Professional Documents
Culture Documents
280
Language
i
o
u
CONTENTS
LANGUAGE
Pronunciation
Gender & Plurals
Accommodations
Conversation & Essentials
Directions
Health
Emergencies
Language Difficulties
Numbers
Paperwork
Shopping & Services
Time & Dates
Transportation
Travel With Children
280
281
281
281
282
282
283
283
283
283
283
284
284
286
PRONUNCIATION
Consonants
j
ll
r
rr
v
x
Vowels
a
e
as in father
as in met
as in marine
as in or (without the r sound)
as in rule; the u is not pronounced
after q and in the letter combinations
gue and gui, unless its marked with
a diaeresis (eg argir), in which case
its pronounced as English w
at the end of a word or when it stands
alone, its pronounced as the Spanish
i (eg ley); between vowels within a
word its as the y in yonder
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L A N G UA G E G e n d e r & P l u r a l s 281
Word Stress
ACCOMMODATIONS
juvenil
khooveneel
Hay habitaciones
libres?
ay abeetasyones
leebres
Id like a ...
Quisiera una
room.
habitacin ...
double (two beds) doble
double (two
matrimonial
keesyera oona
abeetasyon ...
doble
matreemonyal
single
twin
individual
con dos camas
eendeeveedwal
kon dos kamas
en nombre de ...
para las noches del ...
tarjeta de crdito ...
nmero
fecha de vencimiento
How much is it
per ...?
night
person
week
Cunto cuesta
por ...?
noche
persona
semana
full board
pensin
completa
private/shared bao privado/
bathroom
compartido
cheaper
ms econmico
discount
descuento
kwanto kwesta
por ...
noche
persona
semana
pensyon
kompleta
banyo preevado/
komparteedo
mas ekonomeeko
deskwento
eenklooye el desayoono
pwedo ver la
abeetasyon
A ...
De ...
Fecha
no me goosta
When approaching a stranger for information you should always extend a greeting,
and use only the polite form of address,
especially with the police and public officials. Young people may be less likely to
expect this, but its best to stick to the polite
form unless youre quite sure you wont offend by using the informal mode. The polite
form is used in all cases in this guide; where
LANGUAGE
MAKING A RESERVATION
282 L A N G UA G E D i re c t i o n s
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Hola.
Buen da.
Buenos das.
Buenas tardes.
Buenas noches.
ola (inf)
bwen deea
bwenos deeas
bwenas tardes
bwenas noches
Entrada
Salida
Informacin
Abierto
Cerrado
Prohibido
Servicios/Baos
Hombres/Varones
Mujeres/Damas
Entrance
Exit
Information
Open
Closed
Prohibited
Toilets
Men
Women
Adis.
adyos
Hasta luego.
asta lwego
S.
see
No.
no
Por favor.
por favor
Gracias.
grasyas
Muchas gracias. moochas grasyas
De nada.
de nada
Perdn.
perdon
Permiso.
permeeso
(when asking permission)
Excuse me.
Disculpe.
deeskoolpe
(used before a request or when apologizing)
HEALTH
Qu tal?
ke tal
me yamo ...
moocho goosto
Im from ...
Soy de ...
soy de ...
DIRECTIONS
Is it far?
Est lejos?
Me lo podra sealar
(en el mapa)?
north
south
east
west
here
there
avenue
block
street
esta lekhos
me lo podreea senyalar
(en el mapa)
norte
sur soor
este
oeste
aqu
ah
avenida
cuadra
calle/paseo
norte
este
oeste
akee
aee
aveneeda
kwadra
kalye/paseo
Im sick.
Estoy enfermo/a.
LANGUAGE
SIGNS
estoy enfermo/a
I need a doctor.
Necesito un doctor.
Im pregnant.
Estoy embarazada.
