How do Cubans speak?
Cuba is an archipelago in the heart of the Caribbean Sea, with a wonderful language of its own.
Its people are open, passionate and with a great joy of living. It is their particular way of speaking Spanish that is one of their most characteristic traits. This way of expressing themselves with personality, authenticity and freshness is colloquially known as Cubanisms, that is, words or phrases typical of Spanish that Cubans vehemently defend in their daily lives.
A bit of history
The island of Cuba had been inhabited for over ten thousand years by migrant fishermen, especially from Central America. The Spanish, after discovering the new territories in 1492, populated it and they then began to forge their own Creole identity with the local aborigines.
It could be concluded that the long Spanish colonial period and the resulting migration of African slaves, together with the immediate American influence at the beginning of the 20th century and that of Russia, after the triumph of the revolution, gave rise to a Spanish full of words that come from the mixture, in particular, of these languages, although there are also moderate influences from French and to a lesser extent from Portuguese, and their respective pronunciations.
Some characteristics of Spanish in Cuba
With a great resemblance to the Spanish spoken in the Antilles, within the same island there are different forms of expression depending on the region in which we are, without however reaching the range of the dialects themselves. The greatest distinction can be found between the western areas, with a more modern, dynamic and current language, and the eastern areas of the island, where a more classic and careful Spanish is spoken, much more melodious in fact.
Among the most common general characteristics of Cuban Spanish we can find for example:
- Pronunciation of the letter "S" as if it were a "J". An example of this would be the word (helmet) casco [caj-co].
- The assimilation of the "R" by the consonant that follows it in the order of this word. A clear exponent of this rule is the (green) term verde [ved-de].
- The change of the letter "R" to the letter "L". The word love is one of the most typical examples of this pronunciation, amor [a-mol].
- The pronunciation of the sound [s] instead of [z]. For example, the word zorro we will always say [so-rro].
- The pronunciation of the sound [b] instead of [v]. The word vaca (cow) will always be said as [ba-ca].
- In a word where there are two of the same consonant for example, the second is never well articulated, the sound would be absorbed, barely suggested. This is the case of bebé (baby) where we then pronounce [be-he].
- The frequent omission of the consonant sound at the end of the word, especially when it comes to "S". Examples: verdad (truth) [ved-dá] Apocalipsis (apocalypse) [apocalipsi]
- The omission of the consonant sound "D" [d] in the case of certain words that end with the construction -ado and -ido, such as pescado (fish) [pes-cao], molido (ground) [mo-lio].
- The preferential use of personal pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella) in any situation or context, probably due to the influence of English, and the predominance of tuteo, the act of addressing the Cuban people informally, one of the most classic characteristics of the Cuban people.
- The lexicon. It is in this part of the language that there is undoubtedly a greater number of variations. The Cuban way of life, its love for pleasure, celebrations and everything related to the social have provoked an enormous contribution of a multitude of expressions rich in freshness throughout the centuries.
Argelio Santiesteban, a famous Cuban intellectual, explained a few years ago that "Spanish in Cuba is part of a daily collective effort by all Cubans to find the artist that every human being carries within."
Cuba is laughter, transparency, colors, the lightness of life, the frankness and sincerity of the people, and their particular version of Spanish closely resembles its inhabitants. There is no room for sobriety, respect or manners. The speech is strong in the streets, in a vibrant and spiritual way.
Here, for example, are some of the most common forms of what we might call a Cuban hello:
▪︎¿How is it? How is things going?
▪︎What is your life? What are you becoming?
▪︎¡You are more lost than the meat of the ox! You were gone then, and much more than the ox!
▪︎¿What are you up to?
▪︎How are you? How's it going?
▪︎¿How is the mechanics? How are the mechanics?
▪︎¿How did you live your life? How is life going?
▪︎¿Qué me cuentas de tu vida? What's new ?
▪︎What's up? What happened?
▪︎¿How is the burumba? How is business?
Burumba: A dark affair carried out by informal means to solve one of the many problems of daily life.
And finally here are some Cubanisms, perhaps the most common in current Cuban jargon, without the slightest pretension, of course, to be exhaustive, since the undertaking would then be impossible.
▪︎Asere ¿ Que volá ?: And buddy, how are you? ...and there is also the more familiar version: ¿ Qué volón ?
Asere: is a Cubanism that belongs to the familiar register and that for Cubans means friend, brother or partner; and that is generally used in conversations with an atmosphere or tone of confidence. Men tend to use the word Asere much more than women.
▪︎Ando a la my love: Synonymous with being relaxed, without worries. It also means being naked.
▪︎Coger botella: Hitchhiking.
▪︎Irse pa'l yuma: Its literal meaning is to travel to the United States, but recently it has been used as a synonym for traveling abroad, regardless of the country. The word yuma is also used to name a North American or even any other foreigner.
▪︎Sirvió Rodríguez: This is a humorous mix of the statement "sirvió", with the name of the famous Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodríguez. It is used to show enthusiasm for a perfectly conceived plan and its approval, or to make an appointment with friends and can then be replaced by "jugó" or "sirvió" for short, that is to say: it plays.
