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1. Basic information on the Spanish Language

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1. Basic information on the Spanish Language

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Name of Language: Spanish

Language Family: Indo-European

Syntax: SVO (Subject-Verb-Object)

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Spanish:

Español

(Show more)

Spanish language, Romance language ( Indo-European family) spoken as a first language by some 360 million people worldwide. In the early 21st century, Mexico had the greatest number of speakers (more than 85 million), followed by Colombia (more than 40 million), Argentina (more than 35 million), the United States (more than 31 million), and Spain (more than 30 million).

Distribution

Spanish is the (or an) official language of 18 American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela) as well as of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, along with Spain in Europe and Equatorial Guinea in Africa.

Although many South and Central Americans use native Indian languages as their first language, Spanish is continuing to spread there. Estimated numbers of speakers (both as a first language and as a second language) are as follows, in order of numerical importance: Mexico, 110 million; Colombia, 41 million; Argentina, about 40 million; Spain, more than 38 million; Venezuela, some 27 million; Peru, 26 million; Chile, more than 16 million; Ecuador, more than 14 million; Cuba, some 11 million; Guatemala, almost 10 million; Bolivia, more than 8 million; the Dominican Republic, more than 8 million; El Salvador, some 6 million; Honduras, 6 million; Nicaragua, almost 6 million; Paraguay, more than 4 million; Costa Rica, about 4 million; Puerto Rico, more than 3 million; Uruguay, more than 3 million; Panama, 3 million; Equatorial Guinea, 627,000 (mostly second language). There are 100,000 to 200,000 speakers of Judeo-Spanish ( Ladino), mostly in Israel.

History

Spanish is also known (particularly in Latin America, but increasingly in Spain itself) as Castilian, after the dialect from which modern standard Spanish developed. That dialect arose in Cantabria in the 9th century around the town of Burgos in north-central Spain ( Old Castile) and, as Spain was reconquered from the Moors, spread southward to central Spain ( New Castile) around Madrid and Toledo by the 11th century. In the late 15th century, the kingdoms of Castile and Leon merged with that of Aragon, and Castilian became the official language of all of Spain. The regional dialects of Aragon, Navarra, Leon, Asturias, and Santander were crowded out gradually and today survive only in secluded rural areas. Galician (a language with many similarities to Portuguese), spoken in northwestern Spain, and Catalan, spoken in eastern and northeastern Spain, were also much reduced but began a resurgence in the late 20th century.

The dialect of Spanish used in Arab-occupied Spain before the 12th century was called Mozarabic. A remarkably archaic form of Spanish with many borrowings from Arabic, it is known primarily from Mozarabic refrains (called kharjahs) added to Arabic and Hebrew poems.

Spanish dialects

Outside the Iberian Peninsula, Spanish is spoken in virtually all of Central and South America except Brazil (where Portuguese is spoken), as well as in the Canary Islands, parts of Morocco, and the Philippines. Latin American Spanish has a number of regional dialects; all are derived from Castilian but differ in several points of phonology from European Spanish. Typical of Latin American Spanish is the use of the /s/ sound where Castilian has the lisplike /th/ sound (for words spelled with a z or c before e or i) and replacement of the Castilian /ly/ sound (spelled ll) with a /y/ sound or even with the /zh/ sound of the z in English azure or the j in French jour.

In Spanish the case system of Latin has been completely lost except for subject and object forms for pronouns. Nouns are marked for masculine or feminine gender, and plurals are marked by the addition of -s or -es; adjectives change endings to agree with nouns. The verb system is complex but, by and large, regular: it uses indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods; preterite, imperfect, present, future, conditional, and a variety of perfect and progressive tenses; and passive and reflexive constructions.

The dialect spoken by most Spanish speakers is basically Castilian, and indeed Castellano is still the name used for the language in several American countries. The other languages spoken in Spain include Aragonese, Asturian, Basque, Caló, Catalan-Valencian-Balear, Extremaduran, Fala, and Galician. The ascendancy of Castilian among Spanish dialects is the result of the particular circumstances of the Reconquista (the conquest of Moorish Spain by the Christian states of Spain, completed in 1492), with which the language spread to the south. Having established itself in Spain, the Castilian dialect, possibly in its southern, or Andalusian, form, was then exported to the New World during the Age of Discovery from the mid-15th to the mid-16th century.

