I’ve noticed lots of confusion regarding this matter: many people are under the impression that it’s correct to use “usted” at all times, in all cases.
I’m afraid that that’s not correct, however: not always, not in all cases. It depends on the objective to be accomplished.
According to the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española (http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=usted):
“Usted” [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Spain’
Is “usted” Really Always the Best Option?
Saturday, December 12th, 2009Language Map of Europe
Friday, October 23rd, 2009The map of Europe posted above is an excellent example of why localization is so important. Translators and companies who are looking for translations should not use this as a hard-and-fast, exact representation of where the dividing lines are drawn for the languages of Europe. Instead, take a moment to consider what it is really [...]
Pronouncing “c” and “z” in Spanish
Friday, September 11th, 2009“Seseo” consists of pronouncing the letters “c” (before “e” and “i”) and “z” with the sound normally associated with the letter “s”. If someone speaks with seseo, they would say “serésa” for “cereza” (cherry), “sierto” for “cierto” (true), and “sapáto” for “zapato” (shoe).
Seseo is used generally throughout Latin America and in the Caray Islands and [...]
“Voseo”
Friday, January 9th, 2009What does it mean to use “vos” instead of “tú” when speaking Spanish? It’s a phenomenon that has its origins in the Spanish spoken in Argentina and Uruguay where the abovementioned subject change is used when talking to someone. Generally speaking, “vos” is used as a replacement for “tú” in conversations and texts where [...]
