TL;DR: the Argentinian Spanish accent is one of the most peculiar ones in South America. The key to understanding it is to adapt your ear to its pronunciation and to be ready to deal with the "vos".
How is Argentinian accent different?
In the vast majority of Spanish accents, the pronunciation of the common double 'L' is a 'y' sound. These words are, therefore, usually pronounced as “poy-yo” and “bom-bee-ya”. Instead, in Argentina, the pronunciation is “po-sho” and “bom-bisha”.
Why do Argentinians have an accent?
It sounds a whole lot like Italian to the untrained ear, and that's because it comes from Italian. Since the 1800s, there have been quite a few waves of immigrants from Italy who ended up settling in Buenos Aires. Their Italian accents rubbed off on the locals, and thus the intonation that you can still hear today.
What do Argentinians sound like?
Argentine or Porteño Spanish is most easily identified by the particular “sh” sound used to pronounce “ll” and “y” sounds, pronounced as a “ye” sound in the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. Calle (street), for instance—ordinarily pronounced “caye”—becomes “cashe” in Argentine Spanish.
Why do argentinians say sh?
In the 19th century, the /ʒ/ (voiced sh) was more prevalent, but as time passed, more examples of an unvoiced /ʃ/ (sh) sound came to light. Link suggests that loan words from French, such as champagne and chef, could have introduced this sound which is not inherent to most dialects of Spanish.
Is there an accent in Buenos Aires?
Rioplatense Spanish: This dialect is the one spoken mostly in Buenos Aires and Uruguay, being both parts of the Río de la Plata region. Both accents are alike.
How do you say beer in Argentina?
BIRRA = BEER (noun) ¿Vamos a tomar una birra? Wanna go get a beer? Argentine Spanish's Italian influence shows through in this one again (“birra” is beer in Italian, and like other aspects of Argentine culture, the word comes from there). It's also a great word to use to connect with your new Argentine friends.
Why do Argentinians look Irish?
Irish Argentines are Argentine citizens who are fully or partially of Irish descent. Irish emigrants from the Midlands, Wexford and many counties of Ireland arrived in Argentina mainly from 1830 to 1930, with the largest wave taking place in 1850–1870.
How do Argentines say hello?
“Hola, qué tal?” is the most casual and common greeting, and properly the one you will hear the most not only in Argentina but all over the Spanish-speaking countries.
Why do Argentines have Italian accents?
Between about 1880 and 1900, Argentina received a large number of peasants from the South of Italy, who arrived with little or no schooling in Spanish. As the immigrants strove to communicate with the local criollos, they produced a variable mixture of Spanish with Italian languages and dialects, specially Neapolitan.
How different is Argentinian Spanish?
The main difference between the Spanish spoken in Argentina, mainly the Rioplatense dialect, and other dialects of Spanish is a syntactic rule. In Argentina, they use “voseo” instead of “tuteo”. The “voseo” is the use of the pronoun “vos” for verbal forms in the second person.
Are Argentinians touchy?
“Argentines are very touchy,” tango teacher Alejandro Gée tells me when we meet at his charming old dance studio in Buenos Aires. “We say hi with a kiss, we hug all the time. When you're talking, you're touching – it's very common.” Gée specialises in milonguero, a style of close-embrace tango.
What do Argentinians call each other?
–Che is the word Argentines use to call each other, a bit like 'hey' in English, and is usually used at the start of a sentence. It is often followed by boludo, which can mean friend, mate or idiot, depending on the context.
How do Argentines say sorry?
The word “disculpá” means “I'm sorry” and we usually use it in these situations: before asking a question to someone, especially when you're asking for a favor to a stranger, or to apologize for something (for example if you accidentally crash into a stranger, or if you're a tango dancer, when you accidentally crash ...
Do argentinians say chao?
It's very common in Argentina for people to say goodbye with "chao." You almost never hear "adiós", "hasta luego" or some of the more stereotypically Spanish ways of saying goodbye. Chao and "Nos vemos" are the most used there.
How do argentinians say cool?
Copado/a means cool or awesome.
Does Buenos Aires look European?
Buenos Aires is one of the top tourist destinations in South America, and is known for its architecture that strikingly resembles that of the European style coupled with a rich cultural setting.
What country accent has a lisp?
One of the most characteristic sounds you hear when Spaniards speak their own language is known as the Spanish lisp. In the English world, this distinctive sound is identified as a lisp, or a kind of speech disorder.
Does Buenos Aires feel European?
While Buenos Aires holds its own unique identity in high esteem, it has a strong European feel thanks to the many immigrants from Spain, Italy, and beyond who have made the city home throughout history. Today, this palpable European influence mingles with a culture that is distinctly Argentinian.
How do argentines say pool?
La pileta In Argentina, though, they use 'la pileta' when talking about a swimming pool.
How do you say fat in Argentina?
They often use nicknames like 'gordo/a' (fat); 'flaco/a' (skinny) in an endearing manner. Note: they have other serious derogatory words.
Do they say mate in Argentina?
Mate is a popular beverage in several South American countries and ubiquitous in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is made using leaves and twigs from the yerba mate plant, a holly-like shrub, which are steeped in hot water to make mate or cold water to make tereré.
What ethnicity are Argentinians?
The most common ethnic groups are a mix between Spanish (including Galicians and Basques), Italian and Native American. It is estimated that up to 30 million Argentines, up to 62.5% of the total population, have Italian ancestry, wholly or in part. There are also some Germanic, Slavic, Irish and French populations.
How do Argentines say beautiful?
Lindo/linda is more common in Latin America than Spain (and is also very common in Brazilian Portuguese). It's similar in meaning to bonito/bonita: it can mean “beautiful”, “pretty”, “lovely”, or “nice”. In Latin America you can also use lindo as an adverb. For example, ella canta lindo means “she sings beautifully.”
Why do Argentines shake their hands?
When greeting for the first time or in a formal setting, Argentines generally shake hands and give a slight nod to show respect. The 'abrazo' is the most common greeting among friends and family. This consists of a handshake and an embrace.
How do you greet a girl in Argentina?
Greetings. In Argentina, people always greet each other with a kiss which is sometimes also extended into a hug depending on how well you know the person. It is also proper to introduce yourself to a group of people rather than waiting for the host to do it; and yes, most likely everyone should receive a kiss.
