Back me up here, guys. Pendiente/Spain only?

Question

I thought that pendiente was the term used only in Spain for earrings. I brought this up with my Spanish teacher, who insisted that it's used only in Mexico.

The dictionary says this : 1. earring (peninsular Spanish)

...which is not very helpful 'cause I'm not really sure what it menas.

Help please? Is pendiente used in just Mexico, just Spain, or both?

Peninsular Spanish basically means in Spain as opposed to other Spanish speaking countries. - MaryMcc, Nov 29, 2011

Answer 1

My experience has been that in Spain they call them pendientes.

In Ecuador, they call them aretes.

The dictionary on this site says:

1. pendiente (m) (español de España)arete (m) (Am) Copyright © 2006 Chambers Harrap Publishers Limited Earring [iar-ring] sustantivo
2. Zarcillo, pendiente, arracada. (Cuba y Méx.) Arete, aro, caravana.

Muchas Gracias JoyceM! - kiersten11, Nov 29, 2011

I agree, Joyce. Even among the Spanish who live in Mexico, it´s always "aretes" - 005faa61, Nov 29, 2011

perfecto, in Spain pendientes:) - 00494d19, Nov 30, 2011

Answer 2

No, its used everywhere

I agree that "Pendientes" is not exclusive of Spain. I have heard that term in other countries. In a way, it can be said that a pendiente is a kind of zarcillo, one that hangs down. - Gekkosan, Nov 30, 2011

Answer 3

I can tell you that my Mexican friends mostly use aretes but understand pendientes for earrings too, (because I have asked them before) but it is also used to mean "waiting" or "in a state of waiting" like this:

Me tienes pendiente - You have me waiting, you have me on standby.

Gracias.

Answer 4

Here in Bolivia it's aretes.

Answer 5

Here in Guatemala it's aretes.

Answer 6

I learned 'pendientes' for earrings on the BBC's Spanish learning 'Mi Vida Loca' set in Spain, Spanish actors, Spanish accent, Spanish grammar.

Answer 7

Aretes are earings in España Opps you're wrong!

Pendientes in Latinoamerica

Answer 8

Estoy pendiente de mi hijo.

The word pendiente is used everywhere, but not to mean earring.

Answer 9

Estoy pendiente de mi hijo.