Apr
05
After five months I'm now very comfortable speaking in Spanish. I still make plenty of errors but I usually can tell I'm saying something wrong and am able to correct myself or ask how to say it correctly. In addition to this, I now understand most anything someone may say to me.Fortunately Spanish tends to have many similarities to English and I thought I'd share a few.
car = carro
incredible = increible
possible = posible
hiking = trekking
full = full
stickers = stickers
flash (for a camera) = flash
In addition to this, one of my new favorite things about the language is diminutives. The idea is to communicate something smaller/special/endearing and is also used for names (kind of like Timmy for Tim). This is generally done by adding a -ita/-ito/-cita/-cito to the end of a word. For example, a town is a pueblo and a little town is a pueblito and our house brother Pablo is often called Pablito.
The strange thing is people here will use diminutives for virtually anything and although it can be endearing, it also can get carried away, especially when they start using it for adjectives (the other day when I was getting my hair cut the guy said I'm going to be guapocito = little handsome). Here are some more examples:
Jesucito = sweet little Jesus
Chiquitita = chica is little and I think chiquitita is itty bitty
Cansadocito = little/poor tired thing
Felicita = little happy thing
Rubiocito = precious blond person
Asustadocito = scared, but in a lovable sort of way
Tacita = very small teacup or a fluffy prancing toy poodle
Tonight I found out there is an even another level of this, -ititititito. This means really itty bitty teenie weenie thing. I can now call Hannah "Anitititita" which would mean my really special precious tiny lovable wifey. If you have trouble saying it, just start with the first part, stutter a while and end with an a or o.
I love it! We've encountered the same here. Everyone we pass on the streets looks at our kids and says, "Que lindos, chiquititos." Buena suerte con la transicion!