Spanish more than one language?

Question

I have been studying spanish for almost a year now. I have noticed something very intriguing about the spanish language. Spanish has SERVERAL words that either mean the same thing or very close to the same. Most of the time these words are so close it's hard to seperate them. A few examples include

Car= Auto, Carro, coche Here=Aqui, Aca Hit=Pegar, Golpear Walk=Caminar, andar, pesear The list goes on and on....

Which leads me to my question. Is it fair to say that since there are SO MANY words in spanish that can have the same meaning, that learning spanish is almost like learning 2 languages instead of one??

This could be due to having so many spanish speaking countries with each of them using their own"slang" for different words or something like it.... Nevertheless, it still causes a spanish speaker or a spanish student to learn these words so they can communicate with another spanish speaker.

What are your thoughts? Is learning Spanish like learning 2 languages?

Answer 1

Yes and no.

• Learning the entire complexity of Spanish is actually like learning three languages. There are 3 lines of level of respect in Spanish. Let me explain it with the word "you"

1. Usted = "You" It it used to refer or address people in a business or very respectful environment. Using usted, is very polite and should also be used when you just meet someone and let that person or you tell the other, "Por favor háblame de tú". In the business environment, you want to keep it "usted" to avoid uncomfortable situations. Also, from kids to parents or adults, teachers, etc.
2. Tú = "You" It is used between people that have a closer relationship, or when addressing someone you find attractive and want to make feel "special"
3. Vos = "You" It is the most informal way to address someone. Your buddies, your siblings, in some places your parents, your classmates. This should be avoid when addressing some one of authority like your boss, the pastor/priest, a person you just met, etc.

• This is not an ABSOLUTE rule; some regions used them interchangeable and some others use only one or two of them. But the root or reason of the three levels is "respect/authority"
• When I said that Spanish is actually like learning three languages, it is because, attached to every one of these "you" (Usted, Tú and vos), is a whole line of words needed to make a correct sentence that will work with that particular "you".
• Now, regarding you initial thought, synonyms would not count as "two in one". English is the same way with different words. I.E. Freedom and liberty. In Spanish that will only be "libertad".

Good, interesting answer, Farallon! - Noetol, May 24, 2012

Thanks buddy! - farallon7, May 24, 2012

Answer 2

Hi Yaction, It's great that you are learning another language. I know it can get hard at times when you think you know how to say something and then find that there are several ways to say the same word. Learning languages would be so easy if there was only one way to say a word, and if that were the case, I would probably be able to speak several of them.

However, it would be boring if we only had one or two ways to say the same word. Reading a book would not be as exciting or enjoyable. That's why we use a Thesaurus, so we can find different ways to same the same word. If we have different ways to same the same word in English, then it shouldn't surprise you that the same is true in other languages.

Answer 3

I'm German and in Germany, we use a lot (!) of adjectives and we loooove to have several words for the same meaning OR several meanings for the same words.

I think this is typical for each language, but I would not say this makes it harder to learn a language nor that it would be like learning two languages at once.

It's difficult but learning a foreign language isn't easy, right?

Answer 4

Well in English, it's pretty much the same:

• Car, automobile, truck, 4x4, motor, vehicle, etc..
• Here, in this place, closer, etc...
• Hit, strike, whack, thump, bash, etc...
• Walk, stroll, pace, skip, perambulate, etc...

Plus, it should be mentioned that a lot of synonyms have slight differences in meaning so they each sound better in certain sentences, and that's why it's useful to have them.

As Noetol said, this is what makes languages interesting and sophisticated. There are still words that every other English speaker and I are learning in the English language. But you are right that Spanish seems like such a large language because.. well, technically it is a new language that we have to learn from scratch, unlike our native one.

I like the challenge of learning all the synonyms anyways

Answer 5

The same is true in any language that I have knowlege of. It would be pretty boring if you always had to use the same word over and over again for something. Variety gives a language flair and sophistication.

Regional speech is also very common. Canadian or "Cajun" French is not what you would hear in France. British English is quite different from the US variety, etc.

It's all part of the challenge in learning.