Uruguay – Spanish Language and Culture
Population: 3.4 million (2009)
Capital: Montevideo
Area: 176,215 km² (68,037 sq miles)
Currency: Peso (UYU)
National Holiday: 25 August
Calling Code: +598
Time Zone: UTC -3
GDP: Total – US$40.577 billion (2010)
Per Capita – US$12,088
The Spanish Language in Uruguay
The Spanish spoken in Uruguay is very similar to that spoken in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although there are a few differences in comparison to Argentine Spanish, the intonations and use of ‘voseo’ and ‘yeismo’ are generally similar. One main difference is that the use of ‘tuteo’ can be more common in certain regions of Uruguay than in Argentina. Learn Spanish in Uruguay with COINED!
Special words and expressions
- Many expressions and words are the same as in Argentina
- ta – OK, fine (pero ta = never mind)
- ¿puedes barajarla más despacio? – can you explain slower/more clearly
- ¿mirá? – oh yeah, really?
- !que embole! – what a pain!, what a bummer!
- atorrantear – to laze around
- a grito pelado – very loud
- a todo trapo – as fast as possible, to fly by
- a la marchanta – whatever it takes, without care
- eso es de la planta – that is very good/excellent
- guri – child, kid
Articles about Uruguay
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Intermediate level
- 100. Edición – ¡Celebramos con los Veinte Mundos!
- Roberto Canessa, la vida sin anestesia.
- El destino detrás de unas tijeras.
- Escuela sustentable: otra forma de enseñar
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Advanced level
- Carlos Páez Vilaró El “Leonardo da Vinci.
- Los secretos de la murga uruguaya.
- Los jardineros de Punta del Este
Other languages spoken
- Portuguese – spoken by around 28,000 speakers not including those who speak the Portuguese dialect of Portuñol riverense (mix of Spanish and Portuguese)
- Italian and Standard German – over 20,000 speakers, due to immigration in the 20th century
- Because English is the language of commerce and because of Uruguay’s important economic advances it is spoken by much of the population as a second language
Spanish dialects and variations
- Because of its smaller size there are fewer variations in accents acrros the country, but you can find Portuñol (or brasiliero), a mix of Spanish and Portuguese, in towns and cities along the border with Brazil. (Most linguists classify this dialect as a variety of Portuguese)
- Lunfardo – is an argot that developed in the suburb of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. One characteristic is the reversal of syllable order (tango – gotan). Some Tangos and Milongas today are still sung in Lunfardo.
- There are slight variations in Uruguayan Spanish spoken in Montevideo and in the rest of the country.
Geography and Climate
Uruguayan territory is predominantly composed of plains and small hill ranges split by rivers and basins. The weather is temperate and humid with warm to hot summers and tropical air flowing down from Brazil. In the winter, polar air can make it cool to cold although it rarely goes below 0 degrees (Celsius) and it rarely snows. Weather changes can be abrupt since there are no mountains to shield from winds.
Destinations in Uruguay
Casapueblo
- Beaches and coast (Punta del Este, Cabo Polonio, Isla de Lobos)
- Montevideo (Old City, architecture, the Rambla)
- Colonia del Sacramento (its historic quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Casapueblo
- River cities (Salto, Fray Bentos, Paysandu)
- Nature and countryside (Laguna del Sauce, Rio Negro)
- Wine orchards and estancias (ranches – Posta del Chuy)
History & Politics
Uruguay was first claimed by the Portuguese and in the 18th century taken by the Spanish resulting in an almost total annihilation of the indigenous population. It gained its independence with the fall of the Spanish monarchy in 1808 but spent the following 20 years fighting against Brazil and Argentina. In the early 20th century liberal president Jose Batlle installed important social and economic reforms. The military dictatorship of 1973 gave Uruguay the nickname of the “torture chamber of Latin America”. Today Uruguay is one of the more stable and least corrupt countries in Latin America.
¿Sabías qué….? Uruguay is by far the smallest country, in terms of population, to ever win a World Cup.
Famous People
- Jorge Drexler (musician, Al otro lado del Rio – Motorcycle Diaries Soundtrack)
- Eduardo Acevedo Díaz (writer, Soledad)
- Diego Forlán (footballer)
- Gerardo Matos Rodriguez (Tango Composer, La Cumparsita)
- José Enrique Rodó (writer, Ariel)
- Marcelo Bertalmio (movie director)
- Juan carlos Onetti (writer – No Man’s Land)
- China Zorilla (actress)
- Carlos Páez Vilaró (abstract artist and architect)
Media
After having lived through a period of great censorship by the government in the 1970’s, the press in Uruguay today expresses a wide range of opinions and political views. There are more than 100 private newspapers and 150 radio stations as well as some 30 television channels. Reporters Without Borders considers Uruguay one of the freer countries of the continent.
Read World Press Review on Uruguay
El País – www.elpais.com.uy
La Republica – www.larepublica.com.uy