Standard Castilian is no longer the language of Old Castile, which was regarded as rustic and archaic already in the 15th century, but a modified form developed in Toledo in the 16th and 17th centuries and, more recently, in Madrid. Spanish-language American countries have developed their own standards, differing mainly in phonology (in which they often agree with the southern Spanish dialects) and in vocabulary (in which loanwords from English are more frequent), but differentiation is comparatively slight, and some Americans still regard true Castilian as their model. On the whole, American forms of Spanish are more musical and suave than the Castilian of Madrid, but it is remarkable how little deformation, or creolization, of the language has occurred.

Judeo-Spanish is the continuation of an archaic form of Castilian, reflecting the state of the language before 16th-century standardization. The expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492 affected mainly the humbler classes, with the rich preferring "conversion," but the latter often later chose voluntary exile to settle in England and the Netherlands, where their Sephardic tongue precariously survives as a religious language in a few communities. Earlier refugees fled to the Middle East and, once settled, continued to produce learned works in a literary archaic form of Castilian written in an adapted Hebrew script.

Written Spanish

The first texts in Spanish consist of scattered words glossing two Latin texts of the 10th century, one from Rioja and the other from Castile; the language in the two documents shows few dialect differences. Another document, written about 980, seems to be Leonese in character. The Mozarabic kharjahs are the next oldest surviving texts, but by the middle of the 12th century, the famous epic poem Cantar de mío Cid ("Song of My Cid") had appeared in a language that is basically Castilian. Literary works in Leonese appear until the 14th century and in a conventionalized Aragonese until the 15th century, but Castilian was destined from the first to gain the upper hand, even making an impact on Portuguese, especially during the 15th and early 16th centuries. For a full treatment of Spanish-language literature, see Spanish literature; Latin American literature.
Rebecca Posner Marius Sala The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Spanish language | History, Speakers, & Dialects

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Spanish language, Romance language (Indo-European family) spoken as a first language by some 360 million people worldwide. In the early 21st century, Mexico had the greatest number of speakers, followed by Colombia, Argentina, the United States, and Spain. It is an official language of more than 20 countries.

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2. Countries or regions where it is spoken

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2. Countries or regions where it is spoken

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Places spoken: Spain, Mexico, and most of Central and South America excluding Brazil

Number of speakers: 499 Million native speakers

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Are you thinking about learning a new language? You might want to consider Spanish! Why, you ask? Its popularity is on the rise and you can find it spoken in a ton of places. Read on to see the numbers!

Where is Spanish spoken?

Spanish is the official language of 20 countries spread over four continents: North America, South America, Europe (Spain), and Africa (Equatorial Guinea), plus Puerto Rico which is a territory of the United States. The language isn't limited to just these countries. Spanish is the nonofficial second language of countries like the United States, Brazil and the Philippines. It is also widely spoken in Morocco, Algeria, Belize, Israel, Switzerland, Australia and Canada.

How many people speak Spanish?

According to the Cervantes Institute annual report from 2017, there are more than 572 million Spanish speakers in the world (7.8% of the world's population). Of these 572 million, 477 million are native speakers, 73.7 million have a limited mastery of the language and another 21.2 million are studying it as a foreign language. These numbers make Spanish the second most spoken native language after Mandarin. The Cervantes Institute has also predicted that by 2050, the number of worldwide speakers will have increased to 754 million.

Top 5 countries with the most Spanish Speakers

Mexico - 123.5 million

The United States - 57.9 million

Colombia - 49.2 million

Spain - 46.5 million

Argentina - 44 million

The numbers include the combination of both native speakers and non-native speaker. As you can see, the U.S. is second just after Mexico, and Spanish isn't even its official language!

Spanish on the Internet

Spanish is the third-most used language on the internet, after English and Chinese. While the language is number three on the internet overall, when it comes to social media platforms Twitter and Facebook, Spanish is number two.

Spanish in the Arts

Because of the larger number of Spanish speakers across the globe, there is a rich cultural and artistic history to discover. There are countless songs, films, poems and books featuring the language. Spanish is the fourth language with the most Nobel prizes in literature, after English, French and German.

Can you now see the importance of the Spanish language? If you're interested in learning in the heart of Barcelona, check out our courses and give us a call!

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How many people in the world speak Spanish?

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Are you thinking about learning a new language? You might want to consider Spanish! Why, you ask? Its popularity is on the rise and you can find it spoken in a ton of places. Read on to see the numbers!

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Name of writing system: Latin Alphabet

Alphabet/characters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, Ñ, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

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This video shows a few basic phrases for Spanish learners!

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Learn Basic Phrases in Spanish - In 3 minutes!!

