Index / Language / Records / Spanish / Regional dialects
Madrid Spanish
The variety textbooks in Spain are written in. A th sound for z and c, vosotros in daily use, and a final d that softens or vanishes.
Madrid and central Spain
6sound rules22words and phrases11everyday lines
Neutral fine anywhere Casual friends, street Vulgar swearing Insult aimed at a person
How it sounds
Left: the sound, in pine. Middle: standard spelling. Right: meaning.
S1Z and c before e or i sound like English th
Called distinción: casa and caza sound different. It is the clearest audible marker of central and northern Spain.
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| grathias | gracias | thank you |
| therbetha | cerveza | beer |
| thapato | zapato | shoe |
| Barthelona | Barcelona | Barcelona |
S2The final d softens or disappears
In Madrid the d at the end of a word becomes a soft th, or a z-like sound, or nothing.
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| Madrith / Madrí | Madrid | Madrid |
| usté | usted | you (formal) |
| verdá | verdad | right?, true |
S3-ado becomes -ao in casual speech
Not as far as the Caribbean or the south, but standard in conversation.
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| cansao | cansado | tired |
| he quedao | he quedado | I've arranged to meet |
| un pescao | un pescado | a fish |
S4Vosotros, with its own verbs
The plural informal you. Used with anyone you would call tú, including groups of strangers your age.
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| ¿Qué queréis? | ¿Qué quieren ustedes? | what do you all want? |
| ¿Vais a venir? | ¿Van a venir? | are you all coming? |
| Sentaos | Siéntense | sit down (all of you) |
S5The perfect for anything today
Inside the current time frame, Madrid uses he hecho where Latin America says hice.
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| Hoy he comido tarde | Hoy comí tarde | I ate late today |
| ¿Has visto a Marta? | ¿Viste a Marta? | have you seen Marta? |
| Esta semana he currado mucho | Esta semana trabajé mucho | I've worked a lot this week |
S6Le for people
Called leísmo: le replaces lo for a male person. Accepted in Spain, heard as wrong in much of Latin America.
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| Le vi ayer | Lo vi ayer | I saw him yesterday |
| A Juan le conozco | A Juan lo conozco | I know Juan |
Words and phrases
22 entries, each tagged by register.
W1Greetings and fillers
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| ¿Qué pasa, tío? | ¿Qué pasa, tío? | what's up, mate?casual |
| vale | vale | OKneutral |
| venga | venga | come on / bye / OKcasual |
| tío / tía | tío / tía | mate, dudecasual |
| ¡qué fuerte! | ¡qué fuerte! | no way! that's crazycasual |
| en plan | en plan | like (filler)casual |
| o sea | o sea | I meanneutral |
W2Describing things
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| mola / me mola | mola | it's cool / I like itcasual |
| guay | guay | coolcasual |
| mogollón | mogollón | loadscasual |
| flipar | flipar | to be amazed (estoy flipando)casual |
| una pasada | una pasada | amazingcasual |
| un rollo | un rollo | a bore, a dragcasual |
W3Daily life
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| currar / el curro | trabajar / el trabajo | to work / workcasual |
| pasta | dinero | moneycasual |
| quedar | quedar | to arrange to meetneutral |
| chaval / chavala | chico / chica | kid, young guycasual |
| una caña | una caña | a small draught beerneutral |
| gato / gata | gato | someone born in Madridcasual |
W4No filter
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| ¡hostia! | ¡hostia! | damn! wow!vulgar |
| ¡joder! | ¡joder! | damn it!vulgar |
| gilipollas | gilipollas | idiotinsult |
Everyday lines
Scenes and the lines that go with them.
L1At the bar
You order at the counter and pay at the end. A tapa often comes free with a drink.
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| Ponme una caña | Ponme una caña | I'll have a small beer |
| ¿Qué tienes de tapa? | ¿Qué tienes de tapa? | what tapa comes with it? |
| Una de bravas y otra de croquetas | Una ración de bravas y otra de croquetas | a plate of patatas bravas and one of croquettes |
| ¿Me cobras? | ¿Me cobras? | can I pay? |
L2Making plans
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| ¿Quedamos en Sol? | ¿Quedamos en Sol? | shall we meet at Sol? |
| En el oso y el madroño | En el oso y el madroño | at the bear statue (the classic meeting point) |
| Vamos de cañas | Vamos de cañas | let's go for beers |
| Vamos de vermut | Vamos de vermut | let's go for a vermouth (Sunday before lunch) |
L3Getting around
| How it's said | How it's written | English |
|---|
| el metro / el Cercanías | el metro / el Cercanías | the metro / the commuter train |
| el abono | el abono transporte | the monthly travel pass |
| ¿Esta línea va a Atocha? | ¿Esta línea va a Atocha? | does this line go to Atocha? |