SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

LEARNING SPANISH

Ten Spanish words that English should adopt right now

Some Spanish words are so good at perfectly describing a feeling, experience or person you have to wonder why the English language hasn't adopted them yet.

spanish words english should have
Every block of flats in Spain has at least one 'maruja', an old lady who has all the neighbourhood gossip. Photo: Rubén Bagüés/Unsplash

1. Espabilar: To liven up, to come to one’s senses, to get one’s act together, to wise up, to get a move on, to wake up!

Example: “¡Espabila!¡Qué vas a perder el vuelo!” (Get your arse in gear or you’ll miss your flight!)

espabilar meaning english
A bucket of cold water will help you to ‘espabilar’. Photo: Ryan McGuire/Pixabay.
 
 

2. Maruja: a traditional working-class housewife who enjoys watching TV soaps, gossiping about her neighbours and eavesdropping on others. She’s the informal broadcaster of radio patio, the so-called courtyard radio where most of the chitchat takes place.

Example: “Menuda maruja estás hecha, deja de chismorrear” (You’re such a maruja, stop gossiping).

maruja meaning english
There’s always a ‘maruja’ on the lookout in Spanish neighbourhoods. Photo: Nick Karvounis/Unsplash
 
 
 
3. Estrenar: to wear or use something for the first time. It can also be used for new clothing or for a film or play that’s premiering.
 
Example: “Hoy estreno mis nuevas zapatillas rosas” (I’m wearing my new pink sneakers for the first time today).
 
estrenar meaning in english
Fashion-loving Spaniards love to ‘estrenar’ new clothes. Photo: Joshua Coleman/Unsplash

 
 
 
4. Cachondeo: Lack of seriousness. This may refer to messing about in both a positive sense and a negative one. 
 
Examples:  “Nos pasamos la tarde de cachondeo” (We spent the afternoon mucking about) 
 
“Menudo cachondeo de gobierno.” (This government is a joke)
 
cachondeo meaning english
Sometimes, too much ‘cachondeo’ means not enough gets done in Spain. Photo: Eliott Reyna/Unsplash

 
 
 
 
5. Pagafantas: Literally meaning Fanta buyer, it usually refers to guys who buy drinks for girls and treat them nicely, but never actually get remotely close to sealing the deal in the relationship sense.
 
Example: “No seas tan pagafantas, deja de mimarla“, (Don’t be such a pagantas, stop spoiling her).
 
pagafantas meaning english
Don’t be ‘too nice’, don’t be a ‘pagafantas’. Photo: Adam Ashtamkar/Unsplash

 
 
 
6. Guiri: (Urban Dictionary def.) a somewhat pejorative term for a foreigner, usually a tourist, who happens to be in Spain and stands out as being pretty obviously not a local.
 
The term is usually used to refer to fairer-skinned people from the likes of Great Britain, Germany or Sweden, for example.
 
Example: “Benidorm está lleno de guiris.” (Benidorm is full of northern European tourists).
 
 
guiri
Spaniards can spot a ‘guiri’ from a mile away. Photo: Marc Pascual/ Pixabay

 
 
 
7. Trapichear: to eke out a living by buying and selling, to carry out shady deals, to wheel and deal.
 
Example: “Siempre son los mismos trapicheando en la plaza“, (It’s always the same ones wheeling and dealing in the square).
 
spanish words english should have
There’s plenty of ‘trapicheo’ taking place in Spain as there’s so much unemployment. Photo: Martin Zaenkert/Unsplash

 
 
 
8. Empalagar: To feel sick from eating too many sweet things. 
 
Example: “No me gusta el merenge, es demasiado dulce y empalaga“, (I don’t like merengue, it’s too sweet and it makes me feel sick”.
 
empalagar meaning english
Spanish pastries can be a bit dry, so it’s normal if they cause you to ’empalagarte’. Photo: Ryan McGuire/Pixabay

 
 
 
9. Desvelado: Unable to sleep because you are kept awake by someone or something.
 
Example: “El llanto del bebé consiguió desvelar a todos” (The baby’s crying succeeded in keeping everyone awake). 
 
desvelado meaning english
Spaniards often choose to be ‘desvelados’ be staying up watching TV until late. Photo: Matthew Henry/Unsplash

 
 
 
10. Entrecejo: The space between the eyebrows.
 
Example: “No tiene entrecejo, es cejijunto.” (He has no space between his eyebrows, just a monobrow). 
 