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5. Artwork created by someone in this culture

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5. Artwork created by someone in this culture

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Dalí was a famous surrealist artist known for his imaginative and dreamlike works. His painting "The Persistence of Memory" features melting clocks, symbolizing the fluidity and relativity of time. The distorted landscape and soft clocks challenge the viewer's perception of reality and time.

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A passionate dance and music style from Andalusia, Spain. Flamenco incorporates guitar, clapping, and singing and is known for its intricate footwork and expressive body movements.

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Flamenco in Plaza de España of Seville #shorts

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1. Tirar la casa por la ventana.

1. To spare no expense.

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So you're in a Spanish bar.

It's loud, but you can make out what people are saying.

You hear a fellow drinker talking about throwing a house through a window...

...another is laughingly accusing his friends of taking the hair...

...and an old man tells you he is healthier than a pear.
What the heck is going on?
You do a double take and scratch your head, wondering why you can translate the words, but not their context or meaning.

Well, you've just had your first introduction to Spanish idioms.

Why Learn Spanish Idioms?

Idioms are commonly-used expressions by native speakers that have a figurative, not a literal, meaning. All languages have them. For example, a couple of English idioms are "It's raining cats and dogs" and "barking up the wrong tree."

Idioms are essential for speaking a language like a native, and Spanish is no exception.

There are hundreds of Spanish idioms, and while some are common to many Spanish language speakers, others are only used in one or a handful of countries in the Spanish-speaking world. There are even idioms that are only spoken in specific regions.

To hear lots of idiomatic and regional Spanish being used in real life, check out FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videos-like movie trailers, music videos and inspiring talks-and turns them into personalized language lessons.
In this post, we've compiled some of the most useful idioms that you're likely to come across while speaking Spanish.
15. Tomar el pelo

English: To pull someone's leg

" Tomar el pelo" literally means "to take the hair," and is used when someone is tricking or making fun of someone else, but in a good-natured way. So if a friend tells you he won $10 million, you might say: " Me estás tomando el pelo. " (You're pulling my leg.)

14. Ser pan comido

English: To be a piece of cake

The literal translation of " ser pan comido" is "to be bread eaten," and it means that something is very easy to do. It's the English equivalent of saying something is a piece of cake. For example: " El trabajo es pan comido. " (The job is a piece of cake.)

13. Estar como una cabra

English: To be a little crazy

" Estar como una cabra" is a commonly used Spanish idiom for when somebody is doing something bizarre or a little out of the ordinary. The literal translation is "to be like a goat," and the English equivalent is saying someone is a little nuts or crazy. So if a friend has had too much to drink one evening, and he or she gets up and dances on a table, you might say: " Esta noche estás como una cabra. " (Tonight you are a little crazy.)

12. No tener pelos en la lengua

English: To be straightforward / To tell it like it is

The literal translation of " no tener pelos en la lengua" is "not to have hairs on your tongue." This Spanish idiom means that someone is a straight shooter and will always speak their mind. For example: " Mi amigo no tiene pelos en la lengua. " (My friend tells it how it is.)

11. Tirar la casa por la ventana

English: To spare no expense

" Tirar la casa por la ventana" is literally translated as "to throw the house through the window," and it means that no expense has been spared or that money is no object. For example: " Tiré la casa por la ventana cuando compré mi nuevo coche. " (I spared no expense when I bought my new car.)

10. Quedarse de piedra

English: To be stunned

" Quedarse de piedra" is literally to "stay like a stone," and it means to be amazed. In other words, you're so stunned by something that you stay like a stone. For example: " Me quedé de piedra cuando me dijo la historia." (I was stunned when he told me the story.) Another idiom to express surprise and astonishment is " quedarse con la boca abierta," literally "to stay with the mouth open."

9. Lo dijo de labios para fuera

English: To say something you didn't mean

" Lo dijo de labios para fuera" is literally translated as "he said it from the lips outwards," and it means that a person didn't mean what they said. For example: " Lo dijo de labios para fuera cuando dijo que era culpable. " (He didn't mean it when he said he was guilty.)

8. Estar hecho un ají

English: To be very angry

" Estar hecho un ají" is literally translated as "to be made a chili," and it means to be hopping mad (very angry) about something. For example: " No le gustó el resultado. Está hecho un ají. " (He didn't like the outcome. He's hopping mad.)

