| Navigating Language Traps |
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Learning a language such as Spanish is not simply a question of learning words, it’s also a question of how to use those words appropriately.
Even the smallest, most common words have their time and place, which is something that the tidy little lists in phrase books will rarely tell you. Yes, “buenas tardes” does mean “good afternoon”, but when exactly does the afternoon begin in Spain? At 12 o'clock? That would be too logical: it’s probably safest to start saying it after you’ve eaten lunch, which for most Spaniards would be between two and three o’clock. “Good afternoon” shades into “good evening” for English speakers, but “buenas tardes” works for both in Spanish, though, it is a little strange to be saying it after dark. “Buenas noches”, meanwhile, is used for saying both hello and goodbye, unlike English, where “goodnight” means only “goodbye”. A safe way round all this – though it's very colloquial – is to use “buenas” at all times, day and night. Other informal ways around the problem are to use “hola” and even (very informally) “¿Qué tal?” (“how are you”), although on a first presentation it’s probably a good idea to add “encantado” (“pleased to meet/to have met you”) as you kiss or shake hands. The little words “gracias” and “por favor” seem to be far less common in Spanish than in English, and here the difference is cultural rather than linguistic: after many years in Spain, I still, as a traditional Brit, use both words far more than I probably should. In relationships with family and close friends, the words are barely heard, while in shops, say, or in bars, they are used far less than they would be in the polite English-speaking world, although younger people tend to use them more. Sometimes, Spanish seems to work against your English-language instincts: when answering the front door or coming to the phone, a Spaniard does not say “I'm coming!” but rather “¡Voy!” (“I go!”). And then there are the ‘false friends’ or false cognates, which have caught out millions of English speakers over the years – it’s simply perverse that “estoy constipado” should mean “I have a cold” or that “estoy embarazado” should mean “I'm pregnant” – whether you’re embarrassed about that fact or not. Finally, in this haphazard list of language traps, there’s the whole thorny issue of when to use “tú” and when “usted” when addressing people. This is a bit of a minefield even for native speakers, but one rule is that where there is ambiguity about the closeness of the relationship, you should check with the person you’re speaking to whether they mind if you “tutear” them. They rarely do. IN CONVERSATION The fine details ¿Le puedo tutear? Can I address you as “tú” [rather than “usted”]? Es muy difícil comunicar con precisión en otro idioma It’s very difficult to communicate precisely in another language Creo que el verdadero interés de un idioma está en los detalles I think the real interest of a language is in the details Aprender un idioma es mucho más que aprender palabras simplemente Learning a language is much more than simply learning words Lo siento si no me estoy expresando del todo bien I’m sorry if I’m not expressing myself too well |
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