Just like any other Spanish-speaking country, Puerto Ricans speak a unique version of Spanish, all their own. While most Puerto Ricans will have no trouble understanding the textbook Spanish you learned in school, you may struggle a bit when attempting to understand the locals. Here are a few tips on how to understand Puerto Rican Spanish.
Watch out for the dropped “d”
Puerto Ricans tend to skip over the letter “d” in many words, most notably in words that end in “ado.” For example, the word for tired, cansado, might sound more like “cansao” in Puerto Rico. The meaning and spelling are the same, but the pronunciation is just different enough to trip up many travellers on their first trip to the island.
The “r” sound may be replace with the Spanish “j” sound
Once again, Puerto Ricans alter the pronunciation just slightly, but enough to confuse anyone who might not be accustomed to the Puerto Rican accent. You will often hear Puerto Ricans referring to the “cajo,” (pronounced “kah-ho”) which is actually referring to the carro, or car.
English words may be turned into Spanish verbs
If you hear a verb you have never encountered before that sounds remarkably close to an English word, it is most likely based on an English word. Puerto Ricans are a bit infamous for their Spanglish, but they take it a step past incorporating English words into Spanish sentences – they actually morph English words into Spanish ones. Let’s take a look at the word “hang” as in “to hang out.” While the grammatically correct way to say “hang out” in Spanish is pasar tiempo, Puerto Ricans are more likely to say janguear (pronounced “hang-gay-ar”). Similarly, the word friquear (pronounced “free-kay-ar”) means “to freak out.”
Puerto Rican Spanish is truly a Spanish all its own, but once you get used to it, you’ll have as much fun learning the local lingo as the locals will having teaching it to you.
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