Mismatching word gender in Spanish
My native language is a genderless language, there is no masculine/feminine words, and so there is no being agreeable in grammar. This causes a lot of confusion for me as a Spanish Learner and no matter how much I try to be agreeable sometimes make mistake in a/o or el/la or .... Spanish teachers tend to say: "You will not be understood if you are not agreeable!".
My question is: How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I mistake word genders? Is it considered a mistake? Is it offensive? Will it totally lose meaning?
gramática género
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
add a comment |
My native language is a genderless language, there is no masculine/feminine words, and so there is no being agreeable in grammar. This causes a lot of confusion for me as a Spanish Learner and no matter how much I try to be agreeable sometimes make mistake in a/o or el/la or .... Spanish teachers tend to say: "You will not be understood if you are not agreeable!".
My question is: How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I mistake word genders? Is it considered a mistake? Is it offensive? Will it totally lose meaning?
gramática género
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
My wife has been 20 years here and still manages to do that kind of mistakes too often. Nobody bats an eye...
– Rui F Ribeiro
9 hours ago
My native langugae is not genderless. This doesn't prevent me from (or sometimes even leads me to) mixing gender in foreign languages.
– Hagen von Eitzen
3 hours ago
add a comment |
My native language is a genderless language, there is no masculine/feminine words, and so there is no being agreeable in grammar. This causes a lot of confusion for me as a Spanish Learner and no matter how much I try to be agreeable sometimes make mistake in a/o or el/la or .... Spanish teachers tend to say: "You will not be understood if you are not agreeable!".
My question is: How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I mistake word genders? Is it considered a mistake? Is it offensive? Will it totally lose meaning?
gramática género
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
My native language is a genderless language, there is no masculine/feminine words, and so there is no being agreeable in grammar. This causes a lot of confusion for me as a Spanish Learner and no matter how much I try to be agreeable sometimes make mistake in a/o or el/la or .... Spanish teachers tend to say: "You will not be understood if you are not agreeable!".
My question is: How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I mistake word genders? Is it considered a mistake? Is it offensive? Will it totally lose meaning?
gramática género
gramática género
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
edited 15 mins ago
David Wheatley
32
32
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
asked 17 hours ago
roozbeh S
1853
1853
My wife has been 20 years here and still manages to do that kind of mistakes too often. Nobody bats an eye...
– Rui F Ribeiro
9 hours ago
My native langugae is not genderless. This doesn't prevent me from (or sometimes even leads me to) mixing gender in foreign languages.
– Hagen von Eitzen
3 hours ago
add a comment |
My wife has been 20 years here and still manages to do that kind of mistakes too often. Nobody bats an eye...
– Rui F Ribeiro
9 hours ago
My native langugae is not genderless. This doesn't prevent me from (or sometimes even leads me to) mixing gender in foreign languages.
– Hagen von Eitzen
3 hours ago
My wife has been 20 years here and still manages to do that kind of mistakes too often. Nobody bats an eye...
– Rui F Ribeiro
9 hours ago
My wife has been 20 years here and still manages to do that kind of mistakes too often. Nobody bats an eye...
– Rui F Ribeiro
9 hours ago
My native langugae is not genderless. This doesn't prevent me from (or sometimes even leads me to) mixing gender in foreign languages.
– Hagen von Eitzen
3 hours ago
My native langugae is not genderless. This doesn't prevent me from (or sometimes even leads me to) mixing gender in foreign languages.
– Hagen von Eitzen
3 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
Well, your teachers might get upset if I tell you this but: it's a lie, you will be understood haha.
I guess they say it to encourage you to correct your mistakes. You should correct them anyways. I trust you will try to speak correctly anyways, so I'm telling you te truth. I don't want you to be so worried and stressed to avoid mistakes. Just try to fix them.
Now I'll answer your next questions:
How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I someone mistakes genders?
A Native Speaker would immediately detect that you are not a Spaniard, altough the accent is the first indicator haha.
Is it offensive?
No, it is not. If it is not your native language, it's normal to commit mistakes. Nobody should get upset for that. If someone does, he's a madman.
Is it considered a mistake?
Yes, it is.
We still understand, but that doesn't mean it's not a mistake. It's like saying
"I are happy" instead of "I am happy". Everybody understands, but it is wrong. In fact, it's kind of "basic" that everything must agree, so it is immediately detected. However, some nouns are difficult, like "agua" or "mano". It's more normal that people get confused there.
or will it totally lose meaning?
Most words are equally well understood if you choose the wrong gender. For example, if you say "la agua", people would perfectly understand.
Some others can be less clear. For example, if you said "el mano", it could be confused with "hermano", so be careful.
And it's worse when similar words change meaning. For example: la puerta (the door) vs. el puerto (the port). If you mix them, like "la puerto", you wouldn't be able to tell what one you meant, unless the context is clear.
