• no sirve, from the verb servir, literally means “it doesn’t serve,” or properly translated “it’s no use,” and;
• no funciona, that means it’s not functioning, or is out of order.

Often in Mexico people will say —or scrawl on a piece of card— no sirve, when they probably ought to say or write no funciona—for example when a soft-drinks machine is taking money but not dropping the cans into the hatch, or a ticket-dispensing machine says it gives change but doesn’t, or an ATM asks you to try again later.

But when it comes down to it, if it’s out of order then it’s no use—at least for the purpose at hand.

No funciona is also the same as no sirve if what doesn’t work is the proposed solution to a problem, because if it doesn’t work now, it won’t ever.

So, with some possible exceptions, no funciona and no sirve are more or less interchangeable, and the difference is either academic, or depends on how you want to look at it.

Mexicans aren’t particularly fussy about such grammatical minutiae, and
generally don’t waste time on it, unless there’s a practical reason for bothering, like the legislator who vehemently denied being asleep during the debates. I was not asleep —dormido— but sleeping —durmiendo— the offended representative clarified.

Same things, different names

Some changes are merely the use of different names for things: whereas Americans say elevator and the British say lift, the Spanish use ascensor when in Mexico it is known as elevador.  Americans say faucet and the British say tap, while in Mexico llave is used exclusively, and the word grifo is virtually unknown.

Mexican Spanish hasn’t adopted its own spelling for certain words, as the US ‘er’ and ‘or’ endings instead of ‘re’ and ‘our’, probably because the Spanish language is phonetic.

Spanish language adoption of English words

Also, both Spain and Mexico have adopted certain English words, the so-called anglicismos, but not necessarily the same ones. The Spanish call donuts (doughnuts) donuts, and not donas as they’re called in Mexico.  Apparently no one uses the actual Spanish word rosquilla.  The Spanish use the word bacón for bacon, and in Mexico it’s known as tocino.

On the other hand, while Mexicans use the anglicized computadora, the Spanish refer to their PCs as ordenadores.  Mexicans call a laptop una laptop (feminine like computadora) or even “la lap” for short, while the Spanish use many more syllables and call it an ordenador portátil.

Apparently no one is consistent in their fussiness.

Grammatical difference with second person plural

A major grammatical change is in the second person plural.  Whereas the Spanish still use vosotros, and its verb endings ‘eis’, ‘ais‘, and ‘is‘, in Mexico the plural ‘you’ is ustedes, and the verb endings are those which apply to the third person plural, ellos and ellas.

For some Spanish people, this use of language is nothing short of barbaric, while for most Mexicans, to use vosotros, unless you are Spanish, is pompous and old-fashioned.

Being mindful of language-nuance sensitivities

If you happen to be British, it’s probable that at some point your Mexican friends and acquaintances will congratulate you on speaking the true English.  Most “Brits” will respond to this with “por supuesto” —of course— and perhaps only a few will give the Americans credit for making some logical and sensible adaptations to the language.

But one thing you would be wise not to do is suggest that, just as ‘British English’ is the real language, the peninsular use of Spanish is probably the right way to speak castellano.

Two verbs to ‘be’ in Spanish

Translated literally —”Neither are all those that are, nor are all those that are”— it’s nonsensical.  But among the grammatical complications of Spanish are its two verbs “to be:”

• ser is used for permanence or existence; whereas
• estar refers to a temporary state, such as in a place, condition, or situation.

One correct translation of the phrase this article began with would be: “Neither are all those that are here the ones, nor are all those that are the ones here.”

Implicit subjects in verb conjugations

Spanish also allows for implicit subjects, which are usually clear from the context and the verb conjugation.

So “no está” can mean “he’s not here,” while “no es” would be “it’s not him,” or “he’s not the one.”  Since things can’t be permanent and temporary at once (?), rarely are the two verbs interchangeable without changing the meaning.

One exception could be marriage. “Está casada“ means “she’s married,” so does “es casada.“  But rather than a reflection on the likely duration of the marriage, the former could be left as “she’s married” and the latter —applying the implicit noun or pronoun— “she’s a married woman.”

Both verbs are irregular, although ser is a bit more irregular that estar.

