Comments on: The most annoying expression in Spanish is… http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/ A bilingual blog and conversational Spanish podcast. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:57:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: eleena http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2843 eleena Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:24:01 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2843 Afya, A better option for your teacher would be to say <em>¿Queda claro?</em> (Is that clear?) or <em>¿Alguna pregunta?</em> (Any questions?) Or he could just simply ask <em>¿Entiendes?</em> (to one person) or<em>¿ Entienden?</em> (to a group). Maybe you should print out this article and anonymously give it to your teacher. :) Afya,
A better option for your teacher would be to say ¿Queda claro? (Is that clear?) or ¿Alguna pregunta? (Any questions?)

Or he could just simply ask ¿Entiendes? (to one person) or¿ Entienden? (to a group).

Maybe you should print out this article and anonymously give it to your teacher. :)

]]> By: Afya http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2841 Afya Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:13:10 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2841 WOW this was so cool to know!!! I always wondered if some of the things we said in English would translate with 'hard-feelings' My Spanish teacher is not a native speaker, but his family is from Mexico and he is always saying me entiendes throughout class... COOL!!! WOW this was so cool to know!!!
I always wondered if some of the things we said in English would translate with ‘hard-feelings’
My Spanish teacher is not a native speaker, but his family is from Mexico and he is always saying me entiendes throughout class…

COOL!!!

]]> By: Isabel http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2494 Isabel Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:05:05 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2494 I particularly dislike "me entiendes" mostly because when I was a child, various adults would use it to end a long lecture when I was being disobedient. So that's what I associate it with... Like Muriel says, a better way to ask if a person has understood what you have just said would be to use "vale". I particularly dislike “me entiendes” mostly because when I was a child, various adults would use it to end a long lecture when I was being disobedient. So that’s what I associate it with…

Like Muriel says, a better way to ask if a person has understood what you have just said would be to use “vale”.

]]> By: Muriel http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2391 Muriel Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:26:20 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2391 Totally agree about the post. I have personnaly never said ´me entiendes?" when I wasn´t sure I had made myself understood. I say "vale?", which works just as well! I would say ´me entiendes´if I was having a go at someone, or lecturing my child, if I had one. Totally agree about the post.
I have personnaly never said ´me entiendes?” when I wasn´t sure I had made myself understood. I say “vale?”, which works just as well!

I would say ´me entiendes´if I was having a go at someone, or lecturing my child, if I had one.

]]> By: Amber Hernandez http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2386 Amber Hernandez Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:44:14 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2386 Wow...I never thought about that phrase being offensive. I love learning about all the nuances of the Spanish language. I am definitely going to ask some of my hispanohablantes about the phrase and whether or not they find it offensive. Wow…I never thought about that phrase being offensive. I love learning about all the nuances of the Spanish language. I am definitely going to ask some of my hispanohablantes about the phrase and whether or not they find it offensive.

]]> By: eleena http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2385 eleena Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:33:34 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2385 Hello all, Thank you all for your comments. Sorry for not responding earlier. (Also, for some reason, comments are now showing up as an unbroken block of text, without paragraph breaks. Not sure how to change that.) ----------------------------------------------- 1). To Capt. Future: Yes, excellent point! I forgot about that colloquial meaning for entender. When I previously heard about this usage, I thought it was funny that the verb was being used with that meaning. It has great potential for developing into a comedic misunderstanding between two people who think they're referring to the same thing. ----------------------------------------------- 2). To Benny: I'm not sure if it is country specific. Based on the comments I read on that BBC Mundo survey, it looked like there were people from different Spanish-speaking countries who felt the same way about the expression. ------------------------------------------------- 3). To Jilly: Yes, I agree with what you wrote, although many people find it very difficult to wean themselves off from using such filler phrases. Earlier this year John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline, saw her hopes of becoming a U.S. Senator dashed when the public heard her speak in an interview. Caroline, a fiftysomething woman, resorted to saying "you know" at the end of every other sentence. It was appalling and that was pretty much the beginning of the end of Caroline Kennedy's political career. A lot of people were shocked by how inarticulate she was.<!--more--> Hello all,
Thank you all for your comments. Sorry for not responding earlier. (Also, for some reason, comments are now showing up as an unbroken block of text, without paragraph breaks. Not sure how to change that.)
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1). To Capt. Future: Yes, excellent point! I forgot about that colloquial meaning for entender. When I previously heard about this usage, I thought it was funny that the verb was being used with that meaning. It has great potential for developing into a comedic misunderstanding between two people who think they’re referring to the same thing.

