Today, after many hours studying a complete course of Spanish, I felt really good. I had accomplished something, something I could really use next week when I fly to Mexico on vacation. Then I found out what I had learned was Spanish as they speak it in Spain, not how they speak it in Latin America. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Today, my sister told me about her upcoming trip to Mexico. I asked her how she was going to do anything without knowing any Spanish. She told me she's "just going to read their lips". FML
Today, I was studying for my Spanish midterm nonstop. After I closed my book, I was so tired that I thought that my cat was asking me questions in Spanish. FML
Today, we had a speaking assessment in Spanish class. When it was my turn, I yawned in the middle of a sentence, said, "Excuse me" and finished my sentence. She took points off because I hesitated and I spoke in English, not Spanish. FML
Today, at 4 a.m., I remembered that I had not studied for my Spanish exam. I panicked, jumped out of bed, and frantically began searching for my notebook. It wasn't until I destroyed my desk and woke up my roommate that I realized that I'm not enrolled in Spanish this semester. It was a nightmare. FML
Today, I took my Spanish test, and I felt very confident. I got the test back later, and saw my teacher had written on it: "Congrats on the 94%, but I know you cheated." FML
Today, my Spanish teacher imitated the sound of a coffee grinder, and then said in Spanish, "OK, all of you do it." I did it, thinking everyone else would too. I was the only one in the class who'd understood the Spanish part. FML
Today, I showed up at my boyfriend's work to surprise him by speaking in Spanish, his first language. I've been taking classes secretly. He smiled, kissed me, and then finished telling his friend, in Spanish, that I'm boring and ugly but he's got nothing better going on. FML
Today, I found out that all the everyday Spanish words and phrases my boyfriend has been teaching me have very vulgar meanings. I found this out after I said a few to our waitress. FML
Today, I took my Spanish exam. One of the questions was to translate "Mark is lazy and antisocial." My name is Mark. Everyone kept giving me weird looks the whole test. FML
Today, while on vacation, my brother asked a native of the area for help. Once he got it, he thanked them with "Muchos gracias" in the best Spanish accent he could do. We're in Japan. FML
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Top comments
DoctorPALO 14
Often textbook Español is just basics anyway; the dialects are different everywhere so you might be fine anyway.
red6joker 8
You should be fine, chill out. When I went to Spain the more Mexican Spanish I knew worked fine. So the other way around will be fine also. It's just the way some things are said and that is nothing to worry about.
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Comments (8)
RichardPencil 32
Well, that's no bueno! Even with Spanish Spanish, you should be able to order a taco and a cerveza por favor in Mexico.
DoctorPALO 14
Often textbook Español is just basics anyway; the dialects are different everywhere so you might be fine anyway.
red6joker 8
You should be fine, chill out. When I went to Spain the more Mexican Spanish I knew worked fine. So the other way around will be fine also. It's just the way some things are said and that is nothing to worry about.
RichardPencil 32
Hey, at least you got close. I studied Latin in high school for four years to travel to Latin America. When I got there, no one understood when I said, "Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est." And they thought my toga was "muy loco," whatever that means!
fettslaab 16
Reminiscent of that entertaining and credible old story about Dank Whale, who allegely regretted passing up Latin in high school ...
RichardPencil 32
High school Latin was fantastic! No one even tries to speak it. I've heard that trying to learn a language without being immersed in it is useless.
Evolving_Squid 15
I've been to the Vatican, Rome, and Pompeii... being able to use Latin is mildly useful. You can freak out a priest at the Vatican.
RichardPencil 32
Sounds fantastic! I was planning to go to Rome in May, but a funny thing happened on my way to the forum.
BurnInDemonFire 39
It can't be all that different.
zeffra13 31
Spain Spanish uses the vosotros conjugation, and pronunciation and slang varies by region, but it's still the same language. I'd be more worried about how textbook Spanish often doesn't teach the most common words for things (like it teaches "el coche" instead of "el caro").
Elizabeth Voegel 3
It'll be fine. They're about as different as American English vs British English. There are definitely some differences, but you should be able to communicate. If someone says something you don't understand, try asking them to word it a different way.