The Language Chronicles: El Choro Lingüístico 💬

[Contenido en portugués - Content in Portuguese] [Para español, ver abajo.] To learn more about the loss of intervocalic -n-, also a unique characteristic of Portuguese, please see  this entry . To see the most frequent mistakes when learning Portuguese, click here .  -------------------------------------   El enigma de la desaparecida L en portugués explicado Para aprender sobre la caida de la -n- intermedia , también una característica única del portugués, favor de ver  esta entrada . Para ver los errores más frecuentes al aprender portugués, hacer clic  aquí . 

For frequent mistakes in Spanish, click here . If you're on your browser, open the below image in a separate tab for best resolution. Another frequent mistake by Portuguese language learners is the formation of plurals with words ending in -l  - click the link for an explanation that will hopefully make it clear for you.  

[Bajar para español] Language is full of fascinating patterns that we often use without even realizing it. One such pattern is reduplication —the repetition of a word or part of a word to create emphasis , iteration , or even a playful tone . While reduplication is common in English with phrases like " willy-nilly ," " kitty-cat ," or " nitty-gritty ," it's also widespread in other languages.  In fact, the word Popocatépetl means "Smoking Mountain," from the Nahuatl poctli (smoke) and the reduplication popoca (to smoke) . In this post, we’ll explore how reduplication functions in Spanish, with a special focus on a structure in Mexican Spanish. Types of Reduplication Reduplication in Spanish can be classified into two main types: c omplete reduplication where the entire word is repeated, and partial reduplication where only a part of the word is repeated. Some examples of partial reduplication include:  "noticionón,"c hiquitito,&qu

[Bajar para español] To pave the way for a comparison between the shared simple past tense of “ir” and “ser”, let’s begin with the complex history of “ser”. Its origins combine Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti (to be) and *bʰuH- (to become or to grow) via Latin “esse.” Its simple past forms, “fui, fuiste, fue,” link to the *bʰuH- root, which also appears in English "be" and German "bist." Other forms like “es,” “eres”, and “soy” via archaic Latin esum from esse link to *h₁ésti. This phenomenon of filling in gaps in verb conjugations or alternating roots, is called suppletion. Another instance occurred with the Latin verb sedere (to sit) > se(d)ere > Old Spanish seer> “ser” replacing the Latin infinitive “esse”. Examining "ir," the Spanish verb "to go," reveals another case of suppletion. The Latin verb “ire” complemented its conjugations in early Romance or Old Spanish and Galician-Portuguese with other verb forms. In the present tense, speak

Why are there stem-changing verbs in Spanish? Short answer : Stem-changing verbs in Spanish arise due to the historical evolution from Latin, where distinctions between long and short vowels influenced how certain vowels transformed in stressed syllables. Long answer :  In Latin, long vowels were naturally tense, while short vowels were more relaxed. This difference required more muscle tension for long vowels, leading to changes as Latin evolved into modern Spanish. When Spanish reduced its vowels from 10 in Latin to 5, certain vowels like "o" and "e" developed open or closed qualities. This shift caused stem changes in Spanish verbs, where short "o" became "ue" and short "e" became "ie" in stressed syllables. For example, in the verb poder , the stem changes to puedo in the first-person singular, but remains unchanged in unstressed syllables, as in podemos . How did this happen in Spanish? As Latin transitioned to Spanish,

Recientemente, leí a alguien molesto porque "ocupar" se usa como sinónimo de "necesitar", no solo con sustantivos, sino también con verbos: ocupo dinero , ocupo buscar terapia . La queja llegaba al punto de llamar a este uso una "tergiversación", sugiriendo que estas personas "necesitan" leer más. Sin embargo, estas "tergiversaciones" son comunes en los idiomas. Por ejemplo:  Carro (y coche) ya no se refiere a un vehículo no motorizado tirado por animales; ahora significa automóvil. Avión ya no describe a una gran ave, como en el francés original; hoy es un vehículo aéreo. Arribar dejó de ser llegar a la ribera por barco; ahora significa llegar por cualquier medio. Llegar (del latín "plegare")   originalmente significaba doblar las velas de un barco al arribar; con el tiempo, pasó a asociarse con la acción de llegar. La evolución de "ocupar" El caso de ocupar es especialmente interesante. Originalmente

[Bajar para español] Accent marks in Spanish aren't just for pronunciation —they follow specific guidelines established by the Real Academia Española (RAE) with a specific purpose. Understanding these guidelines can help you know when and where to place accent marks correctly, making your Spanish writing more accurate and clear . Let's explore the key guidelines that govern the use of tildes. Guideline #1: Natural Stress, No Accent Marks When the natural stress falls on the next-to-last syllable in words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s , no accent mark is needed. Examples: pa to, a mi go, li bre, supermer ca do, ex per ta, ma dre, sa bia (remember, ia in sabia is one syllable), a gua (remember ua in agua is one syllable) , co me, ha bla, di ce, es tu dia, etc. This rule also applies to plurals of nouns like pa tos, a mi gos, ex per tas, a guas, and verbs like co men, ha blan,   en tran ,  di cen, etc. Even words like ex a men, i ma gen, and cer ta men follow this patter

