Different Spanish Accents

[IntlMama]

I'm curious to see how expats and natives alike feel about the Argentine accent versus other Spanish speaking accents. Before I moved here, I only had heard Cuban and Mexican accents in person. I think the Argentine accent is smoother and easier for me to understand. However, I still think the Spanish (from Spain) accents I have heard in movies are the sexiest! What do you guys think? Is the Argentine accent easier/harder to understand?

 

[Davidglen77]

The "Argentine" accent varies greatly from once province to the other. If you are talking about the "porteño" accent, I personally DO NOT like it at all and cringe when I hear "che boludo fijáte que se sho, viste, viste, viste". Porteños are also very "mal hablado" every few words, someone is "cagando a pedos, cagando a trompadas, en pedo, jodido, boludo" it's REALLY gross to hear those words constantly. I have spoken with people from the northern provinces of Buenos Aires, Santiago, Catamarca, Tucuman, even Entre Rios and Misiones, and their castellano is A LOT more pleasing. I grew up in a bilingual household (russian/cuban) in New York City, so we also spoke english as I got older. Caribbean spanish is spoken with A LOT more speed than Argentine castellano so in that sense for people learning the language it's easier to understand I would say.

 

[perpetualholiday]

Mexican Spanish is, by far, the easiest for me to understand. I found that the Spanish in Peru was fairly easy to understand as well. In Chile, it seemed much more rapidly spoken.
I find the Porteño accent to be the most difficult, as they drop "s"s and don't enunciate as clearly. To me, the Porteño accent is akin to speaking to someone in the US from the South with a thick accent.

 

[ElQueso]

Perpetual, that's funny - I think of the Porteño accent like a thick New York accent (maybe Bronx). Heh. But then, I'm from the South and we all seem normal to me

I learned Spanish the first time in high school and working with Mexican laborers doing construction work until I was about 23. Living in Texas often presents contact with spanish, mostly of Mexican lineage.

But by the time I'd moved here almost 6 years ago, I'd forgotten most spanish I'd learned. I found myself relearning pretty quickly when I started dating a Paraguayan who spoke no English.

However, upon relearning spanish I found I could not speak with a Porteño accent, much less use Porteño idiom and cadence of speaking, and because of my previous learnings of spanish in Texas, found it (and still do sometimes) very difficult to understand someone who spoke with a really strong Porteño accent.

To me, since I learned to speak Mexican spanish, trying to speak like an Porteño would be like trying to speak with a Scottish accent if I went to live there - it would feel pretencious somehow.

 

[scottlyon]

To me, since I learned to speak Mexican spanish, trying to speak like an Porteño would be like trying to speak with a Scottish accent if I went to live there - it would feel pretencious somehow.

I'm in the opposite boat. I was born and brought up in Scotland and originally learned pigeon Catalanesque Spanish. Argentinian Spanish with it's very different way of being pronounced always catches me out and I feel I must 'pretend' in order to be understood.

It's a lot of fun though.

 

[AngelinBA]

I learned Spanish in Costa Rica, then learned Porteño Spanish when I came to Argentina. It took me a couple of months to get my head around their accent. I'm used to it, but often find it grating.

I love the Colombian accent, first time I heard it spoken was in the telenovela ¨Ugly Betty¨ (Betty la Fea, the original) and I loved it!

I can understand people from the Cordoba province but get lost in their sing-songy cadence and lose track of the conversation.

I can't understand Spanish from Spain in the movies.

 

[Crema Americana]

My personal favorite is Andalucian Spanish. If you can understand that you can understand pretty much anything.

 

[Davidglen77]

My personal favorite is Andalucian Spanish. If you can understand that you can understand pretty much anything.

I agree, Andaluz spanish is interesting to listen to. Also the Córdoba accent has morphed from Andaluz, the españoles who settled Córdoba back in the 15 and 1600´s were from Andaluz and Sevilla!

 

[HenryNisental]

Of course, the Spanish from Spain is the original,pure one. They enfasize the sound of the leters "s" and "Z", I believe.
Porteño Spanish is alike to the New York English: stacatto, brief, abreviated, loudly, irrespectous, etc. An italian from New York would feel at home here, I think.

 

[Hop]

I love the Colombian accent! I think it's the easiest to understand.

But yes, I cringe upon hearing the porteno accent....especially when they refer to Disney as "Dee-snay" *fingernails scraping chalkboard*