A Review of Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish Lesson # 27
This image is pretty hilarious to me because I was walking with a friend today to find an art store in La Boca and we spotted a really cool hooded jacket in a store window. He is learning to speak spanish and went into the store to ask if he could try on the jacket in the window but totally called it a dress! The man looked at him and pulled a dress out behind the counter and then we all laughed so hard.
This same friend lives with me in the art collective in La Boca and he walked into my room the other night when I was taking one of my Spanish lessons with Bueno, entonces… He sat down to watch it with me and was laughing so hard saying “this program is incredible! I can’t believe it, its like a funny show!” It was another reality check how different it is. I have seen so many lessons now I have become used to being highly entertained while learning, but it was a great reminder as to how well done this language learning tool is. In lesson 27 they talk about the ritual of the bachelor party and David even gives an absurd strip dance in the sound booth. Something I learned from this lesson that I have been saying wrong for months now is “Mi encantaria!” When someone asks you if you can do something and you reply with this you are actually saying “I would love to but unfortunately cannot.” I have said this so many times and wondered why there was confusion following my reply…now I see.Take a look at the below slide. I had to insert it just to challenge you to find me a better spanish program then this. Granted, not everything is about sex and having a good time in life - but shouldn’t it be?: )
Una nueva y la ultima semana!!: A Review of Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish Lesson #25
How quickly timepasses, as I am now into the final weeks classes of the Bueno, entonces… program and my attempts at learning Spanish in this way are drawing to an end…..obviously I shall continue to practice and learn the language in other forms!! I must admit that, and in the light of being critical of some classes, today was rather entertaining with the continuing stories of David and Jimena and their decisions to reconquistar their partners…..or hopeful partners in the case of the student. This is value for money entertainment which I am confident can not be matched in either Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur Spanish or other similar such courses and in case you haven’t stumbled upon it before, here is a little comparison chart of Bueno, entonces… and its rivals!!
Ok, so on with the lesson. Having laid their claims to reconquistar, the lesson provided a substantial amount of useful phrases for romance and romantic situations. These I have mastered to an art and are of particularly notable importance seeing as I am in a relationship with a porteña. Any gringo on the look out for some Latin American love would be foolish to overlook such useful Spanish phrases!!
Naturally the class included the standard confusing topic, with today being that in Spanish a number of femine nouns carry masculine articles…..el agua, el azúcar (sugar) and el alma (the soul) to name a few! Of course such confusion is a pain in the arse, however no hay que darse por vencido!!An enjoyable and fun class to begin the final week, heres hoping it continues!
Want to see more from this reviewer? Check out his review blog to see what he thought of Bueno, entonces… learn Spanish Levels I & II. Check our more clips from our Spanish classes on the Youtube channel and become a fan of our Facebook Page to learn hilarious Spanish phrases everyday!
¿Te Gusta La Gasolina?
Ahh, no day is complete without a little Daddy Yankee. Thanks to David (our student), we not only get some Daddy, but we get some Spanish grammar in there, too!
Think the verb gustar is a pain in the ass? Yup, us, too. Well, luckily we can help you out a bit! The video below is just a quick clip of one of the many lessons in the Bueno, entonces… program. Here, David is practicing his gustars with Jimena.
¿Te gusta la gasolina?
Like what you see? Check out the Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish website and see why our unique (and sometimes bizarre) teaching method works! You can also go to our Youtube page to see more clips from our Spanish classes.
C*nchas y el Kama Sutra to learn Spanish
Here’s a phrase that’ll help you (not) make some new Argentine friends: Andate a la c*ncha de tu madre.
Now, before you go and shout this into the streets, just know that 1) we were being sarcastic about using this phrase to make friends, and 2) this is actually a very, very crude thing to say, so be careful where you use it. However, you can never know too many insults, so here’s another to add to the book.
Literally, andate a la c*ncha de tu madre means go to your mother’s vagina (or a variety of other crude terms that mean the same thing, but for sake of being remotely PC, we’ll stick to ‘vagina‘). Now, you can probably imagine a circumstance or two in which this would appropriate, but hopefully that circumstance comes only once in a blue moon. How about we break the phrase down a bit.
Andáte comes from the verb andar, which means to walk—it’s not as commonly used as caminar, but you’ll definitely hear it every so often in conversation. The te at the end is referring to the person you are talking to (so when you say it, it is in the form of tú or vos). In this case, it is put into imperative form, which is the form used for commands, which is why it is andate instead of vos andás. Essentially, you are commanding or urging the person to go to their mom’s vagina.
