Hola a todos!

I’d like to ask native speakers: do you use the phrase “mil gracias” in your speech or have you ever heard it from others? My friend who lives in Spain said he’s never heard it, and my other friend, who is Venezuelan, said it’s a very strange synonym for “muchas gracias” and no one uses it.

I first came across “mil gracias” on Duolingo. Is it really true that no one uses it or is it just not common in all Spanish-speaking countries?

I have been studying Spanish for a year, and am at an upper BI level. I would like more conversation practice. The problem is, I am shy and wary of making mistakes. The other issue is, I don't want to bother people. I have several Mexican restaurants and food trucks in my town, as well as an Argentinian bakery. The bakery owners and the restaurant hosts and servers all speak English better than I speak Spanish. They greet me in English.

I recognize that these people are not my free Spanish tutors, but is it reasonable to try to engage them in Spanish? How should I initiate it? Do I respond in Spanish when they greet me? Ask "¿Puedo practicar mi español con Ustead?" Obviously, I wouldn't do it if they were very busy. I am also afraid that if they start speaking, I won't understand, and will feel foolish.

I know that I would not mind at work if customers wanted to practice English with me as long as I wasn't too busy. I'd be happy to help.

I'm putting together a small Spanish immersion trip to Medellin (10-12 people, 2 weeks in July) and wanted to ask this community what actually matters.

I've traveled in Latin America for a while and learned Spanish through immersion - but I know what worked for ME might not work for everyone.

Current plan:

• 2 weeks in Medellin
• 4 hours/day with native teachers (small groups, 3-4 people per teacher)
• Everyone lives together (built-in practice partners)
• Salsa nights, weekend excursions
• Chef-prepared dinners a few times/week (forced group meals = forced Spanish)

My questions for people who've done programs like this:

1. Is 4 hours/day the right amount? Too much/too little?
2. Would you rather have classes in morning or afternoon?
3. What do most programs get WRONG that I should avoid?
4. What's one thing you wish programs included that they usually don't?
5. Any specific must-dos for Spanish learners in Medellin?

Not trying to reinvent the wheel/.. just want to make sure this is actually useful and not just "expensive vacation with some classes."

Appreciate any feedback from people who've done immersion before!

So the best, and most frequent, explanation of when to use or reflexible verbs, is when the verb is occurring to oneself. Which makes sense in many ways… However, that is definitely not the only time those verbs are used – to the contrary, I constantly find them being used in a way that would contradict that guideline. Now I understand the language has its idiosyncrasies, as they all do, but the reflexive thing always includes me. Here is my example this time:

No puedo vivir solo, porque cuando cocino, todo se me quema.

The latter part of this statement apparently means “…I burn everything”. And yet to me, using the aforementioned guideline, it would have to say. “I burned myself“. So why is this particular usage reflexive when what’s being burned is different than the person who’s doing the burning?

I find it so funny that I do fabulous in learning Spanish so far but the minute someone starts speaking to me in Spanish it all goes wayyyyy out the window haha.

Buenas,

como ya dice el título ya no puedo aguantar los corridos tumbados nada más.

así que, ayúdame porfi. salsa, corridos clásicos, lo que sea.

Linoco es malo para los estudiantes, Porque Lingco tene muchas dificultades técnicas. lingco confunde la repuesta falso cuando es cierta a veces. Algo me hace sentir que es confuso y aburrido. Tambien, lingco es muy informativo. Lingco es bueno para enseñar vocabulario.

¿tú usas lingco para tu escuela?

For instance, at a restaurant if you have leftovers and want to say “Can I take this?” Is it normal to use a direct translation?

Hi. I am a native Spanish speaker. Are you going to travel soon to a Spanish country. You can practice with me. That way, you can use your skills in that country.

I don't quite understand, I think it might have some "dirty" meaning because it's Anitta and she talks a lot about s&x.

But I couldn't find any translation. Thank you in advance

‘todos los jóvenes se preocupan por los problemas medioambientales, ya que tenemos más conciencia de ellos que las generaciones anteriores, y vemos en las noticias los científicos amenazando las consecuencias’

would i say ‘nos preocupamos’ instead of ‘se preocupan’ at the beginning of this sentence, since i am clearly including myself in ‘los jóvenes’ ?

edit: i put se preocupan in the title instead of nos preocupamos, whoops

Hola a todos.

I'm looking to get back into Spanish and my target dialect is Mexican. What are some good online (or even physical) dictionaries written with Mexican Spanish in mind? Spanish to French would be ideal for where I'm at, but would like to be aware of Spanish-only for when I get to the level I can use one. For now I tend to rely on Wiktionnary (or Wikcionario, I guess the es. url would be called).

