Fall in Love with These Five Guatemalan Spanish Phrases
Falling in love is like a drug. What words are used in Guatemalan Spanish to express these feelings?
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1. Colgado como chorizo en tienda.
Falling in love can have a powerful effect on a person, almost like a drug. For that reason, in Guatemalan Spanish, a person in such a state is said to be colgado como chorizo en tienda. Sausages here are not usually hidden away in a cooler, but prominently on display in a storeâs entrance. The idea? Onlookers can tell what is going on without explanations.
â˝ Ricardo, desde que conociĂł a Rut, estĂĄ colgado como chorizo en tienda.
đ Ricardo, ever since he met Rut, has been head over heels in love.
The same idea can be shortened to estĂĄ colgado.
2. llegarle a uno
Llegar is the verb to arrive. But in this context, it takes on the sense of liking or loving something or somebody. One man wrote in his blog:
â˝ Soy chapĂn y Guate me llega.
đ Iâm Guatemalan and I love Guatemala.
3. pitiar
Pitas are cords, and itâs the local term for shoestrings. Of course, if a man is trying to win over the heart of a certain lady friend, he is trying to get a hold of the strings of her heart. This, therefore, is a fitting verb for dating.
â˝ Juan le estĂĄ pitiando a Elena, Âżvaâa?
đ Juan is going out with Elena, right?
4. cantinear
Before you can date someone, you have to win over his or her heart. The verb for this locally is cantinear**,**Â which literally means bar-hopping. Apparently, some have found that special someone with visits down to the local canteen.
â˝ ÂżSupiste que Juan ya estĂĄ cantineĂĄndole a MarĂa?
đ Did you hear that Juan is dating MarĂa?
5. traida
This archaic Spanish word for girlfriend never went out of style in Guatemala.
â˝ ÂżY la traida? ÂżNo la trajiste?
đ And your girlfriend? Didnât you bring her?
One women even tweeted:
â˝ Con foto de perfil de la traĂda y todavĂa hablĂĄndome.
đ He has his girlfriendâs picture on his profile and yet heâs still talking to me.
The masculine version is traido for boyfriend. Another local word for girlfriend is gĂźiza, sometimes spelled wisa.
Learn more
Want to learn more? Check out the article 20 Ways to Speak Guatemalan Spanish.
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