Now, if you know know a little Spanish, you’re probably thinking ‘Wow, they use the same word for vagina as they do for fields,’. Actually, COncha is the word for vagina, and cAncha is the word for field. One letter makes a very, very big difference, so be careful with this one. Although, when at the cancha (de fútbol), it is not unusual to hear people say (or yell) ‘concha’. In some other Spanish-speaking nations, concha isn’t even a bad word—in fact, in some places it is the word used for a shell (in English, it’s called a conch shell) and in Mexico it is a type of sweet bread. But we can pretty much guarantee if you say this phrase to anyone in the Spanish-speaking world, you’re not going to get a very friendly response.
Check out Episode 26 of Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish for Jimena’s and David’s conversation about c*nchas!
If you’re not offended by c*nchas and the Kama Sutra, check out our learn Spanish Facebook Page and learn Spanish online! Check out our other blog entries to learn more Spanish grammar and useful Spanish learning tips.
Learn Spanish with Julieta Venegas
We love Julieta Venegas–she’s TRI-lingual, super hot, down to earth, and her music videos are the cutest damned things we’ve ever seen. We’ve taken her song “Me Voy” and Pizarra Magica‘d it up so that you can see and hear the words in Spanish and English simultaneously.
Porque no supiste entender a mi corazón
lo que había en el porque no tuviste el valor de ver quien soy
porque no escuchas lo que esta tan cerca de ti
sólo el ruido de afuera y yo
que estoy a un lado desaparezco para ti
No voy a llorar y decir que no merezco esto
porque es probable que lo merezco pero no lo quiero
por eso me voy que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios me despedio de ti
Porque se que me espera algo mejor
alguien que sepa darme amor
de ese que endulza la sal y hace que salga el sol
yo que pense nunca me iría de ti
que es amor del bueno de toda la vida
pero hoy entendí que no hay suficiente para los dos
No voy a llorar y decir que no merezco esto
porque es probable que lo merezco pero no lo quiero
por eso me voy que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios me despedio de ti
Me voy que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti
me voy
que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti
me voy
Masturbation and Reflexive Verbs
Learning about daily tasks and reflexive verbs has never been so, er, stimulating.
David & Jimena, our “protagonistas” if you will, are discussing their daily tasks when David asks Jimena what time she has sex. Jimena says at 9:30 AM, 3:20 PM, and 9:30 PM.
Then David, ever so inappropriately, asks her when she masturbates.
The verb masturbarse is actually a great way to explain the reflexive verbs because a verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same. You initiate and receive the action. We’d go into more details, but you probably get the picture.
Masturbarse=Masturbate
Me masturbo = I masturbate
Te masturbas = You masturbate
Se maturba = He/she/(it?) masturbates
Nos masturbamos = We masturbate
Se masturban = You all/They masturbate
Bueno, entonces… (Okay, so…) we hope that every time you pleasure yourself, you think about reflexive verbs. Or at least Jimena. Both are Spanish-related. And, if you want to learn some more reflexive verbs (we know this one is helpful, but it won’t get you that far) check Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish. There are clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube, and become a fan on Facebook and learn useful Spanish phrases everyday!
Corta con Tanta Dulzura
Seriously, out with the sweetness. It’s disgusting.
Corta con tanta dulzura.
Corta=Cut it out–>comes from verb cortar (to cut)
con=with
tanta=so much
dulzura.=sweetness.
La dulce no quita la sed.
La dulce=The sweet
no quita=doesn’t quench–>comes from verb quitar (to take off)
la sed.=(the) thirst.
Arrolla la sed.
Arrolla= Crush
la sed.=(the) thirst.
We’re not so into the lovey dovey couples–we’re more the chase-and-conquer type. And for that, my friend, you need skills.
In the Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish series, David tries to work his Gringo magic to win over the Argentine ladies, but alas, one must speak Spanish to get beauties of this caliber. So what are you waiting for? Become a chamuyero in 5 weeks flat! We teach the Spanish you’re dying to know. Try out the Learn Spanish program on your iPhone and go from “Hola” to “Ey hermosa, querés bailar conmigo?” before you know it.
Vocabulario con Los Argento
One of our favorite Spanish-language shows is Casados con hijos (Married with Children). There are various versions (a Chilean version, Spanish version, Colombian version, etc.), but today we’re just focusing on the Argentine version because Francella is our boy.
So, here’s some vocabulary–some slang, some lunfardo, some regular–to describe the Argentos:
Pepe: Está casado y tiene hijos. Trabaja en una zapatería pero todavía es un hombre pobre. Tiene que atendar a toda la gente insoportable. Pepe es un viejo verde pero el actor es un capo.
(He is a father and is married. He works in a shoe store but is still a poor man. He has to deal with the most unbearable people. Pepe is a pervert, but the actor is a cool guy.)
Moni: Ella está casada con Pepe, tiene dos hijos y es ama de casa. Es medio vaga y realmente no hace nada. Pepe dice que ella se vive con su culo hundido en el sofá mirando la novela.