Speaking Spanish gives you access to the local culture and enables you to engage with people in ways that are simply not possible through third party translation and will enhance every experience you encounter in Mexico.

Conversation is the key to language fluency

It’s the everyday interactions with other people that give us the most value and most pleasure from being able to communicate in another language.  Developing your ability to converse in Spanish requires a regular exercise of your vocabulary, and confidence.

The online course offered by our associate is helpful when

• you visit Mexico frequently and want to converse in Spanish for leisure, lifestyle, or for work;
• you’re already living in Mexico and want to improve your Spanish language conversation skills;
• you plan to move to Mexico and you’d like to arrive prepared to converse more confidently.

Each course is tailored based on your current skill level and language learning goals, and your free assessment also includes a lesson test-run via video-call.

True beginner

When you want to get started speaking Spanish for the first time, a coach will help you to build a solid foundation and get you conversing in Spanish.  You will be speaking Spanish from day one of the course.  This is ideal for those who have never studied Spanish before or those who studied it many years ago but don’t remember much, or anything, from those studies.

False beginner

When you’re someone who’s had previous experiences with trying to learn Spanish but still can’t string a sentence together, this course can help you to retrieve the information you’ve stored over the years, unlock what you already know, and develop new vocabulary and skills while building confidence speaking Spanish in everyday situations.   It’s ideal when you understand more Spanish than you can speak or lack confidence when you need to express yourself in Spanish.

Intermediate learner

When you have a good basic grasp of Spanish, but you sense that you’ve reached a plateau you can’t overcome or need to develop confidence to speak Spanish with strangers or in public, this course can help you to make material advances in your current Spanish language capabilities.  Most language students get stuck in a loop and need some help at some point, and a coach will assess your current level with a view to structuring a course to help you reach your goals.  This is ideal when you’ve tried other courses that don’t seem to work, or sense that your vocabulary and sentence structure need to be sharper or more refined.

Intermediate-advanced learner

When you’re seeking to improve your Spanish language capabilities for specific purposes, for example, as part of a career development plan or due to some other specialized interest, your intermediate-advanced skills can benefit by having the course structured to your more advanced needs or professional goals.   For example, you might need to learn Spanish in the context of medical, scientific, business, educational, or technical disciplines.  This course is ideal for those who have a decent command of the Spanish language, but who want to sharpen their abilities and gain others’ trust when speaking in Spanish, especially in formal or business situations.

Someone who wants to learn Spanish for living in Mexico

If you’re living in Mexico, or plan to make a move here in the future, this online course can also help you to improve your Spanish language skills to face everyday lifestyle situations in Mexico.  Language lifestyle conversations are helpful when you are already living here and want to improve your language skills, or you visit Mexico frequently, or plan to move to Mexico in future—so that you can arrive prepared with language and vocabulary skills that will enable you to converse confidently in lifestyle situations you’ll encounter when you’re here.

Every course is tailored to your current skill level

Every course is tailor-made for each student.

Request a free consultation today and our language partner will take the time to assess your current language skill level on a video call and talk about your goals and intentions in regard to improving your Spanish language conversation skills, with no obligation.

Your free assessment also includes a lesson test-run via video-call, and if you enjoy the format you can choose to sign-up for a course that will be tailored to your current Spanish language proficiency and language learning goals.

Month-to-month coaching plans are available from US$140 per month; and you can cancel anytime.

Book your free consultation and lesson test-run, with no obligation

Pero – the most commonly used

The most commonly used is pero, and it will do for most instances, e.g.

• Llegué tarde, pero sin sueño. I arrived late, but I’m not sleepy;
• No hay tortillas, pero sí hay pan. There are no tortillas, but there is bread;
• No sé si es correcto, pero lo voy a decir. I don’t know if this is right, but I’m going to say it.

Pero can also be used as a noun, as in no pongas peros, which means don’t make excuses, and is roughly equivalent to the English expression “no ifs, ands, or buts.”

Mas – without an accent

Mas without an accent —it has an accent when it means ‘more’— can substitute pero, although its use is generally more literary and it’s not heard often in everyday speech:

• Me gusta el rojo, mas [pero] no el verde. I like the red one but not the green one;
• Te perdono, mas [pero] no lo vuelvas a hacer. I forgive you, but don’t do it again.

