CULTURE SPAIN: LEARN SPANISH (MARRIAGES AND WEDDINGS)

LEARN SPANISH - IT CAN BE FUN!

Although many couples choose to live together these days, the institution of marriage continues to thrive in the Hispanic world, particularly Central and South America.

Indeed, Christianity continues to be a major part of Hispanic culture, and with two of my best friends from Argentina soon to ‘tie the knot’, I thought that now is as good a moment as any to share a few helpful Spanish words and phrases.

Just like in English, there is a nice little tease in Spanish – used when plans to marry are revealed:

‘¡Vais a cometer la equivocación más grande de tus vidas! – which translates as ‘You’re making the biggest misconception of your lives!’

There is also a common Spanish saying that someone may use, if they don’t believe the couple in question are well suited:

‘Antes te cases, mira lo que haces’ – ‘Before you marry, look at what you do!’, which is not exactly one of the most romantic Spanish phrases I can think of!

Una boda is the Spanish word for a wedding, and el casamiento the phrase for the marriage which you may also hear as: el matrimonio.

Los novios is the word for the bride and groom with la novia the bride and el novio the groom. A bridesmaid is: una dama de honor and  el padrino is the best man – all critical Spanish phrases if you are about to go to a Spanish wedding or traipes down the aisle…

Of course, no wedding is complete without la pareja perfecta, the perfect couple – who affirm their everlasting love by exchanging wedding rings – los anillos de la boda.

In fact, throughout Spain and Latin America, a common custom is for the groom to give thirteen golden coins – los trece monedas de oro – to the bride.  These gold coins are referred to as: arras and are a sign of the grooms complete confidence in his bride and signify his support for her.  Not surprisingly, the the thirteen golden coins represent Christ and his 12 apostles.

The coins (arras) are only given to the bride after the couple have exchanged vows – los votos, in Spanish.

Another slight difference with Hispanic weddings, that may give you more than a slight shock, happens when los noivos leave the church. Rather than greet the newly weds with confetti, people will let off firecrackers petardos – which create a more noisy atmosphere To put it mildly)!

There is a further subtle change in Spanish – because you are married with your partner instead of to your partner, as we say in English.  So, por ejemplo (for example):

‘Estoy casado con Sylvia’  which in English would be: ‘I’m married to Sylvia’.  So, Marisol está casada con Eduardo – Marisol is married to Eduardo.

To simply state: “I’m married’ can be a tad confusing, as both the Spanish words for I am (estoy and soy) are used in this context, as it is dependent upon how a particular person regards marriage (as a temporary stage or a permanent one!).

All of these common Spanish phrases concerning weddings are simple and useful to know.  At some stage, you are bound to be passing a wedding or perhaps you will be  invited to one.  If this happens then you will not be lost for words – particularly if you ask a Spaniard whether he ‘está casada con’ his wife or ‘es casada con’ her!!!

RELEVANT INFO: Learn Spanish and buy Streetwise Spanish – your essential guide, if you want to learn Spanish words and phrases quickly and easily.