———————————————–

2). To Benny: I’m not sure if it is country specific. Based on the comments I read on that BBC Mundo survey, it looked like there were people from different Spanish-speaking countries who felt the same way about the expression.

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3). To Jilly: Yes, I agree with what you wrote, although many people find it very difficult to wean themselves off from using such filler phrases. Earlier this year John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline, saw her hopes of becoming a U.S. Senator dashed when the public heard her speak in an interview. Caroline, a fiftysomething woman, resorted to saying “you know” at the end of every other sentence. It was appalling and that was pretty much the beginning of the end of Caroline Kennedy’s political career. A lot of people were shocked by how inarticulate she was.

]]> By: Capitain Future http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2381 Capitain Future Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:37:38 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2381 ¿entiendes? A detail that the post did not mention is that the expression ¿entiendes? is used in the gay community (in both Spain and Latin America) to "secretly" ask someone if he/she is gay. I think in English, the equivalent is more direct, like "are you family?" or something like this. If you answer "entiendo", obviously you too are understand... ¿entiendes?
A detail that the post did not mention is that the expression ¿entiendes? is used in the gay community (in both Spain and Latin America) to “secretly” ask someone if he/she is gay. I think in English, the equivalent is more direct, like “are you family?” or something like this. If you answer “entiendo”, obviously you too are understand…

]]> By: jilly http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2380 jilly Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:30:35 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2380 Anyone who finishes a sentence with "You know what I mean" or "Isn't it" or "You know what I'm saying" or "You know" in any language, is simply using it as a crutch and frankly, very boring. But then I'm over 60 and probably don't understand the younger generation :) Anyone who finishes a sentence with “You know what I mean” or “Isn’t it” or “You know what I’m saying” or “You know” in any language, is simply using it as a crutch and frankly, very boring. But then I’m over 60 and probably don’t understand the younger generation :)

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2377 Benny the Irish polyglot Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:14:50 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2377 That's weird, I would look at it the opposite way. I find "Do you understand (me)?" in English to be quite arrogant (outside of say, a classroom environment) and implies that maybe I'm too dumb to have actually understood, while "¿entiendes?" (perhaps, without the "me") as being more like the English "y'know?" Maybe the "me" is the crucial difference here. But I'll admit that my Spanish is kind of influenced by other languages. In Italian "hai capito?" is extremely common and it would be hard to make a claim that it was an annoying expression. The same goes for "entendeu?" in Portuguese (both literally, "did you understand", the past being used more in this type of question for a current conversation). I guess I'll have to avoid the use in Spanish! Do you know if it is country dependent? I still think the "me" makes a difference here. That’s weird, I would look at it the opposite way. I find “Do you understand (me)?” in English to be quite arrogant (outside of say, a classroom environment) and implies that maybe I’m too dumb to have actually understood, while “¿entiendes?” (perhaps, without the “me”) as being more like the English “y’know?” Maybe the “me” is the crucial difference here.
But I’ll admit that my Spanish is kind of influenced by other languages. In Italian “hai capito?” is extremely common and it would be hard to make a claim that it was an annoying expression. The same goes for “entendeu?” in Portuguese (both literally, “did you understand”, the past being used more in this type of question for a current conversation).
I guess I’ll have to avoid the use in Spanish! Do you know if it is country dependent? I still think the “me” makes a difference here.

]]> By: Ramses http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2375 Ramses Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:14:49 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2375 ¿Me explico?" is actually just a bit more sophisticated, so I don't understand the fuss about it. I have the nasty habit to end pretty much every sentence with "¿no?" which does the same I guess :-). ¿Me explico?” is actually just a bit more sophisticated, so I don’t understand the fuss about it. I have the nasty habit to end pretty much every sentence with “¿no?” which does the same I guess :-) .

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://spanish-podcast.com/2009/10/19/the-most-annoying-expression-in-spanish-is/#comment-2374 uberVU - social comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:07:07 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=1864#comment-2374 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by grahunt: RT @VoicesEnEspanol: New Blog Post: The most annoying expression in Spanish is... http://bit.ly/3YJccX... Social comments and analytics for this post…

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