Sino – used to describe an alternative

Sino should be used for constructions of  “not this, but that,” e.g.

• La casa no es roja, sino amarilla. The house isn’t red, but yellow.
• El camión de basura no viene los martes sino los miércoles. The garbage truck doesn’t come on Tuesdays but on Wednesdays.

Nouns or adjectives following sino can stand alone, their context being clear from what went before.

You could say: “El camión de basura no viene los martes, pero sí viene los miércoles“.

However, if you said just “no viene los martes pero los miércoles” the listener would be left waiting for the rest of the clause implied by the use of pero.  If that listener were a grumpy grammarian, he might say, ¿pero los miércoles qué?

Sino can also be followed by longer clauses or sentences, for example:

• No me molesta que las películas siempre tengan violencia, sino que siempre tengan finales larguísimos.

Substitutions in Spanish for the word ‘But’

Like English, Spanish has longer words that can be substituted for but, such as however, or nevertheless:

• Sin embargo is the most common; and
• No obstante, can mean ‘however’ or ‘nevertheless’, but can also be followed by a noun and mean ‘despite,’ or ‘notwithstanding’; for example,
• “No obstante la lluvia, dimos un paseo por el bosque.” Despite the rain we went for a walk in the woods.

Diminutives as euphemisms…

Diminutives are also used as a form of euphemism, especially for guilty pleasures.  A dieter may go for “taquitos” rather than tacos, or round off a meal with a “pastelito” instead of pastel, while a drinker could order a “cubita” (a little rum and coke) if it looks a bit early for a cuba, or open the appetite with a “tequilita.”

…except for now

An exception to this rule is “ahorita”—at least as it is often used in Mexico.  As the diminutive of “ahora” —now— technically it should mean “right now,” as in “ahora mismo,” insofar as it suggests that less time ought to elapse between the promise and the fulfillment.

But things don’t necessarily work like that.  To start with, Mexico isn’t particularly demanding about punctuality.  Although timely arrivals are regarded as a virtue, excuses for tardiness are often treated with indulgence, especially if traffic is involved.  So “ahorita voy,” means I’m on my way —or soon will be— but gives no fixed time.

A parent giving a child orders to clean their room, or get in off the street, would usually say “ahora” to mean right now, whereas “ahorita” could mean don’t be too long about it.  If the order is for this very second, the second-degree diminutive —ahoritita— may be used, leaving no doubt as to the urgency.

Other forceful options for right away, or at once, are “de inmediato,” or “en este instante.”

“En seguida” can also mean now, but is more like forthwith, suggesting it could be the next thing on the list, or to be done immediately.

“Ahora” also has its shades of meaning.  If your plumber says he will come round “ahora” —ahora voy— to fix your dripping tap, it usually refers to “today,” not that particular moment.

When asking ‘when’ doesn’t work

Native English speakers occasionally use “when” if asking what time someone will arrive or something is scheduled.  This doesn’t work in Mexico.  “¿Cuándo?” will be understood to refer to the day, the week, the month, or the year, but not the time.  For this you have to be specific: “¿a qué hora?”

Of course, the answer could be “ahorita” and you’ll be back where you started.

“Ya mero” is another versatile expression meaning soon—which can mean any second now, any minute now, or even any day now.  In this case the diminutive “ya merito” suggests that the undefined time will be shorter than the undefined time in “ya mero.”

Then, a final twist

The word for “then” —luego— contains a twist of its own in Mexico when the word is said twice.  If someone completed a task or request in short order, they are said to have done so “luego luego” —fui al mecánico y luego luego me atendió— means the person was attended to immediately.

Of the remaining 50% chance, there’s roughly a 33% chance each that you will:

• a) be misunderstood,
• b) say the opposite of what you mean, and
• c) make a complete fool of yourself.

A knowledge of Latin is helpful

The creative adaptation of word endings works better if you have a rough idea of which English words are Latin based, since both languages share those roots. Words with Greek origins will also usually work, since many are used for scientific names or terms.

This causes mistakes with words that have a similar root or origin but have come to change their meaning in one or the other language. These words that look and sound similar but have different meanings are called false cognates —incorrectly, it turns out— or false friends.

Some examples of false cognates

Sensible in Spanish means sensitive, or even touchy. Sensato is the word for sensible.