So, this is all. My point is that you should not be "scared" about commiting mistakes. Everybody does. However, it is important that you correct them.
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
For comparison: I know people from China who are learning English, and they sometimes mess up he/she because they use a gender-neutral third-person pronoun in Mandarin. Generally it's pretty clear it was a mistake and we laugh about it, but in the wrong context, I could see how it could become offensive (like how someone might deliberately call men "ladies" as an insult). It seems that Spanish speakers tend to react the same way as English speakers do in this case.
– Thunderforge
41 mins ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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oldest
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Well, your teachers might get upset if I tell you this but: it's a lie, you will be understood haha.
I guess they say it to encourage you to correct your mistakes. You should correct them anyways. I trust you will try to speak correctly anyways, so I'm telling you te truth. I don't want you to be so worried and stressed to avoid mistakes. Just try to fix them.
Now I'll answer your next questions:
How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I someone mistakes genders?
A Native Speaker would immediately detect that you are not a Spaniard, altough the accent is the first indicator haha.
Is it offensive?
No, it is not. If it is not your native language, it's normal to commit mistakes. Nobody should get upset for that. If someone does, he's a madman.
Is it considered a mistake?
Yes, it is.
We still understand, but that doesn't mean it's not a mistake. It's like saying
"I are happy" instead of "I am happy". Everybody understands, but it is wrong. In fact, it's kind of "basic" that everything must agree, so it is immediately detected. However, some nouns are difficult, like "agua" or "mano". It's more normal that people get confused there.
or will it totally lose meaning?
Most words are equally well understood if you choose the wrong gender. For example, if you say "la agua", people would perfectly understand.
Some others can be less clear. For example, if you said "el mano", it could be confused with "hermano", so be careful.
And it's worse when similar words change meaning. For example: la puerta (the door) vs. el puerto (the port). If you mix them, like "la puerto", you wouldn't be able to tell what one you meant, unless the context is clear.
So, this is all. My point is that you should not be "scared" about commiting mistakes. Everybody does. However, it is important that you correct them.
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
For comparison: I know people from China who are learning English, and they sometimes mess up he/she because they use a gender-neutral third-person pronoun in Mandarin. Generally it's pretty clear it was a mistake and we laugh about it, but in the wrong context, I could see how it could become offensive (like how someone might deliberately call men "ladies" as an insult). It seems that Spanish speakers tend to react the same way as English speakers do in this case.
– Thunderforge
41 mins ago
add a comment |
Well, your teachers might get upset if I tell you this but: it's a lie, you will be understood haha.
I guess they say it to encourage you to correct your mistakes. You should correct them anyways. I trust you will try to speak correctly anyways, so I'm telling you te truth. I don't want you to be so worried and stressed to avoid mistakes. Just try to fix them.
Now I'll answer your next questions:
How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I someone mistakes genders?
A Native Speaker would immediately detect that you are not a Spaniard, altough the accent is the first indicator haha.
Is it offensive?
No, it is not. If it is not your native language, it's normal to commit mistakes. Nobody should get upset for that. If someone does, he's a madman.
Is it considered a mistake?
Yes, it is.
We still understand, but that doesn't mean it's not a mistake. It's like saying
"I are happy" instead of "I am happy". Everybody understands, but it is wrong. In fact, it's kind of "basic" that everything must agree, so it is immediately detected. However, some nouns are difficult, like "agua" or "mano". It's more normal that people get confused there.
or will it totally lose meaning?
Most words are equally well understood if you choose the wrong gender. For example, if you say "la agua", people would perfectly understand.
Some others can be less clear. For example, if you said "el mano", it could be confused with "hermano", so be careful.
And it's worse when similar words change meaning. For example: la puerta (the door) vs. el puerto (the port). If you mix them, like "la puerto", you wouldn't be able to tell what one you meant, unless the context is clear.
So, this is all. My point is that you should not be "scared" about commiting mistakes. Everybody does. However, it is important that you correct them.
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
For comparison: I know people from China who are learning English, and they sometimes mess up he/she because they use a gender-neutral third-person pronoun in Mandarin. Generally it's pretty clear it was a mistake and we laugh about it, but in the wrong context, I could see how it could become offensive (like how someone might deliberately call men "ladies" as an insult). It seems that Spanish speakers tend to react the same way as English speakers do in this case.
– Thunderforge
41 mins ago
add a comment |
Well, your teachers might get upset if I tell you this but: it's a lie, you will be understood haha.
I guess they say it to encourage you to correct your mistakes. You should correct them anyways. I trust you will try to speak correctly anyways, so I'm telling you te truth. I don't want you to be so worried and stressed to avoid mistakes. Just try to fix them.
Now I'll answer your next questions:
How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I someone mistakes genders?