▪︎Tirar un cabo: This expression has a meaning as simple as helping others. You can throw a rope to a friend. If you are in Cuba and a tire breaks, you can go to the first Cuban who passes by and say: "socio, hazme un favor y tirame un cabo con el carro." You will certainly be helped.
▪︎Eres un punto: It is a pejorative adjective. In Cuba, this is what is called (punto) a very innocent person, who does not realize that they are the subject of deception or trickery, also for cases where someone is the victim of infidelity or to designate extremely noble people.
▪︎They have a smile: Refers to a man who is happy about women's good moods towards him.
▪︎Completo Camagüey: This indicates that everything is finished, or the end of some task.
▪︎Estar arriba de la bola: Be aware of everything, up to date, well connected.
▪︎Vamo'echando: If you have attended an event without commitment, and you do not feel comfortable, you may hide a little; but your agitation will eventually give you away. Then, you will hear yourself whisper to those who accompany you: vamo'echando (Let's go).
▪︎You don't calculate me: The Cuban, resourceful by nature, can drive cars from the beginning of the last century and transform a room into a house for 10 people without knowing architecture. That's why he hates being underestimated.
The expression Tu no me calculas (you don't calculate me) has nothing to do with math. It's more to say that you don't know me well enough, and that you'd be surprised at what I'm capable of accomplishing.
▪︎ Me sacaron un sable: Expression of the person who would have received severe criticism or an unexpected negative action.
▪︎Eres un barco: When you leave your homework until the last minute, it is not that you are lazy: you are simply a drifting boat. In extreme cases of idleness one can further suggest what will be the end of your laziness: "Eres un Titanic".
▪︎ Ser un quemao: A quemao (a burned person) can be someone who knows too much about a subject, and appreciates it to the point of surprising those around him, or becoming obsessed with this passion. Sometimes, there would be a tendency to call this individual crazy, in which case we would say that está quemao. But, for a Cuban, ser un quemao (being burned) generally has a positive connotation.
▪︎Coger un diez: When a Cuban coges un diez (take a ten), it means that he takes a break and then continues with the work he is doing. This break can be extended and end up being a veinte or a treinta, depending on the level of laziness of the one taking it.
▪︎Tumba, tumba: The expression is in an imperative mood and indicates that you must leave urgently. Synonymous with get out.
▪︎It ended like the Guatao party: The affair ended disastrously, with a serious conflict or even fights. The expression refers to a certain legendary party that would have gone very badly.
▪︎Se levantó con el moño virao: This expression is not reserved for women, people with long hair or those who like hairstyles. Even a bald man can wake up with a twisted bun. It is a state of mind. The person is in a bad mood, unbearable, y te hace la vida un yogurt (turns your life into yogurt) that is, makes your life miserable.
▪︎He left like the dog that knocked over the pot: He left like the dog that knocked over the pot. How does a dog that has committed such a crime leave? Well, in an elusive way, and with as little noise as possible. The mess he left behind is for someone else to clean up.
▪︎To lower all the saints help: This expression translates the idea of the minor, and unmeritorious, effort that we must make on the way down, and would be used when success seems too easy or the path taken was well known.
▪︎To make firewood from a fallen tree: To make firewood from a fallen tree; to speak ill of a person who is no longer present, who is doing badly in life or who is no longer fortunate.
▪︎Tunturuntu: Tunturuntu is a subtle synonym for tumba, tumba. Which is equivalent to disappear, to leave, to get out of my sight, to run away, to slip away.
▪︎Tumbando que está nevando: Obviously it never snows in Cuba. The words rhyme only to imperatively signal the imminence of the time to leave.
▪︎Estás en llamas: If a Cuban tells you that estás en llamas (you are on fire), he has just told you ugly, poorly built.
▪︎Ser un mango: The complete opposite of estar en llamas. The mango, would be synonymous with physical beauty. Tremendo mango or mangón: formidable beautiful woman or handsome man.
▪︎Estás hecho un maceta: This phrase is often used to tell someone that they have a lot of money. Mijo, estás hecho un maceta (you have turned into a pot) or estás maceta, which means that you are, momentarily, rich.
▪︎More roll than film: More roll than film. This expression describes a person who talks a lot, but does not act; who never keeps his promises, and who should not be believed.
▪︎Have more balls than Maceo: It is the image of someone of such great courage, that he is not afraid of anyone. Antonio Maceo was one of the bravest mambises of our wars of independence against Spain in the 19th century.
▪︎To hold on to a hot nail: To hold on to a hot nail. The expression translates the spirit of a person who is willing to do anything in order not to give up on their final goal.
▪︎Ño! or Ñooo! [gno...] This denotes astonishment, great joy, excitement, surprise but also indignation. The word in question is usually accompanied by other expressions in order to accentuate their connotation. Ño, que lindo! That is to say: how beautiful it is! Or Ñoo, que fula asere! Which means: how bad it is, or how annoying it is, my friend! In relation to a negative situation or attitude.