Sano in Spanish means healthy or whole, or clean (as in jokes), but not sane. Sane in Spanish is cuerdo—which implies “in his or her right mind”—and sanity is translated cordura, which can also mean prudence.

Sanatorio is a hospital or clinic, and sanitario is a (public) toilet or restroom.

Compromiso means commitment, promise, or engagement (to be married or any other kind), and the word for compromise is componenda, although in Mexico arreglo is commonly heard. Hardly anyone uses the word componenda.

Asistir means to attend (e.g. a meeting or event), — less commonly it may mean ‘to witness’ — but it doesn’t mean ‘to assist.’  If you want to provide help or assistance you would use the word ayudar.

Sometimes the meaning of similar-sounding words is the opposite or entirely different, for example, terso means smooth, not terse, and en absoluto or absolutamente means “absolutely not!”  I absolutely agree would be estoy completamente de acuerdo.

There are many of these pairs of words in English-Spanish, and lists of them can be found with an online search.

English-language influence on Spanish words

The transliteration of English to Spanish can also produce words that don’t exist, and native Spanish speakers who know English are also guilty of this, particularly in business world concepts which have their origin in English.

This increasing brush with the English-speaking world has led to more and more frequent use of the hitherto uncommon disrupción and disruptivo, although there is no such verb as “disrumpir,” according to the Academy, which notes the English influence of the former two words.

The fashionable words, ‘accountable’ and ‘accountability’, cause no end of problems for conference speakers, who frequently end up using the English term with apologies: responsable and responsabilidad are perfectly good words, but the compound noun rendición de cuentas leads to speaker’s block when trying to convert that into an adjective.

The online generation has no such qualms about cognates —false or otherwise— and happily takes computer and internet jargon from its original English and tags on the necessary Spanish endings, including conjugations: uploadear, atachar, taguear, tuitear, rebootear, etc. are among verbs in common use.

Spelling it out for sign-writers

The practical thing to do when making a sign for a shop or even a street stall would be to go to the professional sign-makers; these are usually themselves small businesses that display the word rótulos somewhere out front. It’s not necessarily a guarantee that the sign will be spelled correctly, but in the event of a mistake it can be taken back and complained about.

However, people who are bad at spelling usually either don’t know they are, or don’t care, at least if the many opinion forums and comments left at the bottom of news articles online are anything to go by.

It’s not limited to the street stalls and markets, or thousands of mini business establishments. People who work in large offices find the same thing, and although spellcheck may alleviate some of the symptoms, it could also contribute to perpetuating the cause.

Some examples of dubious spelling

Common spelling errors in Spanish are the use of  ‘s’ instead of ‘z’ or ‘c,’—and vice-versa; the mixing up of the ‘v’ and the ‘b’—which are pronounced more or less the same; and double ‘l’ for ‘y’ and leaving out the silent ‘h.’

For example:

• No Estacionarce (No Parking) instead of No Estacionarse
• Embases (containers) instead of envases (one Spanish rule is that ‘m’ always goes before ‘b’, and ‘n’ before ‘v’)
• Fivra de vidrio (fiber glass) instead of fibra de vidrio
• Sacamos torniyos instead of tornillos (we remove screws)

There isn’t really anything funny about other people’s spelling mistakes, although some of the signs can be amusing, particularly the unusual ones.

One thing bears some thinking about as you make a mental list of misspelled signs: do we derive a secret enjoyment from other people’s spelling mistakes because they don’t know how to spell, or because we do?

Applying grammar as you build vocabulary

One argument used for this approach is that if small children can speak and understand language without knowing grammar, why shouldn’t adults?  This is of course nonsense.  Children may not know it, but when they start to speak they are in fact applying grammar as they gradually build up their vocabulary.

As with other skills that contain a practical and a theoretical side, the theory is useless to anyone who hasn’t got a handle on the basics.  The theory of chess openings is meaningless to someone who hasn’t learned how the pieces move.  An academic could define scales, stops, and intervals until the cows come home and be unable to play the simplest tune.  Reading about the grammatical rules of Spanish before you can say buenos días can test the patience of most.

