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What does it mean when Dominicans sayErrorowas was? Here is your quick guide to Dominican Spanish and slang
HeDominican Republic, or Dominican Republic, is an extraordinarily beautiful country. Calledquisqueya(meaning "mother of all lands") by indigenous people, shares an island with present-day Haiti to the west.
Its diverse population, controversial history, and rich culture give the Caribbean nation its own unique way of speaking Spanish. The distinctive language of the Dominican Republic is due to its native peopleindioAfrican, Spanish and American influences.
The Spanish spoken in the Dominican Republic has its own accent, vocabulary, and slang expressions. Dominicans are also known for speaking fast and loud.
In this article, I'll give you some ideas to help you understand how to deal with what is considered to be one of the most difficult to understand Spanish accents.
Dominican accent
The accent of Spanish-speaking Dominicans shares some similarities with other Spanish-speakers in the Caribbean.
In the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands, the letter "d" is often not pronounced. For example, instead of saying"glued"(stuck), a Dominican Spanish-speaker would say"Take the."
Related:Your Definitive Guide to Caribbean Spanish
Another characteristic that the Dominican accent shares with other Spanish speakersCaribbean(El Caribe) deletes or points to the letter "s". The common phrase "Have a nice day" sounds like "Have a nice day."
Dominicans also have a habit of abbreviating common words and phrases. The words "is" and "are" usually become simple"'compared to"in the Dominican Republic. Dominicans will generally say"How are you?"(how are you?) instead"How are you?"(How are you?).
Another common expression in Spanish,"Everything's fine"(Everything is fine) is also drastically shortened. In the DR they would only say "That's all."
Regions of the Dominican Republic
Like its people, the Dominican Republic is also geographically diverse, from mountain ranges to jungles to open plains.
The Dominican Republic consists of three main regions in the North, South and East: Der Cibao,The South, YThe East. Each region has its own customs, accents and expressions.
The Eastern Region: The East
The East is known for its large provinces: La Romana, Higüey and Punta Cana. The beaches are beautiful since this is the Caribbean coast of the country. Tourism is higher here than in any other region.
La Romana, and more specifically Punta Cana, is where you will find the largest hotels and resorts in the country. Many Dominicans from all over the world travel there to work. Unlike the rest of the country, El Este is much calmer and docile. The Spanish spoken in this region is the most "neutral" in the country.
Northern Region: El Cibao
The largest region isthe cibao dies, which extends through the north, northeast and center of the country. There you will find the longest and highest mountain ranges and the fertile land.
The El Cibao region concentrates almost all of the country's agriculture and several animal species that can be found in Constanza, Santiago and Puerto Plata (three of the most famous provinces of El Cibao).
El Cibao has the most famous Dominican accent. Many people live in the rural areas of this region, which is home to many well-known Dominican musicians and artists.
The South Region: The South
how do you travelThe South(The South) you will begin to notice larger open spaces and more urban territory. Here you will not find large rural areas as the population is predominantly urban.
The nation's capital, Santo Domingo, is located in the south of the country. InThe capital(the capital) You will find the people there less welcoming but much more exciting. Tall buildings, endless traffic jams, and music echoing from cars are common sights and sounds in El Sur. stores known asSupermarket, fill the streets and you can listen to Dominican hip-hop, salsa, reggaeton, bachata and dembow music.
The Spanish spoken in this region is riddled with ever-changing slang, interspersed with American and Puerto Rican influences.
To learn more about the accents of each region, log inDominican Spanish 101. (Free trial period)
It is a complete course with audio and full transcripts of dialogues between native Spanish speakers from the Dominican Republic.
HeFree trial periodcontains a detailed description of the differences in accents between the southern, eastern, and northern regions of the DR
14 Common Words and Phrases in Dominican Spanish
The Dominican Republic has hundreds of unique words and phrases. Although you may hear some of these phrases used by other Spanish speakers or in popular Latin music, they are unmistakably Dominican in origin.
A man who talks a lot and does little.