▪︎Fula: The word fula basically refers to the US dollar and, par excellence, to any strong currency. It comes from fulastre, which in colloquial Cuban means someone who cannot be trusted. The meaning comes from the time when it was punishable by law to have US dollars in one's pocket. Fula therefore also means bad, ugly. La chica se vistió fula (The girl dressed ugly, badly); este tipo es un fula (This guy is boring); eso cuesta 20 fulas (It costs twenty dollars)
▪︎Tiene pinta / Tiene buena pinta / Tiene tremenda pinta / Eso pinta bien : from pintar (to paint) The expression denotes the apparent good quality of an object or any matter. We can also find the expression with a negative connotation. This is the case of: La cosa pinta mal or pinta fea or even pinta fula.
▪︎Your quarter hour has passed: Your quarter hour has passed. You had your chance and you didn't know how to take advantage of it. Now it's too late.
▪︎Colorin colorao este cuento se ha acabao : It means that the story has ended. Also to point out that it is then too late, and that what had been available is no longer available. It is also used to indicate the end of any event.
▪︎Don't worry about it: Don't worry about it. The expression recommends someone not to let themselves be affected or bothered by problems, difficult situations or worries.
▪︎Being behind the stick: This refers to someone who does not know the latest news, does not pay attention or does not know what is happening in a conversation.
▪︎Meter pescao: If you metió pescao (put fish) then you have just done something great and extraordinary, always considered positive.
▪︎Flew like Matías Pérez: He flew like Matías Pérez who was a Portuguese aeronaut whose fame was born in a tragic accident where he would have disappeared in Havana in a balloon after takeoff. Cubans use this phrase to say that something is no longer easy to find or someone would have also disappeared.
▪︎Don't tell me this story: Don't tell me this story. In this case, it means: don't lie to me, don't tell me things that are not plausible.
▪︎Estar en el tibiri tabara: This is one of the strangest and most unique phrases for Cubans that conveys the state of one who is busy with his personal affairs whose nature does not concern others. It is synonymous with Estar en el invento as if one were busy tampering with or inventing something.
▪︎Me saqué la rifa del Guanajo: I had the turkey raffle. The expression is used to show astonishment at the advent of something unexpected and surprising. A difficult situation or a problem for which one does not know how to react or find the immediate solution.
▪︎En la lucha o en la luchita: In the fight for life. This is how Cubans often respond to the greetings of others. The expression translates the state of one who is busy with his regular business, or work, especially to ensure daily survival.
▪︎La cosa está mala, negra o en candela: The thing is bad, black or on fire, which translates the extremely degraded state of a situation. Cubans often repeat this expression to denote the serious state of the current economic situation for example.
▪︎No hay con qué, ni dónde moarrar la chiva: The expression suggests that there is not even a rope to tie the goat, and thus translates the state of extreme general shortage.
▪︎Estar pa'llá! : Ese tipo está pa'llá! (He's gone somewhere else) which simply means in our country that this guy is crazy, irremediably.
▪︎To be dead on the road (with someone): To be in love, to be in love with someone. The feeling is as definitive in this expression as being dead and abandoned on the road.
▪︎Empingao: If you know Cuban Spanish at all, this word might at first seem outrageous. It is, however, a unique and harmless construction that has become very popular among the younger generation, although all Cubans can use it very often in three basic senses.
Empingao or empingue can translate a boring, bothered, angry or even irritated state of mind. Examples: -El está empingao por mi culpa. (He got angry because of me)
-I have an empingue! (I am very angry)
Empingao also and above all means: it's good, magnificent, perfect, excellent, super or similar. Examples:
-Are you coming to the restaurant tonight? -Yes. Empingao, we'll see you later. (Are you coming to the restaurant tonight? -Yes. That's perfect then, see you later.)
-The race was amazing, I loved it.
-That guy is awesome! (This guy is awesome!)
Empingao can also mean excellence, high quality or in very good condition. Examples:
-Me quedó empingao ese trabajo.(My work is excellent)
-The car is in very good condition.
There is still a more familiar version and still used as a synonym for approval: empinguichi.
▪︎Hasta que se seque el Malecón: As long as there is water on the Malecón. This expression was popularized a few years ago by the homonymous song, and means: forever. So unimaginable that one day there will be no more water on the seaside of Havana.
▪︎Pa'lante (Cubano): This is how Cubans wish each other courage in order to boost morale in the face of any difficulty. On the other hand, the variant echar pa'lante can also be used to wish good luck: no hay remedio, hay que echar pa'lante (We must move forward, there is no choice) or in the very different sense of denouncing someone. Example: el chivato ese me echó pa'lante, that is to say, this snitch ratted me out.
Cubanisms are then, for a people accustomed to expressing themselves without the slightest fear of prejudice, a way of speaking and feeling Spanish differently.
These unique, living constructions are an expression of the exuberant way of speaking of this rebellious Caribbean people.
So do your Cuban Spanish homework before you travel and soon surprise your island hosts with the air of speaking carefree Cuban.
Let's talk Cubano!
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