Im allergic
to ...
antibiotics
nuts
peanuts
penicillin
estoy embarasada
Soy alrgico/a
soy alerkheeko/a
a ...
a ...
los antibiticos los anteebyo
teekos
las nueces
las nweses
los cacahuates los kakakhwates
la penicilina
la peneeseeleena
Im ...
asthmatic
diabetic
epileptic
Soy ...
asmtico/a
diabtico/a
epilptico/a
soy ...
asmateeko/a
dyabeteeko/a
epeelepteeko/a
I have ...
diarrhea
nausea
a headache
Tengo ...
diarrea
nusea
un dolor de
cabeza
tengo ...
dyarea
nowsea
oon dolor de
kabesa
Go straight ahead.
Siga/Vaya derecho.
seega/vaya derecho
Turn left.
Volte a la izquierda.
voltee a la eeskyerda
Turn right.
Volte a la derecha.
voltee a la derecha
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L A N G UA G E E m e r g e n c i e s 283
EMERGENCIES
Help!
Fire!
Ive been
robbed.
Socorro!
sokoro
Fuego!
fwego
Me han robado. me an
robado
Go away!
Get lost!
Djeme!
Vyase!
dekheme
vayase
Call ...!
Llame a ...!
yame a
the police
la polica
la poleeseea
a doctor
un mdico
oon medeeko
an ambulance una ambulancia oona amboo
lansya
Its an emergency.
Es una emergencia.
es oona emerkhensya
me pwede ayoodar
por favor
Im lost.
Estoy perdido/a.
estoy perdeedo/a
LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES
Do you speak (English)?
I (dont) understand.
(No) Entiendo.
(no) entyendo
Qu significa ...?
ke seegneefeeka ...
Could you
Puede ..., por
please ...?
favor?
repeat that
repetirlo
speak more
hablar ms
slowly
despacio
write it down escribirlo
NUMBERS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
nueve
diez
once
doce
trece
catorce
quince
diecisis
diecisiete
dieciocho
diecinueve
veinte
veintiuno
treinta
treinta y uno
cuarenta
cincuenta
sesenta
setenta
ochenta
noventa
cien
ciento uno
doscientos
mil
cinco mil
PAPERWORK
birth certificate
border (frontier)
car-owners title
car registration
customs
drivers license
identification
immigration
insurance
passport
temporary vehicle
import permit
tourist card
visa
nweve
dyes
onse
dose
trese
katorse
keense
dyeseesays
dyeseesyete
dyeseeocho
dyeseenweve
vaynte
vaynteeoono
traynta
traynta ee oono
kwarenta
seenkwenta
sesenta
setenta
ochenta
noventa
syen
syento oono
dosyentos
meel
seenko meel
certificado de nacimiento
la frontera
ttulo de propiedad
registracin
aduana
licencia de manejar
identificacin
migracin
seguro
pasaporte
permiso de importacin
temporal de vehculo
tarjeta de turista
visado
Im just looking.
uno
dos
tres
cuatro
cinco
seis
siete
ocho
oono
dos
tres
kwatro
seenko
says
syete
ocho
pwedo verlo/la
kwanto kwesta
es demasyado karo
para mee
LANGUAGE
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
30
31
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
101
200
1000
5000
284 L A N G UA G E Ti m e & D a t e s
no me goosta
Do you
accept ...?
American
dollars
credit cards
travelers
checks
less
more
large
small
lo yevo
Aceptan ...?
dlares
americanos
tarjetas de
crdito
cheques de
viajero
menos
ms
grande
pequeo/a
Im looking
for (the) ...
ATM
LANGUAGE
Estoy buscando
...
el cajero
automtico
bank
el banco
bookstore
la librera
exchange house la casa de
cambio
general store la tienda
laundry
la lavandera
market
el mercado
pharmacy/
la farmacia
chemist
post office
supermarket
tourist office
aseptan ...
dolares
amereekanos
tarkhetas de
kredeeto
chekes de
vyakhero
menos
mas
grande
pekenyo/a
estoy booskando
el kakhero
owtomateeko
el banko
la leebrereea
la kasa de
kambyo
la tyenda
la lavandereea
el merkado
la farmasya
la officina
la ofeeseena
de correos
de koreos
el supermercado el sooper
merkado
la oficina de
la ofeeseena de
turismo
tooreesmo
airmail
letter
registered (mail)
stamps
correo areo
carta
certificado
timbres
koreo aereo
karta
serteefeekado
teembres
Qu hora es?