7. Empezar la casa por el tejado

English: To put the cart before the horse

" Empezar la casa por el tejado" is literally "to start the house by the roof," and it means to put the cart before the horse, or to have things in the wrong order. For example: " Si empezáramos la construcción sin los fondos, estaríamos empezando la casa por el tejado. " (If we started construction without the funds, we'd be putting the cart before the horse.)

6. Estar más sano que una pera

English: To be fit as a fiddle

" Estar más sano que una pera" is literally translated as "to be healthier than a pear." The English equivalent is to be as fit as a fiddle, and it means that someone feels great and is very healthy. For example: " Mi abuela tiene 85 años, pero está más sana que una pera. " (My grandmother is 85, but she's as fit as a fiddle.)

5. Ser uña y carne

English: To be bosom buddies

The literal translation of " ser uña y carne" is "to be fingernail and flesh," and it means to be inseparable, or to be bosom buddies. For example: " Juan y Pedro son uña y carne. " John and Peter are bosom buddies.)

4. Tener un humor de perros

English: To be in a bad mood

" Tenemos un humor de perros" is literally translated as "to have a mood of dogs," and it means to be in a bad mood. For example: " Ellos tienen un humor de perros porque no aprobaron los exámenes en la universidad. " (They're in a bad mood because they didn't pass their exams at the university.)

3. Se me hace agua la boca

English: To make one's mouth water / To be mouthwatering

" Se me hace agua la boca" is a common Spanish idiom translated as "it makes my mouth water," meaning that an item of food or a meal is so delicious it makes the saliva flow in a person's mouth. For example: " Se me hace agua la boca solo pensar en la paella. " (It makes my mouth water just thinking about paella.)

2. Tiene más lana que un borrego

English: To be loaded [with cash]

" Tiene más lana que un borrego" translates as "he has more wool than a lamb," and it means that a person is loaded with cash. " Lana" is slang for "cash." For example: " Él pagó la cuenta en el restaurante porque tiene más lana que un borrego ". (He paid the bill in the restaurant because he's loaded with cash.)

1. Echar agua al mar

English: To do something pointless / To put a drop in the bucket

" Echar agua al mar" is literally translated as "to throw water into the sea," a Spanish idiom used in some Spanish-speaking regions to mean that something is pointless. For example: " Tratar de convencerla es como echar agua al mar. Ella nunca va a cambiar. " (Trying to convince her is pointless. She's never going to change.)

More Resources for Learning Spanish Idioms

It's one thing to read a list of idioms - it's another to learn how to use them naturally in Spanish language conversations.

To be healthier than a pear: Funny Spanish idioms: Nice collection of funny idioms here, with many new ones.

9 ridiculously useful Spanish expressions: Great post that also includes embedded sound files. These are just a handful of the many idioms that you're likely hear. Commit them to memory and start casually throwing them into conversations. They will help you to speak Spanish more naturally and to sound less 'foreign' to Spanish ears.

And One More Thing for Your Spanish Idiom Learning Arsenal...

If you like learning Spanish idioms, then you'll love FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videos like music videos, commercials, news, and inspiring talks and turns them into Spanish learning experiences. In these videos, you'll see your newly-acquired idioms in action.

In the real world, you may not pick up on new vocabulary and idioms straightaway. FluentU is designed for you to become familiarized with everyday Spanish, by combining all the benefits of total immersion and native level conversations with easy-to-read subtitles.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos - topics like soccer, TV shows, business, movies, and even magical realism, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. Didn't catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.

And FluentU isn't just videos - it's a complete language learning program. Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU's Learn Mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you're on. You'll be able to create vocab lists and track your progress as you advance through video after video.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you're learning, and it recommends you examples and videos based on the words you've already learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Play store. Become a master of Spanish idioms faster than you ever thought possible!

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Spanish with real-world videos.
Experience Spanish immersion online!

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15 Common Spanish Idioms for Sounding Like a Native

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So you're in a Spanish bar.It's loud, but you can make out what people are saying.You hear a fellow drinker talking about throwing a house through a window......another is laughingly accusing his friends of taking the hair......and an old man tells you he is healthier than a pear.

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The Sagrada Família is a famous church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Antoni Gaudí. Construction started in 1882 and is still not finished. It is one of the city's most famous landmarks!

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Paella:

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces chorizo sausage, sliced into thin rounds

½ yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ⅓ cups Arborio rice

½ cup green peas

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

salt to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

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10. Borrowed words from Spanish that we use in English

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10. Borrowed words from Spanish that we use in English

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1. Quesadilla

2. Barracuda

3. Cargo