Grammar is the framework for language mastery

Unless the language student is a fan of grammar for grammar’s sake, this is a sure way to make the language boring, and the learning of it intolerable. Hence the kind of outburst mentioned above.

One advantage of learning —perhaps by heart— a basic set of grammar rules is that they can be applied to new vocabulary and situations with a fair amount of success. One rule for conjugating regular verbs, for example, will be applicable to all those verbs.

Most people agree that Spanish grammar is fairly straightforward, so to learn the basic rules as you go along makes more sense than to reject grammar out of hand as some unnecessary obstacle to speaking and understanding.

In the end, it doesn’t matter whether you learn “book Spanish” first and then add conversation and listening comprehension, or take a conversation course first and then begin to synthesize the rules.

To master the language, you will have to do both in the end.

One similar expression, “¿me explico?“ —am I explaining myself?, or am I making myself clear?— is fairly common in Mexico, and particularly galling.

Like its counterpart “¿me entiendes?,” “¿me explico?” comes across as speaking down to the listener, with the added poison of fake humility.  Both carry the  implication that any failure to comprehend (and of course agree) is caused by the faulty intellect of the receiver.

The online discussion at BBC Mundo brought to mind MAD magazine’s series of snappy answers to stupid questions.

These annoying inserts are usually rhetorical and don’t require a response, although using one of the following replies to “¿me explico?” can throw the speaker off for a second, elicit a puzzled look, cause him (o ella, ¿me entiendes?) to lose the thread of the commentary, and sooth the injured self-esteem of the listener:

• 1. “No.“
• 2. “Sí por favor.“
• 3. “Sí, pero no entiendo.“
• 4. “No sé, ¿te explicas?“

The problem with this is that it assumes the listener is as sensitive as the speaker is insensitive and feels insulted by what is most likely an inadvertent use of a phrase, in which case it would be better to just get over it—supéralo, o sea.

Activities include exercises and practices between classmates and some courses also feature days-out at shops, markets, and cultural centers where the classroom learning can be practiced in real life situations.  The schools themselves are based at some of Mexico’s most picturesque locations and provide a perfect backdrop for combining learning and enjoyment.

By attending a program with others who share the desire to learn or improve their language skills, —and to build confidence in language use— a language course in Mexico can provide you with a worthwhile experience, whether you plan to visit or live in Mexico, or are living here already.

Building your confidence in use of a language is often the hardest part of becoming more fluent. There’s no better way of learning than to be among people who share the same goals as you. Language classes in Mexico allow you and your classmates to progress and improve your understanding and build your confidence while speaking Spanish with others around you.

Spanish schools offering courses in Mexico

Here is a list of Spanish Schools in Mexico offering courses, by location.  Connect directly to their websites for details of their services, offers and schedules.

Puebla

Puebla is one of Mexico’s colonial treasures.  The city is conveniently located about a 90-minute road trip south of Mexico City.

You can learn more about Spanish languages courses in Mexico here on Mexperience.

Language opens your access to the culture

Language is a primary instrument that gives you access to a foreign culture, and being able to converse in Spanish —even at a basic conversational level— will make every experience you encounter in Mexico richer, and more meaningful to you.

Spanish is an important language that is widely spoken around the the world, and Mexican Spanish is polite, clear, and easy to understand.  The speed at which the language is spoken in Mexico is not as accelerated as it is Spain and some South American countries, and the pronunciation is softer, which makes the language easier to ‘pick-up’ and easier for beginners to learn.

PinPoint Spanish series shares valuable insights

PinPoint Spanish is an extensive series of articles which help you to study Mexican Spanish language usage and additionally, provide context and nuance of the language as it’s contemporarily spoken and applied in everyday situations across Mexico.

The series is an ideal study resource for beginners who want to get a wider perspective of the language beyond the basic mechanics and grammar, while intermediate and advanced students of the language will particularly enjoy the insights the articles share about the subtle nuances and everyday practical uses of Mexican Spanish.

Spanish language resources on Mexperience

Mexperience offers you knowledge and connections to help you learn and improve your Spanish language capabilities:

• Enjoy dozens of language insight articles through our PinPoint Spanish series
• Connect to our Learning Spanish section for more advice
• Find online Spanish courses to help you develop your conversation skills
• Discover language schools in Mexico where you can participate in a class in-person, or online