Es la una.
Son las siete.
Dos y media.
medianoche
medioda
ke ora es
es la oona
son las syete
dos ee medya
medyanoche
medyodeea
now
today
tonight
tomorrow
yesterday
ahora
hoy
esta noche
maana
ayer ayer
aora
oy
esta noche
manyana
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
lunes
martes
mircoles
jueves
viernes
sbado
domingo
loones
martes
myerkoles
khweves
vyernes
sabado
domeengo
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
enero
febrero
marzo
abril
mayo
junio
julio
agosto
septiembre
octubre
noviembre
diciembre
enero
febrero
marso
abreel
mayo
khoonyo
khoolyo
agosto
septyembre
oktoobre
novyembre
deesyembre
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TRANSPORTATION
Public Transportation
a luggage locker
the ticket office
la estacin de
autobuses
la parada de
autobuses
un casillero
la taquilla
la estasyon de
owtobooses
la parada de
owtobooses
oon kaseeyero
la takeeya
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L A N G UA G E T r a n s p o r t a t i o n 285
students
1st class
2nd class
single/one-way
return/round
trip
taxi
de estudiante
primera clase
segunda clase
viaje sencillo
redondo
de estoodyante
preemera klase
segoonda klase
veeakhe senseeyo
redondo
taxi
taksee
Private Transportation
Id like to
hire a/an ...
4WD
car
motorbike
Quisiera
rentar ...
un cuator por
cuatro
un coche
una moto
keesyera
rentar ...
oon kwatro por
kwatro
oon koche
oona moto
bicycle
hitchhike
pickup (ute)
truck
bicicleta
pedir aventn
pickup
camin/eta
beeseekleta
pedeer aventon
peekop
kamyon/eta
donde ai oona
gasoleenera
gas (petrol)
unleaded
oil
tire
puncture
plomo
gasolina
gasolina sin
plomo
aceite
llanta
agujero
deesel
gasoleena kon
plomo
gasoleena
gasoleena seen
plomo
asayte
yanta
agookhero
Though Mexico mostly uses the familiar international road signs, you should be prepared
to encounter these other signs as well:
Acceso
Aparcamiento
Camino en Reparacin
Ceda el Paso
Conserve Su Derecha
Cuida Su Vida,
Maneje Con
Precaucin
Curva Peligrosa
Despacio
Desviacin
Direccin nica
Escuela (Zona Escolar)
Hombres Trabajando
Mantenga Su Derecha
No Adelantar
No Hay Paso
No Rebase
No Rebase con
Raya Continua
Pare/Stop
Peaje
Peligro
Por Su Seguridad
Disminuye La
Velocidad
Precaucin Zona
de Ganado
Prepare Su Cuota
Prohibido Aparcar/
No Estacionar
Prohibido el Paso
Puente Angosto
Salida de Autopista
Si Toma No Maneje
Utilice Cinturn
de Seguridad
Topes/Vibradores
Tramo en Reparacin
Va Corta
Entrance
Parking
Road Repairs
Give way
Keep to the Right
Protect Your Life,
Drive with
Caution
Dangerous Curve
Slow
Detour
One-way
School (Zone)
Men at Work
Keep to the Right
No Passing
Road Closed
No Overtaking
Dont Drive with
Your Lights On
Stop
Toll
Danger
Decrease Speed
for Your Safety
Careful: Cattle Zone
Speed Bumps
Road Under Repair
Short Route
(often a toll road)
Va Cuota
Toll Highway
Where do I pay?
Dnde se paga?
donde se paga
LANGUAGE
diesel
diesel
leaded (regular) gasolina con
ROAD SIGNS
286 L A N G UA G E T r a v e l w i t h C h i l d re n
lonelyplanet.com
a childrens menu
un men infantil
oon menoo eenfanteel
(disposable) diapers/nappies
I had an accident.
