ballpoint pen, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El bolígrafo es lapicero, birome o pluma según el país.The pen is lapicero, birome or pluma depending on the country.
el ascensorthe lift, as Spain says itPhraseC2
El ascensor es elevador en México.The lift is elevador in Mexico.
la piscinathe swimming pool, as Spain says itPhraseC2
La piscina es alberca en México y pileta en Argentina.The pool is alberca in Mexico and pileta in Argentina.
el pronombre vosthe pronoun vos, which carries verb forms of its ownPhraseC2
El pronombre vos lleva sus propias formas verbales.The pronoun vos carries verb forms of its own.
el uso de ustedes por vosotrosthe use of ustedes where Spain would say vosotrosPhraseC2
El uso de ustedes por vosotros es general en América.Using ustedes for vosotros is general in America.
la distinción entre c y sthe c kept apart from the s in the soundPhraseC2
La distinción entre c y s solo se oye en parte de España.The c and the s are told apart only in part of Spain.
la aspiración de la s finalthe final s breathed out instead of hissedPhraseC2
La aspiración de la s final recorre el Caribe y Andalucía.The breathed final s runs through the Caribbean and Andalusia.
el pretérito perfecto en Españathe perfect tense as Spain uses it, covering todayPhraseC2
El pretérito perfecto en España cubre lo de hoy.The perfect tense in Spain covers what happened today.
el indefinido americanothe simple past as America uses it, where Spain takes the perfectPhraseC2
El indefinido americano se usa donde España diría perfecto.The American simple past stands where Spain would take the perfect.
el sufijo diminutivo regionalthe diminutive ending that changes from country to countryPhraseC2
El sufijo diminutivo regional cambia de un país a otro.The regional diminutive ending changes from one country to another.
el indigenismo léxicothe word taken from an indigenous languagePhraseC2
El indigenismo léxico varía de un país a otro.The indigenous loanword varies from one country to another.
el anglicismo americanothe word taken from English on the American sidePhraseC2
El anglicismo americano entra por la frontera y por la pantalla.The American anglicism comes in over the border and off the screen.
el español neutrothe Spanish nobody speaks and everybody understandsPhraseC2
El español neutro no lo habla nadie y lo entienden todos.Neutral Spanish is spoken by nobody and understood by everybody.
la norma panhispánicathe standard that admits more than one correct formPhraseC2
La norma panhispánica reconoce varias formas correctas.The pan-Hispanic standard recognises several correct forms.
el prestigio del acentothe standing an accent has, which is a political matterPhraseC2
El prestigio del acento cambia con la política, no con la lengua.The standing of an accent changes with politics, not with the language.
la falsa universalidad de un usothe mistake of taking one country's usage for the whole languagePhraseC2
La falsa universalidad de un uso es el error más común de los manuales.Taking one usage for universal is the commonest mistake in the textbooks.
Noun (f) (6)
la guaguathe bus, as Cuba and the Canaries say itNoun (f)C2
La guagua significa otra cosa en los Andes.Guagua means something else in the Andes.
la veredathe pavement, as the Southern Cone says itNoun (f)C2
La vereda en España sería un sendero.A vereda in Spain would be a footpath.
la heladerathe fridge, as Argentina and Uruguay say itNoun (f)C2
La heladera se usa en Argentina y Uruguay.Heladera is used in Argentina and Uruguay.
la remerathe T-shirt, as Argentina says itNoun (f)C2
La remera es palabra desconocida en España.Remera is a word unknown in Spain.
la biromethe ballpoint pen, as Argentina says itNoun (f)C2
La birome lleva el nombre de su inventor.The birome carries the name of its inventor.
la albercathe swimming pool, as Mexico says itNoun (f)C2
La alberca en España es un depósito de riego.An alberca in Spain is an irrigation tank.
Noun (m) (9)
el colectivothe city bus, as Argentina says itNoun (m)C2
El colectivo recorre la ciudad por líneas numeradas.The colectivo crosses the city on numbered routes.
el livingthe sitting room, as the Southern Cone says itNoun (m)C2
El living es palabra corriente en Argentina y Chile.Living is an ordinary word in Argentina and Chile.
el aparcamientothe car park, as Spain says itNoun (m)C2
El aparcamiento es estacionamiento o parqueo fuera de España.Aparcamiento is estacionamiento or parqueo outside Spain.
el voseothe use of vos in the place of túNoun (m)C2
El voseo alcanza a millones de hablantes.The use of vos reaches millions of speakers.
el ustedeothe use of usted even between people who are closeNoun (m)C2
El ustedeo se usa incluso entre familiares en algunas zonas.Usted is used even between family members in some areas.
el yeísmothe ll fallen together with the yNoun (m)C2
El yeísmo se ha extendido a casi todo el dominio.Yeísmo has spread over almost the whole language.
el rehilamientothe ll and the y voiced into a buzzNoun (m)C2
El rehilamiento identifica al hablante rioplatense.The buzzed ll marks out a speaker from the River Plate.
el nahuatlismothe word taken from NahuatlNoun (m)C2
El nahuatlismo dio palabras que usa el mundo entero.Nahuatl gave words that the whole world now uses.
el quechuismothe word taken from QuechuaNoun (m)C2
El quechuismo abunda en los Andes.Quechua loanwords abound in the Andes.
This list belongs to Language and expression — 22 lists and 1102 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.