Frida Kahlo had the most famous ‘entrecejo’ in history. Photo: Luis Acosta/AFP

 
 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

SPANISH CITIZENSHIP

How good does my Spanish language level have to be to get citizenship?

If you’re a non-native Spanish speaker who wants to obtain Spanish nationality after ten years of residency, you will have to sit a Spanish language exam if you want to obtain citizenship. Is your Spanish good enough?

How good does my Spanish language level have to be to get citizenship?

Every year, thousands of foreigners who want to become Spanish nationals have to prove their integration into Spanish society by putting their Spanish language skills and general knowledge about Spain to the test with two exams.

Spain’s Cervantes Institute, which is also responsible for the CCSE culture exam you have to sit, handles the Spanish language exam.

It’s called DELE, (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera), Spanish Diplomas as a Second Language.

 The DELE diploma you have to obtain in order to get Spanish citizenship is the A2. 

A2 is the equivalent of an upper beginner, on a scale that goes from A1 (lower beginner) to a C2 (upper advanced).

Therefore, you don’t have to be fluent in Spanish in order to be eligible for Spanish nationality through residency, but you do have to have a decent grasp of Spanish. 

How good does my Spanish have to be to get citizenship?

So what should an A2 level Spanish learner be able to understand, write and say?

An A2 Spanish diploma certifies that the language learner understands sentences and expressions that are commonly used in everyday life. For example, the Spanish used at a bank, at the supermarket, at work or at a restaurant.

You also need to be able to talk in simple terms about yourself-  who you are, what your background is, who your family is. 

Additionally, you must also be capable of communicating in relatively basic terms about routine tasks or familiar matters that require exchanging information, as well as being able to describe in simple terms experiences or issues to do with your immediate environment.

In terms of grammar, you need to be able to use the two ‘to be’ verbs correctly (ser and estar), know how to form the past perfect tense (ej. have done, haber hecho), the present continuous (I’m going, estoy yendo), impersonal verbs (hacer frío, to be cold).

You’ll need to prove you can use interrogatives (what, who, when etc) to form questions, have your ordinal numbers in order(first, second, third etc), show that you have a considerable arsenal of adjectives under your belt (including possessive adjectives – my, your, his etc) and adverbs like never, sometimes, always.

Here’s an example of the reading comprehension part of the A2 DELE exam if you want to put your Spanish to the test.

Furthermore, if you want to get an idea of how good your spoken Spanish has to be, the following video by the Cervantes Institute illustrates what an A2 spoken level is. 

What does the Spanish citizenship language exam involve?

Keep in mind that even if you have an intermediate or high level of Spanish that’s technically above an A2 level, you still need to prepare for the exam in order to ensure that you pass and work on possible weaknesses in your castellano

The DELE A2 exam is made up of different tests which are organised into two groups:

Group 1 (reading and writing skills): Reading comprehension (60 minutes, 5 tasks) and written expression and interaction (50 minutes, 2 tasks).

Group 2 (oral expression): listening comprehension (35 minutes, 5 tasks) and oral expression and interaction (15 minutes).

A “pass” grade is required for each test taken during the same exam session.

A minimum score of 30 out of 100 is needed in each group to receive an overall “pass” grade.

Is there a way for me to not have to sit the language exam to get Spanish citizenship?

There are a few groups who are exempt from having to sit the language and culture exams for Spanish nationality:.

Foreigners who have studied in Spain, children and people who are illiterate or who have learning difficulties or a disability are eligible for an exam waiver. READ MORE

READ ALSO: Spanish citizenship test – how to make sure you pass

SHOW COMMENTS