Author: Peter Christian Added: August 21, 2009
¡Llegó el verano! My favorite season of the year is now under way and many tourists and ex-pats will flock to the beautiful beaches of Spain and the Hispanic world to bask in the glorious sunshine and top-up their tans. Here's some really cool Spanish phrases that will add an authentic, vibrant flourish to your spoken Spanish so you can enjoy a great day down at the beach wherever you are in the Hispanic world. Let's start with a nice easy one. If you're going to the beach, all you need to say is "Voy a la playa" or just use vamos instead of voy if you're going as a couple or a group. Vale, many people like to find a quiet, secluded beach so they can enjoy the peace and quiet and there are a couple of nice phrases for such a beach: Una playa virgen - An unspoiled beach. Una playa con encanto - A charming beach Una caleta - A small beach. If you're lucky enough to find a nice quiet beach then you can say: - Hemos encontrado una caleta, no hay ni un alma. ¿Quieres venir con nosotros? - We've found a small beach that's totally deserted. Do you want to come with us? No hay ni un alma - Totally deserted, there isn't a soul. The beach here in Barcelona is just the opposite and throughout summer it is absolutely packed with los veraneantes - summer vacationers! Here's how you describe such beaches in Spanish: Las playas están a rebosar - The beaches are packed. I really enjoy sunbathing - tomar el sol - and in English I'd be called "a sun-worshipper". But in Spanish, sun-worshippers are called "los largatos" - Lizards - which I really like! Estar a la sombra is to be in the shade but did you also know this phrase is also used to describe being in jail? So, estoy a la sombra can also mean "I'm in jail", so now you know! To tan yourself is Broncearse, so: me gusta ir a la playa para broncearme - I like to go to the beach to tan myself. But don't lie in the sun too long and don't forget to apply plenty of sun-block or lotion - bloques de sol, crema solar o protector solar. The sight here in Barcelona of guiris with burned red skin doing their lobster impressions after over-doing it is very common and it looks really painful for some of them! If you do become burned, here's a Spanish phrase you may find very useful at the pharmacy: Me quemé en la playa. ¿Tiene usted crema o loción para piel quemada? - I got sunburned on the beach. Do you have cream or lotion for burned skin? ¿Te gusta nadar en el mar? Me too and here the sea is crystal clear - cristalino. Just as we say in English: "I'm going to take a dip", it is virtually the same in Spanish: "Me doy un chapuzón which is really easy. Also, the sea here is very calm during summer and although you could say: "El mar está muy tranquilo" a much more cool Spanish phrase would be: El mar está como un plato - the sea is very calm, literally like a plate - and it is only used in this context. Great phrase to add to your growing Spanish vocabulary! And after you've spent a hard day sunbathing on the beach, you may have worked up a real thirst! To quench your thirst, just look for los chiringuitos - open air cafés and snack bars that line the shore. It's a great way to "wind down" as you enjoy una cerveza fría o un refresco and watch the burned guiris gingerly making their way back to home-base! No hay nada más relajante que pasar un día en la playa pero ¡no olvides traer tu traje de baño! - There is nothing more relaxing than spending a day at the beach but don't forget your bathing suit! Have fun in the sun, Buen viaje, Peter.
--- Barcelona-based writer Peter Christian will show you how you can add an authentic, vibrant flair to your spoken Spanish and you can discover some more really cool Spanish verbs and phrases that'll win you the respect and admiration of native Spanish speakers along with free weekly tips over on the Streetwise Spanish website.
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