Examples:
These politicians areallantosos.
These politicians aretalk about everything and do nothing.
HealantosHe told me he was coming to work, but he didn't come.
He is like thatfull of shit, said he came to work and never came.
2)fiebrú
A person who is addicted to something.
Examples:
Militaryfiebrúwith the ball
I am soaddictedto baseball
That guy is afiebrúdes Computers.
this guy isaddictedto the calculator.
3)Kachu
Tomato paste, tomato sauce
Examples:
bring to meBodywith my fries.
bring to meKetchupwith my fries.
I don't eat pica pollo without itthe sword.
I can't eat fried chicken without it.Ketchup.
4) The flag
Literally "the flag". This is the most popular dish in the Dominican Republic since it satisfies everyone and the preparation cost is low. It consists of rice with red beans in their sauce and chicken or beef.
Example:
The Dominican who didn't trybanderaYou miss the meaning of life.
The Dominican who has never tastedthe flag courtlosing the true meaning of life.
5)To blame
An annoying situation, something with little or no meaning, garbage or anything random.
Examples:
!this podwith that broken fridge!
This broken fridge isvery annoying!
I don't mindError.
I don't give anyFog.
When a beer is cold and the outside of the bottle is white from freezing, but the liquid inside is not frozen. It is the usual temperature to drink beer in the Dominican Republic.
Examples:
give me a presidentWedding dress.
give me a beer presidentwell chilled.
pasamelaWedding dress.
give me an ithis kaltes beer.
7) Vibrate
A person of mature age who wants to be fashionable and dress like a young person.
Examples:
My motherdeprived in age.
My motherhe thinks he's young.
It isviejebosToday they walk like twentysomethings.
It isold peoplethese days they want to dress like they are 20 years old.
8) scarf
It refers to when a person accepts something or likes something. Something cool or impressive, in a nutshell.
Examples:
scharf, I see you there.
One order, I see you there.
Luis's car isOf course.
Luis's car isto the point.
9) Stroh
Derived from the word "straw" and describes uncombed hair with a lot of volume. It is also a derogatory term for Afro-Latinx curly hair.
Examples:
The straw is very big, you need to cut it yourself.
The hair is too big, you need a haircut.
She is proud of her straw.
She is proud of her afro.
10) Taube
The phrase used to refer to a man who was very shy when it came to flirting.
Examples:
This cord is a dove.
The guy is so cowardly.
Don't be a pigeon and talk to him.
Don't be a coward and talk to her.
11)¿EraEswhich?
Very informal phrase meaning "what's up?" (Abbreviated in text messages asklk)
Examples:
How are you?
How are you?
Tell me something about this Jeva.
Tell me what's wrong with the girl.
12)sancocho
Dominican traditional dish. It's a thick soup packed with vegetables, starchy root vegetables, and well-seasoned meats.
Example:
Don Raulo's Sancocho is a dream.
Old Raulo's sancocho is to die for.
13) Tigüere
A wise man or with street wisdom.
Examples:
I don't trust him, he has the face of a tiger.
I don't trust him, he seems like a smart guy.
And who is this tiger?
who is this boy
14) Let's go back to what we have achieved
Perform a task quickly; literally translated "We're going to get to what we came for."
Example:
What is everyone doing while sitting down? Let's move on to what we have achieved, gentlemen!
What is everyone doing while sitting down? Let's finish what we are here for, gentlemen!
Now you have an idea of the unique way Dominicans speak Spanish. Check out the links below to learn more Dominican Spanish:
- This is the Dominican YouTube channel
- Spanish teacher from the Dominican Republic
- Dominican Spanish Course 101
- Bilingual dictionary of Dominican Spanish words
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Tamara Maria
Hello! My name is Tamara Maria. I am a language trainer specialized in brain friendly methods to learn foreign languages faster. I speak English (US native), Spanish (intermediate), and Brazilian Portuguese (beginner). I am addicted to Latin music and dance and I am passionate about helping people learn languages.
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