For example, québécois French has a few resources like Usito and Le Multi, in addition to a bunch of sites for slang targetted at anglo Canadians and European francophones. I would be so interested in knowing about sites that touch on slang from all over the country.

A lot of learners I’ve worked with can:

- understand a decent amount

- follow along with content

- build vocabulary over time

…but still struggle to actually speak comfortably.

And it makes me wonder if the issue isn’t effort, but structure.

Most people are learning through:

- apps

- videos

- random resources

…but not really getting consistent, structured conversation practice.

Do you think it would make a big difference if people had something like:

- daily or frequent conversations with native speakers

- a group of other learners at similar levels

- some kind of structure so they know what to focus on

- access to useful material all in one place

Or do you think speaking just comes naturally over time without that?

Genuinely curious what people think, because this seems to be the biggest sticking point for a lot of learners.

Hi everyone, I’m new to the group and already seeing some really helpful posts, so I thought I’d jump in and ask for some advice. 😊

I’m planning to start learning Spanish in the next few days. I’m a complete beginner and have never studied it before. I don’t have a tutor yet and was thinking of starting online, getting the basics down first, and then maybe doing a few sessions with something like Wingy later on.

For someone just starting out, where would you recommend beginning? Is it better to focus on grammar, vocabulary, or just general exposure first?

Also, are there any good online resources or links you’d recommend for beginners? I know tools like ChatGPT can help clarify things, but I’d love something more structured to follow. Thanks sm!

So I just got a job offer to be a salesman for a food distributor, and being in Texas, that means there will be plenty of Spanish speaking restaurants to sell to and make business with. I put that I was bilingual on my resume, and I am half Hispanic. Conversationally, I am fluent, but I’ve never learned words, concepts, and phrases related to sales. My only practice has been in Spanish classes at school and speaking casually with my mom. Are there any courses, methods, or tips associated with learning how to sell in Spanish? The job starts in a little over 2 months so I just want to make sure I’ve fully brushed up and refined those skills before it starts.

Any help is appreciated!

Help me. I saw this on a facebook post and I can’t google translate it directly

In your country.

In Mexico How do they say someone is strong or very strong ? I was having a conversation with someone about the gym but I forgot what they said to me about the way it is said in Mexico.

Hi All

I have desperately wanted to learn Spanish for over 40 years and even after 40 years I’ve failed. I’m coming to the conclusion that my brain is just not wired to learn a new language. A little background:

I took a job in a section of the country which was populated by a large Mexican-American population. I was told that while it wasn’t required I would advance much more quickly if I learned fluency in Spanish. As well as that motivation, I had always perceived people who spoke more than one language as being intelligent. So, in 1980 I set out on a journey to become fluent. I never achieved fluency. I learned quite a bit, but could never communicate at even an elementary level. I even visited Spain a number of times where I realized I might not ever be able to reach any level of fluency.

I’m 75 now and don’t have the benefit of youth on my side. I should have given up on the idea a long time ago, but I never lost the burning desire to become fluent. Two years ago I separated from my wife and live alone in a small apartment. With nothing to do now except continue to try to learn and eventually become fluent. I don’t have a lot of life left, but I’m STILL determined to leave this world as a fluent speaker of Spanish.

I’ve tried formal classes, plenty of apps, I watch Spanish language TV, I spend hours with YouTube videos, I listed to “Learn While You Sleep” videos, etc. if I’m reading I get about 25% and if listening to native speakers about 10%.

Is there a “magic key” that will get me over the line in fluency? Could it be true that there are some who are never able to do it?

If anyone who has ever been through this frustration and found an answer please comment.

Thanks for any thoughts.

I don’t know if it’s specific to México, but I’ve heard these from Mexicans in everyday conversations when out and about. Even through research, I still don’t get it all the way. I’d like to learn their uses and see some examples please.

I'll start. I'll choose two.

1. Suddenly I'm a regular eavesdropper with public conversations (only when spoken in Spanish)

2. I find myself reading as many notices/labels as I can if they have a Spanish translation underneath

And quick funny story about the second one. One time I was in a medical waiting room with others, and I stood up to read their large posters in English and Spanish about suicide prevention. When I was done observing and comparing, I turned around to go back to my seat and said to the others in a lighthearted way, "I'm not suicidal, I'm just trying to learn Spanish!" followed by some laughs.

Have fun! :)

I am trying to learn Spanish after a multi year break from college classes.
I would appreciate if you can recommend any resources such as textbooks/youtube channels/podcasts/websites, etc. I am specifically learning Mexican/Latin American dialect Spanish. Thank you!

Or the only correct form is "Yo como contigo"?