Tuve un accidente.
toove oon akseedente
Necesito ...
neseseeto ...
an (English-speaking) babysitter
una niera (que habla inglesa)
oona neenyera (ke abla eenglesa)
formula (milk)
leche en polvo
leche en polvo
a highchair
una silla para beb
oona seeya para bebe
a potty
una bacinica
oona baseeneeka
a stroller
una carreola
oona kareola
Se admiten nios?
se admeeten neenyos
LANGUAGE
a babysitting service
287
Glossary
For general information on the Spanish
language, see the Language chapter (p280).
For a list of food and drink terms, see the
Food & Drink chapter (p64).
acequia irrigation canal, often stone-lined, in Baja
California missions
baha bay
bajacaliforniano resident of Baja California
ballena whale; also a colloquial term for 1L bottle of
Pacfico beer
banda style of music dominated by brass instruments,
often without drums
barrio neighborhood of a town or city, often a poor
neighborhood
bisbol baseball
billete banknote
biznaga barrel cactus
boleto ticket
borrego bighorn sheep, a rarely seen species in the
sierras of Baja California that is frequently represented in
the pre-Columbian rock art of the peninsula
burro donkey
caballero gentleman
cabaa cabin
cabina phone booth
caguama any species of sea turtle, but most commonly
GLOSSARY
carretera highway
casa de cambio currency exchange house
casa de huspedes guesthouse
cascabel rattlesnake
casita cottage
central camionera bus terminal
cerro hill
charreada rodeo
charro cowboy or horseman
chingar literally to fuck; it has a wide range of col-
288
GLOSSARY
iglesia church
INAH Instituto Nacional de Antropologa y Historia
(National Institute of Anthropology & History); administers
museums and archeological monuments
indgena indigenous person
IVA Impuesto de Valor Agregado (value-added tax)
GLOSSARY
Magnistas followers of the exiled Mexican intellectual Ricardo Flores Magn, who attempted to establish
a regional power base in the towns of northern Baja
California during the Mexican Revolution
maguey any of several species of a common Mexico
fiber plant (Agave spp), also used for producing alcoholic
drinks such as tequila, mescal and pulque
malecn waterfront promenade
maquiladora industrial plant in Tijuana, Mexicali
or another border town that takes advantage of cheap
Mexican labor to assemble US components for
reexportation to the north
mariachi small ensemble of street musicians playing
traditional ballads on guitars and trumpets
matador bullfighter
mercado market; often a building near the center of
a town, with shops and open-air stalls in the surrounding
streets
mestizo person of mixed Indian and European
heritage
moneda nacional national money, meaning the
Mexican peso as distinguished from the US dollar (both
use the symbol $); often abbreviated as m/n
mono human figure, as represented in the preColumbian rock art of the Desierto Central
mordida bribe; literally, the bite
mujeres women; seen on toilet doors
municipio administrative subdivision of Mexican states,
roughly akin to a US county; Baja California (Norte) consists
of five municipios, Baja California Sur of four
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) a pact
between the USA, Canada and Mexico that reduces or
eliminates customs duties and other trade barriers
nao in colonial times, a Spanish galleon on the
AcapulcoManila trade route; such galleons frequently
took shelter in Baja ports on their return voyages
neophyte a new convert (in this case, of the Indians by
the missionaries)
nopal any cactus of the genus Opuntia that produces
edible fruit (tuna), which was common in the diet of
pre-Columbian Baja and is still widely consumed today
norte north; El Norte is the colloquial term for the USA
ofrenda offering to a saint in exchange for a wish or
wishes granted
ola wave
otro lado literally other side; el otro lado refers
colloquially to the USA
G L O S S A R Y 289
vaquero cowboy
va cuota toll road
zcalo central plaza; more common in mainland
Mexico than in Baja California
zona de tolerancia in border cities such as Tijuana
and Mexicali, an area in which prostitution and related
activities are concentrated
zona hotelera hotel zone
GLOSSARY
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