« Tal vez », « Quizá(s) », « Puede ser »/« Puede que », « A lo mejor », « De pronto », « Igual (y) », « Chance y », « Capaz   (que)» ,  De repente » All of these essentially mean the same thing - maybe , but here are some observations for each: « Tal vez » is your standard way to say maybe, and it's used in all parts of the Spanish speaking world. The one-word version, «talvez», is not incorrect, but not as common as the two-word version. Most natives think the only correct form is «tal vez». Tal vez no sepan que me encantan los espárrago s . « Quizá(s) » is also used in all countries and just bit more formal than «tal vez». People tend to use «quizá» before a word starting with a consonant ( quizá para ella significa/signifique mucho ) , and «quizás» with words starting with a vowel ( quizás a mí no interesa/interese much o ), but this is certainly not a rule. Literature, especially older literature, tends to favor «quizá(s)», so it does have that "perhaps" f

Here are some mistakes in Spanish that are common among English speakers. Right-click on the image and open in a separate tab for best resolution. Below the image, you will find some resources for the points covered in the infographic.  What other mistakes do you think are common for English speakers learning Spanish? Let me know in the comments! Here are some resources for the points briefly explained above, in case you need a review or wish to learn something new, whatever the case might be:  Expressions with tener.  Dropping personal pronouns in Spanish .  Adjectives with a short and long form . Decoding Ser and Estar: Not your "Permanent vs. Temporary" Guide Does "gente" take a plural or singular verb? Using the verb "gustar" and similar verbs .  Adjectives placement and different meanings .  Contractions in Spanish .  How to say the date in Spanish .  Saying your profession or occupation .  Feminine words that take "el" and exceptions .

Para errores frecuentes al aprender portugués, haz clic aquí . Compartilhe nos comentários com quais outros aspectos do espanhol você tem dificuldade! Clique na imagem com o botão direito e abra em uma aba nova para visualizar o gráfico com maior resolução.

Para erros frequentes ao aprender espanhol, clique aqui . Otro error frecuente de los estudiantes de portugués es la formación de plurales con palabras que terminan en -l - haz clic en el enlace anterior para una explicación que ojalá te ayude a comprenderlo. ¡Comparte en los comentarios qué otros aspectos del portugués te causan dificultad! Haz clic con el botón derecho sobre la imagen y abre una nueva pestaña para ver el gráfico con mejor resolución. Nota 1: En portugués europeo sí es posible utilizar el verbo saber para hablar del sabor que se percibe en una comida, por ejemplo. Nota 2:  En portugués europeo, los pronombres de objeto directo e indirecto son muy comunes incluso en el portugués conversacional, no solamente por escrito, como suele ser el caso en Brasil. Adicionalmente a omitirlos en la versión hablada brasileña, también es común utilizar pronombres personales de tercera persona (ele/ela) después del verbo, en lugar de los de objeto directo, por ejemplo: Eu assisti

This question is worthy of a whole book, so Iet me begin by saying that the sound change from t to tch (as in English CH eese) in syllables ti/te and  d to dj (as in English J eep) in syllables di/de, in  most of Brazil,  is a phenomenon called palatalization, where a sound can be modified in a vowel-consonant "clash" (usually k or t plus semivowel y ) as the sound is " drawn " in the mouth closer to the palate or roof of the mouth. There are several types of palatalization and stages where a sound can end up. The south and northeast of Brazil are notable exceptions , where palatalization doesn't happen and t and d stay as t and d no matter where in the word, just like in Portugal . If you think this sound change is weird , it's actually more common than you think, as it affects or has affected many languages , and is sometimes reflected in spelling , or isn't! In English , it happens with some speakers when they say " gotcha " (got +

¿Cómo surgieron los días de la semana?  (Artigo original em português, clic aqui .) Fue en el Imperio Romano que la astrología introdujo el uso popular de la septimana (“siete mañanas", en latín, semana en español), convención de origen babilónica . Inicialmente, los nombres de los dioses orientales fueron sustituidos por equivalentes latinos . Con el advento del cristianismo, el día del Sol , Solis dies , fue sustituido por dominica/dominicus , dia del Señor; y el saturni dies, dia de Saturno , por sabbatum , derivado del hebraico shabbath, o día de descanso consagrado por el Viejo Testamento. Los otros días eran dedicados a: la Luna ; Marte ; Mercurio ; Júpiter y Venus . En Inglaterra , la semana de siete días llegó apenas en el siglo V, bien atrasada en relación al resto de Europa—y adaptada de acuerdo a los dioses anglosajones . Marte fue sustituido por Tiw,  Dios de la guerra , dando origen a Tuesday ; Mercurio por Woden , Dios de la poesía : Wednesday ; Júpiter po

[Contenido en portugués - Content in Portuguese] Primeiramente, por que existe essa mudança em espanhol? Por conta da  distinção que já se perdeu entre vogais longas e curtas na evolução do latim para as línguas românicas modernas, em latim, as vogais longas também eram, naturalmente, tensas , enquanto as vogais curtas também eram mais relaxadas . O que faz sentido, visto que para manter uma vogal loooooonga, os músculos da boca teriam de ser mais tensos do que para dizer uma vogal curta, e bem mais relaxada. Quando as vogais foram reduzidas de 10 em latim para 5 em espanhol , aconteceram "coisas"; e dentre essas coisas, até uma fase onde chegaram a existir duas vogais que tinham uma qualidade fechada ou aberta ... como no português. Coincidência? Acho que não. Vários idiomas como o português e o catalão , de fato, pararam nessa fase da evolução e ficaram com 7 vogais orais onde o "o" e o "e" curtos do latim viraram "o" e "e" abertos