What is the difference 2
¿Cuáles son algunas de las diferencias entre, el español hablado en méxico y en españa?
What are some of the differences between the Spanish spoken in Mexico and in Spain?
3 Answers
I remember my first visit to Mexico which was 2 weeks sightseeing and two weeks in a language class. There were only 5 of us in class - one American, 2 Dutch, a Swiss and me a Brit. Our teacher was entirely familiar with words used in Spain and Mexico. I had a list of about 80 words and expressions that were different but that was words used in class. It struck me a lot like the differences between American and British English. Only recently Ann used an expression about a grain of salt - in the UK we talk about grains of sand but always a pinch of salt.
Ones I particularly noticed were:
pavement/sidewalk = acera/banqueta
fruit juice = zumo ]Sp] jugo [Mx]
Torta = cake [Sp] Sandwich [MX]
Tortilla = a type of omelette with potato and onion[Sp] a type of flat bread made of corn Elote {mx] Maiz [Sp] = corn
There are different words for fridge and computor too.
However, my Spanish teacher said in Spain many people to show they know English have started using English words like the weekend rather than finde. So language changes all the time. I know in the UK American words and spelling are gaining ground.
The word everyone is warned about before they go to Mexico is 'coger' which is a common ordinary word in Spain the equivalent of tomar. but has an offensive meaning in Mexico.
I noticed vosotros wasn't used in Mexico
I remember a Spanish teacher we had in England who was from Mexico said her husband from Madrid wasn't used to the use of usted.
Bosque has set things out well. Certainly the 'perfecto' is used a lot in Spain.
Spain in the North has cultural differences to the south as do the West and East.
Some that I recall reading:
1 The use of leísmo in some areas of Spain.
2 A greater tendency to use the perfect tenses in Spain, especially for recent events- I have done it this morning instead of I did it this morning.
3 The use of Ustedes in Mexico cases where vosotros would be used in Spain.
4 The degree of formality in terms of tú versus usted- there are cases when both would use tú, or both usted, but many where tú would be used in Spain where usted would be used in Mexico. (My understanding is that Spain is very liberal with this, Mexico middle of the road, some parts of the Northern Andes so strict that your parent is Usted your entire life).
5 Vocabulary- all kinds of differences in word preferences- from verbs- extrañarte vs. echarte de menos, tomar vs. coger, etc., to many nouns- especially foods- some of which are Mexico specific deriving from Aztec. Cacahuate, cacahuete, maní or betabel-remolacha. Bocadillo- torta, and many others. Also slang will be different.
Probably many other things that slip my mind currently.
