Hey there, language enthusiasts! If you are a Spanish learner, chances are you have stumbled upon some tricky words in class. You know, those linguistic unicorns that make you go, “What even is that in English?”. Maybe you understand their meaning, but when you look them up in a dictionary, the exact translation just isn’t there. Well, that’s perfectly normal: sometimes words can get lost in translation, especially if you switch from a Romance language (i.e. Spanish) to a Saxon one like English.
This funky vocabulary may be tough to learn, but that’s the best way to sound like a true native. Isn’t that the goal of any language student? In this article, we’ll take a look at 7 untranslatable Spanish words that will make you say: “How come we don’t have this in English?”.
1. Sobremesa
One of the main examples Spanish teachers use when talking about this topic. Imagine a summer Sunday lunch: everyone gathers at grandma’s house for some homemade dishes. After eating, people are stuffed, so they chat without leaving the table while sharing a cup of coffee or a small glass of liquor.
The “sobremesa”, as the example shows, refers to the period during which people stay seated after a meal. It usually lasts about half an hour or more, and it’s the perfect time to engage in light conversation. The reason behind this word is purely cultural, and it’s an excuse to digest the food before doing the dishes.
Fun fact: in the nineteenth century, José Asunción Silva, a Colombian poet, wrote De sobremesa, a key novel for the Latin American Modernisno.
2. Estrenar
Another Spanish enigma for English speakers. This word means “to wear or use something for the first time”. It is very commonly used when talking about shoes, but it works for other objects as well. “Estrenar” can also be said in a metaphorical sense, just like the song “Tiramisu de limón”, by the Spanish singer Joaquín Sabina:
“Pero esta noche estrena libertad un preso”
This phrase can be translated as: “But tonight a prisoner tastes freedom for the first time”. Even though the lyrics only seem to talk about a release from prison, they share a feeling of rebirth, of beginning anew. That’s why estrenar is used.
Fun fact: there is a direct translation for the Spanish noun Estreno, a word seen in movie theaters. In that case, we use the English equivalent “premiere”.
3. Friolento/Friolero
Do you get cold easily and don’t leave the house without a sweater? Then you’re definitely a friolento/friolero. This adjective is used to describe people who can’t stand the cold or who are just more sensitive to it than others. Don’t forget to use the feminine form friolenta/friolera when talking about a woman.
But.. Is it friolento or friolero? Well, both options are correct, according to the Real Academia Española (The Royal Spanish Academy) 一or La RAE, for short一, the highest authority of the Spanish language. Active on social media, they claim that friolento is common in Latin America, whereas friolero is more used in Spain.
4. Anteayer/Antier
If today is Thursday the 19th, for example, you would say “yesterday” when talking about Tuesday the 18th. But how do you talk about the 17th? That’s where we Spanish speakers use anteayer. It literally means “the day before yesterday”.
Antier, anteayer or antes de ayer? Let’s ask our friend La RAE, shall we? Their Diccionario panhispánico de dudas (Panhispanic Dictionary of Doubts) says that all options are valid, but antier is the preferred form in Mexico and Central America. However, in Spain, it is only used in rural or popular speech. Let’s keep in mind that antiayer and antiyer should be avoided, as they are not part of the cultured norm in the whole Hispanic area.
5. Tutear
This concept is a little tricky to translate into English because the pronoun you covers both the formal and the informal registers, represented in Spanish by usted and tú/vos respectively. Tutear basically means to talk to someone casually or informally 一more specifically, by using the pronoun tú. In English, one could say this as “to address someone informally”, but there isn’t a specific verb for it. In Spanish, one would say something like “Puedes tutearme” instead.
Fun fact: the word tutear is also used in countries like Argentina, even though they use vos as a preferred pronoun. Did you know that until 1810 in that country, tú was used by the educated class, whereas vos was seen as a corruption of the language? You can read more about this phenomenon here.
6. Tocayo
This is a very special word in the Spanish language: it describes a particular bond that unites two or more people, even though they haven’t actually met. Tocayo/a means someone with whom you share a name. For instance, Chilean actor Pedro Pascal is Pedro Almodóvar’s tocayo and vice versa.
In English, the expression “my twin” would be the closest match. Apart from its literal sense, your twin can be your BFF, someone with whom you share similar physical characteristics or personalities. However, it doesn’t mean exactly the same. This example of a good friendship is still far from the specific meaning of tocayo.
Fun fact: Chilean writer José Donoso wrote a short story called “Tocayos”. He was part of the famous “Latin American boom” of the 1960s and 1970s and was the winner of several awards, including the National Prize for Literature in 1990.
7. Te quiero vs. Te amo
Finally, we have arrived at a fantastic expression, a phrase that marks the beginning of a friendship or even a relationship. Te quiero 一not to be confused with te amo一 is a way of expressing affection for someone. Especially talking about romance, it’s more meaningful than me gustas (“I like you”), but less intense than te amo (“I love you”). This phrase is great for showcasing the different steps in a relationship. If you don’t love someone yet, it doesn’t mean that you have a heart of stone. There’s a range, people!
Conclusion
Now you’ve seen how tricky translation can be. Maybe you think Deepl is great, but sometimes it just misses the mark entirely, especially when translating poetry. Try translating the quote by Sabina we gave you into English; you’ll see what we mean.
At Palabra, we have literally made a living by understanding the tiny nuances of languages. If you need a professional team of translators, we are here to help you! Not only do we translate from English, French, or Italian, but from the language you choose. You just have to get in touch with us!
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