There are so many things that are not enjoyable, but sometimes we don’t have the right words to express ourselves in regards to it.
This week I got this question from a student and it helped me realize how useful it can be to know the various degrees available to us.
For starters, in Argentina nobody would say:
- [x] apesta
It sounds foreign to us.
However we do have our own dear alternatives.
Our go-to most informal option is:
- [x] es una mierda
While this one sounds almost normal, it carries some extra weight. So we have other, more polite options:
- [x] es una porquería
- [x] es malísimo
- [x] es lo peor
In the example I was discussing, it was something along the lines of ‘not feeling well sucks’. My student could take any of the following roads:
- Sentirse mal es una mierda
- Sentirse mal es una poquería
- Sentirse mal es malísimo
- Sentirse mal es lo peor
And all of them would sound just right.
So there you have it. Ready to state your opinión when you don’t like something.
Happy learning,
You might also want to read these articles:
- CancherearDive into the nuances of the word ‘canchero’ and how ‘cancherear’ can make or break a moment.
- Hacer una vaquitaI’m not going to argue how ridiculous this phrase may sound at first. Let me just tell you what it means in Argentina.
- Pizza in ArgentinaAn appreciation post dedicated to pizza—specifically, Argentine-style pizza.
- Put your pen to inkDo you need some motivation and ideas to do some writing practice in Spanish? Click right here!
- The Paradox of ChoiceToday, I want to introduce the concept of paradox of choice, and show you how it’s detrimental to your progress.
- Argentinian Spanish Input (part 1)In this post, I included podcasts you can try to leverage your learning with natural input.