Latin America: do you say habla castellano or habla español?

Spanish translation: ¿Habla(s) Castellano o Español?

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Latin America: do you say habla castellano or habla español?
Spanish translation:¿Habla(s) Castellano o Español?
Entered by: My Services

21:11 Oct 24, 2005
English to Spanish translations [Non-PRO]
Linguistics
English term or phrase: Latin America: do you say habla castellano or habla español?
On the Pimsleur Latin American Spanish tapes, they say
the correct word is 'castellano' to translate the
sentence 'Do you speak Spanish?'

Is this true for all of Central and South America?

Is 'español' equally acceptable?
doug edmunds
Habla(s) Castellano?
Explanation:
What an excellent question! In a formal situation, the above would be in order. In a familiar or not so formal instance, you can use "Hablas Español?" you will be understood. From what I know, Spain's Official Language according to its Constitution is Castilian, not Spanish. And that in its Statutes, it recognices and protects 6 more languages, not dialects: Euskera (Navarra y País Vasco), Gallego (Galicia), Catalan (Cataluña e Islas Balcares), Valenciano (Variety of Catalan spoken in Valencia, Bable (Asturias) & Aragonés (Aragón). We, in America, and the English speaking world, have never made the transition to correctly ask: Do you speak Castilian?

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Note added at 10 hrs 44 mins (2005-10-25 07:55:57 GMT)
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Perhaps the concept is better understood, if we remember that not all Orientals speak Chinese, but Mandarin, etc.

Just some thoughts, have a great time!
Selected response from:

My Services
Local time: 10:43
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +8¿habla/s español?
Giovanni Rengifo
5 +7Habla castellano
Roberto Hall
4 +3habla español
jbruton (X)
4 +3habla español [more common, but be careful] / habla castellano
Edward Potter
5Hablas castellano?
Cristina Heraud-van Tol
5Habla(s) Castellano?
My Services


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +8
latin america: do you say habla castellano or habla español?
¿habla/s español?


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2005-10-24 21:15:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

You will hear "español" much more often than "castellano".

Giovanni Rengifo
Colombia
Local time: 12:43
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Edward Potter
2 mins

agree  Yvonne Becker
1 hr

agree  Roberto Rey
1 hr

agree  Gabriela Rodriguez
1 hr

agree  Heidi C: en México, definitivamente :)
1 hr

agree  LCK: Giovanni en America Latina yo diría español no castellano :-) latinos in the U.S. they would say español
4 hrs

agree  Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT: (Opino como español): ¡Espero que digan "español"! Siempre me ha parecido que no debe deciste "castellano", porque ha habido tanto intercambio entre ambos lados del mar que ya no es la lengua de Castilla, sino la de todos.
11 hrs

agree  Ernesto de Lara
17 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
latin america: do you say habla castellano or habla español?
habla español


Explanation:
At least in Guatemala you usually hear "habla español" ... although among some indigenous groups you still hear "habla castilla" but I guess that is not what you are asking...

jbruton (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rosa Maria Duenas Rios (X): In Mexico, and among the Spsnish speaking US population, the usual question is ¿habla(s) español?
23 mins

agree  Yvonne Becker
58 mins

agree  Gabriela Rodriguez
1 hr
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +7
latin america: do you say habla castellano or habla español?
Habla castellano


Explanation:
Habla/s castellano? in Argentina, although "español" would also be acceptable.

Roberto Hall
Local time: 14:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rodrigo Kappes: En Chile también hablamos castellano más que español
6 mins
  -> Gracias, Rodrigo

agree  Claudia Alvis: Como lo dice Cristina, en Perú se dice castellano mucho más que español, aunque español no sonaría raro para nada. Algo interestante que he visto en los EEUU es que muchos hispanohablantes no saben lo que 'castellano' significa.
15 mins
  -> Gracias, Caliaa

agree  Marina Soldati
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Marina

agree  Pamela Peralta: .
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Pamela

agree  Andrea Ali
7 hrs
  -> Gracias, Andrea

agree  René Cofré Baeza
10 hrs
  -> Gracias, René

agree  Marina56: En Argentina decimos Castellano y estudiamos Castellano, es una de las materias. Yo diría Castellano, aunque en Europa llaman todo Español. Pero yo enseño y enseño y hablo Castellano
1 day 22 hrs
  -> Gracias, Marina. Estoy de acuerdo
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
latin america: do you say habla castellano or habla español?
Hablas castellano?


Explanation:
In Peru "castellano" is used 9 out of 10 times. And when they say "español" they are mostly speaking about the Spanish from Spain. As you can see, with the rest of the colleagues from other Latin American countries, the answers vary, so you better choose the country where it is being used, or write an explanation about it.

Cristina Heraud-van Tol
Peru
Local time: 12:43
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 37
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
habla español [more common, but be careful] / habla castellano


Explanation:
Politics politics politics, at least in Spain.

Spain has 4 different languages. Most of the people who speak the other 3 languages strongly feel that they are citizens of Spain and that the languages they speak are Spanish languages. Therefore, to them it can be cheeky for someone to say that their language is Spanish, thus excluding the other three Spanish languages.

So, in Spain, by far the most common name for the language is "castellano".

Edward Potter
Spain
Local time: 18:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gabriela Rodriguez
1 hr

agree  Walter Landesman
1 hr

agree  LCK: castellano in Spain is correct...I agree with you...politics. :-) latinos in the USA would say "español"
3 hrs
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
latin america: do you say habla castellano or habla español?
Habla(s) Castellano?


Explanation:
What an excellent question! In a formal situation, the above would be in order. In a familiar or not so formal instance, you can use "Hablas Español?" you will be understood. From what I know, Spain's Official Language according to its Constitution is Castilian, not Spanish. And that in its Statutes, it recognices and protects 6 more languages, not dialects: Euskera (Navarra y País Vasco), Gallego (Galicia), Catalan (Cataluña e Islas Balcares), Valenciano (Variety of Catalan spoken in Valencia, Bable (Asturias) & Aragonés (Aragón). We, in America, and the English speaking world, have never made the transition to correctly ask: Do you speak Castilian?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs 44 mins (2005-10-25 07:55:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Perhaps the concept is better understood, if we remember that not all Orientals speak Chinese, but Mandarin, etc.

Just some thoughts, have a great time!

My Services
Local time: 10:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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