(She is married to Pepe, has two children and is a housewife. She is sort of lazy and really doesn’t do anything. Pepe said that she lives with her ass sunk into the couch watching the novelas.)
Coqui: Él tiene 18 años y siempre trata de conquistar a las mujeres pero siempre falla. Quiere ser chamuyero pero es un pelotudo.
(He is 18 years old and always tries to get the ladies, but he always fails. He wants be a real flirt, but is an idiot.)
Paola: Ella tiene 17 años y no es inteligente. Tiene el cerebro de un chica de 4 años. Es hermosa pero también una trola.
(She is 17 years old and is not smart. She has the brain of a 4-year-old girl. She is beautiful, but is also easy.)
The show is still syndicated on Telefe, one of Argentina’s most popular channels. While watching TV definitely helps one learn Spanish, there’s gotta be some sort of supplementary material as well–it’d be like watching Romeo & Juliet and saying that you’ve read the book. Not exactly the same thing.
If you want a language program that has the fun of a TV show and that teaches more than a grammar class, then Bueno, entonces…is definitely your thing. When we first began learning the language, we watched TV because it was the only place we could hear real, colloquial Spanish. With Bueno, entonces… it’s like watching the telenovela without the guilt–we swear, the humor, storyline, and cheesiness is all there, but you actually learn Spanish. Without the commercials. (Check out more clips of our Spanish classes on our Youtube page - become a Fan on Facebook if you want to learn hilarious Spanish phrases!)
Where Were You a Month Ago?
One of our reviewers, Jeff, talks about his experience with Class Seven, where we learn about reflexive verbs and bringing home the bacon:
Class 7 delved into the world of food, Argentina-style. It covered the Argentine staples of maté and alfajores, and illustrated how to order in a restaurant. I have been waiting for the restaurant unit as going out to eat is the major interaction I have with Spanish-speaking folks. Two days ago I was at a restaurant/take-out place across the street from my apartment getting empanadas for lunch. I placed my order and was standing at the counter waiting for my empanadas to be warmed. Then, another one of the waiters came up and asked me if I needed anything. Suddenly it dawned on me that I had never learned the word for “order” (or at least couldn’t remember learning it). I couldn’t tell the guy that I had already ordered my food and was waiting for it. I pieced together a series of nervous smiles, hand signals, and simple phrases to get my point across. It ended up working but was very uncomfortable. If only I had watched class 7 earlier I would have quickly answered “ya pedí” (I think).
There were also a lot of vocabulary words for food that you will see on menus, and the words are often unique to Argentina. For instance, here they call bacon “panceta” not “tocino” as I learned it in high school Spanish and as my Spanish-English dictionary has it. This brings up a bigger point of the importance of learning the type of Spanish the people speak in the place where you will be traveling or living. Often times a routine Spanish-English dictionary is insufficient - you would think that although they may have different words for certain things they would still understand the common dictionary translations. Well, you’d be wrong. My wife and I have run into problems trying to order bacon, fix the toilet, buy ginger all by looking at our dictionary and using words they don’t use here. As I have said before, one of the strongest qualities of Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanishis the fact that it teaches real-life Argentine Spanish - something I wish I new more about before I arrived here and something I definitely did not get in 6 weeks of using Rosetta Stone.
Another major thing I learned in this class was that people here will often speak about the past in the presents tense and use context clues to tell the listener the event happened previously. Switching between the tenses is a major hurdle for me and it was nice to hear that I could use the present tense to explain the past and still be understood.
Insultan (e insultan, e insultan)
Our first bit has to do with the language, er, sort of language spoken amongst Spanish adolescents. Let’s just say there’s a reason why we often teach insultos along with Spanish phrases on our Facebook page.
From our experience, the severity of insultos or malas palabras here in the Southern Cone is not the same as it is back home. For example, it isn’t too rare for an old woman to scream “hijo de p*ta!” which literally means “son of a b*tch!”. Back home, that’d be a little…out of the ordinary, right? It’s good to know what’s going on–not necessarily to recreate it, but to see how different Spanish can be, linguistically and culturally.
We’d recommend staying away from the insultos until you have some friends that understand/can deal with you. These words can definitely be taken the wrong way, and no one wants to be the Gringo with a broken nose.
In our language learning software program we’re careful to show you what is acceptable and what’s not. We don’t teach you to speak like a history book nor do we teach you to speak like a teenage boy (which is what one sounds like when they learn in a more informal setting). Because the program was created by both English speakers and Spanish speakers that have lived abroad, questions that pop up in your head are magically answered in the episodes. Pretty cool, right? Check our some more clips of our Spanish classes on our Youtube Page!
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