¡Hola amigos! Have you ever wondered the differences between “Castilian Spanish” and “Mexican Spanish”? As you may know, Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world, with millions of speakers across different regions and each region having its own unique word choices and expressions. Since Spain and Mexico are two of the most prominent Spanish-speaking countries, let’s explore how the Spanish spoken in these two countries differs!
Pronunciation: Spanish is a phonetic language, meaning it is pronounced as it is written. However, certain letters are pronounced differently in Castilian Spanish versus Mexican Spanish. In most parts of Spain, the letter c in front of the vowels e and i, and the letter z in front of a, o, and u, are pronounced as the English th sound as in “think.” However, in southern Andalusia in Spain, the letters c, z, and s are all pronounced as a sound similar to the th sound in English, a phenomenon known as ceceo. On the other hand, in Mexico, central Andalusia, and the Canary Islands, all three letters are pronounced as an “s” sound, a phenomenon known as seseo. These distinctions are particularly noticeable in words like procesar – “to process.” Most Spaniards pronounce the word as “pro-the-sar,” southern Andalusians pronounce it as something similar to “pro-the-thar,” and Mexicans pronounce it as “pro-se-sar.”
Vocabulary: While most of the vocabulary of Castilian Spanish and Mexican Spanish is the same, there are still some expressions that differ. For example, in Spain, the word for “phone” is móvil, while in Mexico, it’s celular. Likewise, Mexicans use computadora for “computer,” whereas Spaniards prefer ordenador. If you’re new to Spanish, you may be confused by the variations in different learning resources. But don’t panic – both are correct!
Expressions and Idioms: Both Spain and Mexico have their own set of colorful phrases that can be puzzling for Spanish learners. For example, in Spain, you might hear someone calling a guy tronco – what they really mean is “dude”. However, if you called someone tronco in Mexico, they would most likely get mad at you because they would understand it as “dumb”. Similar nuances in the expressions can lead to funny or confusing situations if not understood properly.
Grammar: There are notable differences in grammar between Castilian Spanish and Mexican Spanish. The most obvious one is the way of referring to “you all”: Spaniards prefer the plural second person pronoun vosotros, whereas Mexicans use the plural third person pronoun ustedes. Another difference is shown in talking about past events. In Spain, the present perfect tense is preferred; in Mexico, the preterite (simple past) tense is preferred. For example, to express that they ate lunch, Spaniards are more likely to say He comido, whereas Mexicans would probably say Comí. The above differences highlight the diversity and richness of the Spanish language across different regions.
Now you have a taste of the differences between Castilian Spanish and Mexican Spanish! Whether you’re planning a trip to Spain or Mexico, or simply have a love for languages, knowing these differences is valuable and helpful.
Here is one final note: Castilian Spanish and Mexican Spanish are mutually intelligible, which means that speakers of one variety can generally understand and communicate with speakers of the other variety. So, whether you are learning Castilian Spanish or Mexican Spanish, be confident in your learning journey!
*Castilian Spanish: the standard form of the Spanish language as spoken in Spain.
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