As foreigner in a new country, I am trying to learn about local culture and way of life, - (I beg your pardon, I am not talking about the "swing" culture of some people in Madrid, definitely not about the clubs where you can have group sex for only 25 Euros as the entry fees) - carefully listening to new sound, capturing new language and trying to understand when to use the terms and in what context they can be used.
One word I often come across is "diga me", which means "talk to me" or "tell me". This word is usually used as an answer to someone who calls us and we want to listen to what the person wants to say. So instead of asking "what's up?" or just "yes" we ask the person to tell us what the his/her intention is.
Diga me is also often used when people answer a phone call, usually with "yes" in front of it. So the complete answer is: "Si, diga me!" or "Yes, tell me!". The locals like to speak at 200 miles/hour, so most of the time we will hear "di" and "me" only, while the "ga" is left out. So, sometime it sounds like "di me"
Now then, because saying "diga me" is a habit of the locals here in my office, most of the time people who answer me (when I call their names), will just say: "Tell me!"......in English, not Spanish. It is a Spanish habit with English translation, as the language of communication between us. At first it sounds odd to me, because I am not used to someone answering me with "Tell me!". But after more and more people say the same thing and once I understand the Spanish translation of "Tell me" and hear the locals keep saying it, I am used to it now.
One word I often come across is "diga me", which means "talk to me" or "tell me". This word is usually used as an answer to someone who calls us and we want to listen to what the person wants to say. So instead of asking "what's up?" or just "yes" we ask the person to tell us what the his/her intention is.
Diga me is also often used when people answer a phone call, usually with "yes" in front of it. So the complete answer is: "Si, diga me!" or "Yes, tell me!". The locals like to speak at 200 miles/hour, so most of the time we will hear "di" and "me" only, while the "ga" is left out. So, sometime it sounds like "di me"
Now then, because saying "diga me" is a habit of the locals here in my office, most of the time people who answer me (when I call their names), will just say: "Tell me!"......in English, not Spanish. It is a Spanish habit with English translation, as the language of communication between us. At first it sounds odd to me, because I am not used to someone answering me with "Tell me!". But after more and more people say the same thing and once I understand the Spanish translation of "Tell me" and hear the locals keep saying it, I am used to it now.
1 comment:
Haha. Tell me! What a spanglish!!
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