The word “che” is ubiquitous in Argentina. Sure, before arriving, I had seen Motorcycle Diaries. I was privy to legacy of the famous revolutionary Che Guevara, but I honestly had no idea why Argentines seemed to constantly refer to him. I remember thinking to myself, “Why is everyone talking about Che all the time?” Upon …
Argentinians, like their Italian and Spanish ancestors, are a touchy feely bunch. That personal space bubble you have in your home country (that is, if you are from the U.S., Germany, or England), will be popped the second you touch ground in Argentina. “Wait, so, I’m supposed to kiss everyone?” a new student studying at …
I moved to Rosario, Argentina with the intention of only staying one year. My idea was to live, work, and travel the continent, just like I had done in Europe. Then, I would move back home for a couple months, and do the same in Asia. One of the last things my mother told me …
If you are going to be in Argentina for any length of time, “onda” is a word that you will need to know ¿qué onda? in order to know what’s going on. It it is a multipurpose word. If we translate it literally, it means waves or vibrations, but, depending on its context, the meaning …
Although the commonly used phrase “meter la pata” originated in Spain, it is used extensively throughout Argentina and much of Latin America. Pata means leg and foot, not that of a human’s, but of an animal’s (although you will hear many Latin Americans using pata for a person’s foot too). If I were to literally …
If you’ve been studying Spanish at Spanish in Rosario, you’ve probably heard the word “quilombo” thrown around to describe a ruckus, mess, scandal, disorder, or conflict. It can be used positively or negatively – as in a fun mess or a total shitty disaster. But I bet you don’t know where the word comes from. …
In most countries, using laziness is not a justifiable or acceptable excuse to decline or cancel plans, unless however, you happen to be in Argentina. Ah, good ol’ fiaca – or laziness in English. That feeling of wanting to do absolutely nothing. In my country – The United States – being busy and wanting to …
We have been teaching Spanish for just under a decade now which means, we have a plethora of stories and anecdotes to share with you about learning. Today, we are going to share with you some of the most common (and funniest) errors our students have made over the years. Drum roll… 10. Intended Statement: …
My incredibly sweet Argentinian husband calls me “gordita” (chubby). At first, I cringed with the sound of it, imagining the words being said in public and witnessing the shock and disapproval on the faces of strangers at the sound of something so classically offensive. “Hey gordita, let’s go downtown.” Why gordita of all words? I …
I learned Spanish in Spain where the word concha is used to describe the hard protective outer case of a mollusk or crustacean: a shell. In Donostia, San Sebastian, the main beach is called Playa de Concha. So, after living and learning Spanish there for six months, I felt I had a pretty clear understanding …