A Native Speaker would immediately detect that you are not a Spaniard, altough the accent is the first indicator haha.
Is it offensive?
No, it is not. If it is not your native language, it's normal to commit mistakes. Nobody should get upset for that. If someone does, he's a madman.
Is it considered a mistake?
Yes, it is.
We still understand, but that doesn't mean it's not a mistake. It's like saying
"I are happy" instead of "I am happy". Everybody understands, but it is wrong. In fact, it's kind of "basic" that everything must agree, so it is immediately detected. However, some nouns are difficult, like "agua" or "mano". It's more normal that people get confused there.
or will it totally lose meaning?
Most words are equally well understood if you choose the wrong gender. For example, if you say "la agua", people would perfectly understand.
Some others can be less clear. For example, if you said "el mano", it could be confused with "hermano", so be careful.
And it's worse when similar words change meaning. For example: la puerta (the door) vs. el puerto (the port). If you mix them, like "la puerto", you wouldn't be able to tell what one you meant, unless the context is clear.
So, this is all. My point is that you should not be "scared" about commiting mistakes. Everybody does. However, it is important that you correct them.
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
Well, your teachers might get upset if I tell you this but: it's a lie, you will be understood haha.
I guess they say it to encourage you to correct your mistakes. You should correct them anyways. I trust you will try to speak correctly anyways, so I'm telling you te truth. I don't want you to be so worried and stressed to avoid mistakes. Just try to fix them.
Now I'll answer your next questions:
How does a native Spanish speaker feel if I someone mistakes genders?
A Native Speaker would immediately detect that you are not a Spaniard, altough the accent is the first indicator haha.
Is it offensive?
No, it is not. If it is not your native language, it's normal to commit mistakes. Nobody should get upset for that. If someone does, he's a madman.
Is it considered a mistake?
Yes, it is.
We still understand, but that doesn't mean it's not a mistake. It's like saying
"I are happy" instead of "I am happy". Everybody understands, but it is wrong. In fact, it's kind of "basic" that everything must agree, so it is immediately detected. However, some nouns are difficult, like "agua" or "mano". It's more normal that people get confused there.
or will it totally lose meaning?
Most words are equally well understood if you choose the wrong gender. For example, if you say "la agua", people would perfectly understand.
Some others can be less clear. For example, if you said "el mano", it could be confused with "hermano", so be careful.
And it's worse when similar words change meaning. For example: la puerta (the door) vs. el puerto (the port). If you mix them, like "la puerto", you wouldn't be able to tell what one you meant, unless the context is clear.
So, this is all. My point is that you should not be "scared" about commiting mistakes. Everybody does. However, it is important that you correct them.
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
edited 15 hours ago
ukemi
7,95521750
7,95521750
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
answered 16 hours ago
FGSUZ
3,333317
3,333317
For comparison: I know people from China who are learning English, and they sometimes mess up he/she because they use a gender-neutral third-person pronoun in Mandarin. Generally it's pretty clear it was a mistake and we laugh about it, but in the wrong context, I could see how it could become offensive (like how someone might deliberately call men "ladies" as an insult). It seems that Spanish speakers tend to react the same way as English speakers do in this case.
– Thunderforge
41 mins ago
add a comment |
For comparison: I know people from China who are learning English, and they sometimes mess up he/she because they use a gender-neutral third-person pronoun in Mandarin. Generally it's pretty clear it was a mistake and we laugh about it, but in the wrong context, I could see how it could become offensive (like how someone might deliberately call men "ladies" as an insult). It seems that Spanish speakers tend to react the same way as English speakers do in this case.
– Thunderforge
41 mins ago
For comparison: I know people from China who are learning English, and they sometimes mess up he/she because they use a gender-neutral third-person pronoun in Mandarin. Generally it's pretty clear it was a mistake and we laugh about it, but in the wrong context, I could see how it could become offensive (like how someone might deliberately call men "ladies" as an insult). It seems that Spanish speakers tend to react the same way as English speakers do in this case.
– Thunderforge
41 mins ago
For comparison: I know people from China who are learning English, and they sometimes mess up he/she because they use a gender-neutral third-person pronoun in Mandarin. Generally it's pretty clear it was a mistake and we laugh about it, but in the wrong context, I could see how it could become offensive (like how someone might deliberately call men "ladies" as an insult). It seems that Spanish speakers tend to react the same way as English speakers do in this case.
– Thunderforge
41 mins ago
add a comment |
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My wife has been 20 years here and still manages to do that kind of mistakes too often. Nobody bats an eye...
– Rui F Ribeiro
9 hours ago
My native langugae is not genderless. This doesn't prevent me from (or sometimes even leads me to) mixing gender in foreign languages.
– Hagen von Eitzen
3 hours ago