One Spanish... or a lot of Spanish?
We have one language, but many versions of it
From the bottom of my heart mind
Fresh stories from a Spanish Copywriter.
If you have been following this newsletter, you know I spent my last month in Lanzarote, Canary Islands.
This is what I didn’t say: I wasn’t alone. I was sharing the apartment with a Mexican friend and, from a language perspective, that was A LOT OF FUN.
Why is that? I thought you spoke the same language in Spain and in Mexico.
Yes. Also in Argentina, Colombia, Chile and many more.
And while we can understand each other 100%, there are some words, expressions and cultural differences that would make difficult, at least for me, work for another Spanish-speaking market besides Spain.
Here some examples:
Words That Mean Something Very Different
“Conducir” vs. “Manejar”: In Spain, you drive a car (conducir), but in Mexico, you’ll always hear manejar.
“Ordenador” vs. “Computadora”: Spaniards use ordenador for computer, while Mexicans use computadora. The Spanish word sounds overly technical to Mexicans, while the Mexican word might feel too informal in Spain.
And a classic one: “Coger” in Spain means “to grab” or “to take,” but in Mexico, it’s a slang term for something much less polite. Instead, Mexicans would say “agarrar” or “tomar.”
Dubbed Movies: Two Spanishes, Two Worlds
In Spain, movies and series are dubbed into Castilian Spanish, the version spoken in Spain. In Mexico (and much of Latin America), they’re dubbed in Latin American Spanish.
Formality Levels
Spaniards tend to be more informal in speech and writing, while Mexicans often prefer a polite tone, especially in professional contexts. While in Spain we use the “tu” form, they tend to use “usted” more often.
And if we go deeper into the slang, there are words and sentences from Spain (“¡Hostia!”, “No me rayes”, “Guay”) that they don’t use. And the same on the other way around (“Chido”, “está padrísimo”, “me vale verga”
I always tend to compare this with the differences between UK English and US English. But after this month with my friend (and all my background), I’d say now the differences are bigger in Spanish.
But Ricky, I want to communicate in a generic Spanish for a global audience, is that possible?
If you want to know the answer, hit “reply” and will talk about it in one of the next issues.
Outside the desk
Where the magic really happens.
🎺 The “dolçaina” is a Valencian typical instrument with a very special sound. Last Sunday I went to a concert where they play it.
😍 On Tuesday I went to an in-person marketing event and was nice to devirtualize some colleagues. I also got some ideas for AI future uses.
🎙️ Tomorrow is Bank Holiday in Spain! Heading to Madrid to spend the long weekend, eat well and watch The Book of Mormon’s Musical.
Make it global, baby
If you want to work with me, this is the way.
🚀 Want to take your brand to the next Spanish level? Hit the “reply” bottom and let’s talk.
📬 Want to appear in one of the next issues? Let’s see how we can work it out.
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All the best for the rest of your week,
💙 Ricky from Textonality.com 💙