Learning is Spanish makes us go out of our minds, and even more so when we cannot find a word in our native language that has the same meaning as the word in Spanish.

To improve this process of learning, we propose a series of Spanish words with their meaning and their likely translation into English.

SIESTA:

The siesta is a very Spanish thing, and although there are equivalent words in different languages, the Spanish word “siesta” is beginning to be used around the world. The siesta is about that moment of sleeping after the meal and therefore without translation into English, but it is different from echarse una cabezadita, which means to take a nap.

Cuando termino de comer una buena paella, lo mejor es la siesta.

When I finish eating good paella, the best thing is the siesta.

TUERTO:

The following word is quite funny because of its definition in English: tuerto in Spanish has its corresponding one-eye, that is, as the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary) says, it is the lack of sight in one eye.

Mario tenía falta de vista en un ojo, por eso le llamaban Mario el Tuerto.

Mario had a lack of sight in one eye, that’s why they called him One-Eyed Mario.

ESTRENAR:

To express the term estrenar in other languages requires a complete sentence, as they do not have a word to define its meaning. The Spanish word estrenar consists of using or wearing an object or something for the first time.

Ayer me compré esta blusa, así que hoy la estrenaré.

What I like best when we eat as a family is the long talk that follows.

SOBREMESA:

It is well known that after a good meal, apart from taking a nap, first comes what is called the sobremesa, a very Spanish habit. The sobremesa is that moment after the meal, at the time of coffee or dessert, where everyone stays at the table talking for a long time.

Los momentos que más me gustan cuando comemos en familia es la sobremesa que le sigue.

I had a crush on Brad Pitt when I was in school.

ANTEAYER:

Arguably, the Spanish language is the only one that uses a word to refer to the day before yesterday, although in German a similar word is used as vorgestern.

No pude asistir a clase anteayer ya que estaba mala.

I couldn’t attend class the day before yesterday because I was ill.

VERGÜENZA AJENA:

There are two words used in Spanish to refer to the embarrassment that a person suffers when faced with what another person or a group of people says or does.

This does not translate into embarrassment, but is the feeling of shame you have for or because of another person.

María hizo un chiste muy malo delante de mi familia, en ese momento sentí vergüenza ajena.

Maria made a very bad joke in front of my family, and at that moment I felt ashamed of her.

Text: Rocío Balada