Speaking Spanish on Ibiza

EsViver11 said:
Hey there, don't worry about the specific dialect / language on Ibiza.
With castellano that is taught in your evening classes, everything will be fine. I was studying Spanish and I think that Apps like Babbel or Duolingo could support an ongoing learning in a proper way too after your classes. If you need any further help and more specific training, you could contact the Instituto de Idiomas Ibiza (language school) for booking some additional courses. They could also serve you with further information about the Island, its inhabitants and culture. The 2 owners are German-speaking, which might make it a little bit more easy at the beginning.

Nevertheless of still practicing Spanish weekly nowadays, the most difficult thing in my opinion is, when someone Spanish speaks (too) fast. Then just tell them, that they should speak a little bit more slowly please :) You might have to say that phrase about thousand times, as they really speak really fast, but some day you will get used to it.But most of the time they take care of it by themselves and speak more slowly or repeat the sentence, when they realize that the opposite person doesn't understand immediately. Podcasts or series or movies translated from English to Spanisch are good chances to get familiar with listening comprehension. When I am / was saying something grammatically wrong or used a wrong word, the people in my surrounding very often corrected me, but in a nice way.
E.g.they repeated my sentence, but in the correct way.

So go out for it, make mistakes, don't think too much about grammar at the beginning.
My experience is:
People will always appreciate it if you as a foreigner try to speak their language.
Good luck, you will master it.
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1. Every vowel is pronounced
2. The letter 'H' might as well not exist
3. The grammar is rigid. Learn it by rote (boring but the only way)
4. Knowing what words are masc/feminine is a pain in the arse but there's no way round it
5. Scots have it easier rolling the Rs (*R is not the same as RR)
6. Exercise extreme caution using the word paja (you'll thank me later)
7. Really open your mouth when speaking. Spanish is never mumbled
8. 'Usted' is dying out a bit. Younger Spanish usually use 'tu' (I save usted for the (very) elderly, cops or bank managers)
9. Beware "false friends". Learn when to/when not to use words like "constipado" "molestar" "correr" (could save you considerable embarrassment..)
10. Be cool and use slangy verbs like molar, flipar, pillar at every opportunity. Congratulations you are now a native.
 
Tourist said:
1. Every vowel is pronounced
2. The letter 'H' might as well not exist
3. The grammar is rigid. Learn it by rote (boring but the only way)
4. Knowing what words are masc/feminine is a pain in the arse but there's no way round it
5. Scots have it easier rolling the Rs (*R is not the same as RR)
6. Exercise extreme caution using the word paja (you'll thank me later)
7. Really open your mouth when speaking. Spanish is never mumbled
8. 'Usted' is dying out a bit. Younger Spanish usually use 'tu' (I save usted for the (very) elderly, cops or bank managers)
9. Beware "false friends". Learn when to/when not to use words like "constipado" "molestar" "correr" (could save you considerable embarrassment..)
10. Be cool and use slangy verbs like molar, flipar, pillar at every opportunity. Congratulations you are now a native.
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This is good stuff! I don't know why I didn't receive a notification that replies were in this thread.

I thought correr meant to run.... :oops:
 
stivi said:
that's being used if you want to try out something or do something, but not to order something
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You can use "Me gustaría..." to ask for/order something too (you had me wondering to be honest because I have always used this, but I checked with my native speaking friend in case I had been doing it wrong all these years :oops:).

I can never get used to asking for something with "Ponme.." or "Dame..", I always have to add a "cuando puedas/cuando tengas tiempo" on the end to try to soften it up a bit, but my Spanish friends still say I'm too polite ?.
 
TimmiT said:
You can use "Me gustaría..." to ask for/order something too (you had me wondering to be honest because I have always used this, but I checked with my native speaking friend in case I had been doing it wrong all these years :oops:).

I can never get used to asking for something with "Ponme.." or "Dame..", I always have to add a "cuando puedas/cuando tengas tiempo" on the end to try to soften it up a bit, but my Spanish friends still say I'm too polite ?.
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I genuinely never really hear it used that way around here...
 
I always say "dame por favor" or ponme por favor " when I order something and I never felt the people were uncomfortable with it.
When you don't forget to say por favor with a smile, there's no problem...
 
jimmiz said:
I always say "dame por favor" or ponme por favor " when I order something and I never felt the people were uncomfortable with it.
When you don't forget to say por favor with a smile, there's no problem...
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There's nothing wrong with it, but just about every Spanish person I have ever met (and I was married to one for 10 years!) used to rib me for saying "por favor" all the time and being overly polite*. It's like yelling "Oiga!" at the waiter, after god knows how many years, I still cannot bring myself to do it, even though it's technically polite.

I don't get to practice speaking much these days but next year I plan to become a digital nomad for a year and, COVID permitting, my plan is to spend some time in Spain at language school, I have to master German first though :eek:

*EDITED: "They're not doing you a favour, it's their job!" they'd tell me ?
 
Tourist said:
technically quisiera is I would like (more polite) and quiero is I want (more common)

I don't really use either though.

"Ponme" or "Dame" when asking for a drink ("get me a") is pretty standard

in a shop, I'd normally use "tienen" (have you got)
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Do you pronounce Dame as Dama?
 
I am curious, how do you keep your Spanish free from Catalan? There are quite a few signs in Catalan on Ibiza, how do you avoid learning Catalan words in place of Spanish ones? My Spanish is currently limited to a few fixed phrases like "la cuenta por favor", I hope to learn more of the language one day. But my (passive) vocabulary must be a horrible mix of Spanish and Catalan by now :(
 
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