Cuba – Spanish Language and Culture
Population: 11.2 million ( 2009)
Capital: Havana
Area: 110,860 km² (42,803 sq miles)
Currency: peso (CUP)
National Holiday: 1st of January
Calling Code: + 53
Time Zone: GMT -5
GDP: Total – US$ 67.26 billion
Per Capita – US$ 5,984
The Spanish Language in Cuba
The Spanish in Cuba is a Caribbean dialect that shares many characteristics with Dominican and Puerto Rican Spanish, such as the aspiration of s (e.g. in ‘mosca’ they drop the s and pronounce it as ‘mo[h]ca’) and the shortening of words (generally by eliminating a consonant). As Europeans arrived in the area the local cultures were enslaved or extinguished and millions of slaves were brought from Africa. The influence of African languages is noticeable in the vocabulary and the rhythmic intonation. As a result of their strong presence in the Caribbean, English and French have also affected the development of the language. Cuban Spanish is very similar to Canarian Spanish, making the use of archaic Spanish vocabulary quite common. Like Colombian and Costa Rican Spanish, Cubans use the diminutive “ico”. A unique characteristic is the use of compañero/compañera instead of señor/señora.
Special words and expressions
- él es un punto – he is odd/stupid
- baro, chavito, fula – money
- asere – friend, mate
- ¿qué bola? – how are you?
- ponte los espejuelos – put on your glasses
- fardo – pants, trousers
- filtro – smart person
- él es un paquetero – he is a liar
- yuma – foreigner (gringo)
- come lo que pica el pollo – eat shit
- jama – food
- máquina – car
- monado – police
- me es antiflogistínico – I really dont care
- pasta – fiancée
- tengo que pinchar – I have to work
- ¿no tiene un peso fuerte? – do you have an extra coin?
Articles about Cuba
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Intermediate level
- 100. Edición – ¡Celebramos con los Veinte Mundos!
- Autos viejos en Cuba, un verdadero museo rodante
- Bicitaxis, una forma de conocer Cuba
- Cara y cruz de los doctores cubanos
- Entre el aroma del tabaco y la lectura
- Mi unicornio azul
- Cuba: ¿país de emprendedores?
- ¿Cómo se celebra el fin de año en Cuba?
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Advanced level
- Cuba, un pueblo feliz
- Artesanía cubana ¿recuerdo o negocio?
- Guantanamera
- La odisea „extranjera“ de los cubanos
- Un páis, dos monedas y muchos problemas…
- La pelota es redonda, ¡y viene en caja cuadrada!
- La “nueva” Cuba: vientos de cambio se avecinan
Other languages spoken
- Haitian Creole –the second most spoken language, with approximately 300,000 speakers (about 4% of the population). It is spoken amongst immigrants of Haiti and their descendants
- Lucumi – this West African language is spoken only as a second language in a small region of the country. It is the ‘holy language’ of the African religion Santería and therefore used in prayer.
- Catalan – spoken by over 3,000 people in Cuba
- English is spoken by Cuban business people and it is used at hospitality centers, health facilities and recreation facilities.
Spanish dialects and variations
- Like in most of the Antilles islands, the indigenous cultures of Cuba were unable to retain their customs and languages, and there is little to no influence from native languages on the Spanish spoken here.
- ‘Tuteo’ is used for intimate relationships and ‘usted’ as a more respectful form. There is a small area in Cuba where a specific form of ‘voseo’ is used.
- Amongst groups that influenced the Cuban language, the Roma brought many words and also influenced the ‘guajira’ music form.
- Spanish spoken from east to west varies strongly. The eastern regions had large coffee and sugarcane plantations where many African slaves were used for labor. Eastern Cuban Spanish was thus shaped by a stronger influence from African languages whereas the west, closer to the Capital and main ports, was influenced more by Castillian Spanish and other European languages.
Geography and Climate
Cuba includes the largest island in the Caribbean as well four other groups of islands. The mainland is mostly flat with the Sierra Maestra mountains (used to shelter rebel groups during revolutions) in the southeast. The climate is tropical with a dry season from November to April and a rainy season from May to October (which is also sometimes marked by hurricanes).
Destinations in Cuba
La Habana
- La Habana (Havana) – Capital City; Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Vedado, Centro Habana, Malecon (art, music, architecture, museums, gastronomy)
- Cities & towns – Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Ciego de Avila City, Moron, Vinales, Trinidad (architecture, “casas particulares”, salsa, cuisine…)
- Elite Hospitals – Holguin, Havana, Matanzas, Camagüey, Villa Clara (health tourism; operations, treatments, etc. this particular form of tourism has become more popular in recent years)
- Beaches – Varadero, Playa del Este, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Pilar Beach, Forbidden Beach, Flamenco Beach (snorkeling, swimming, sailing, fishing, resorts…)
- Nature & reserves – Great Natural Park of Montemar, La Redonda Lagoon, Ciénaga de Zapata Biosphere Reserve, Baconao Biosphere Reserve, Peninsula de Guanahacabibes, Humedal Río Máximo-Cagüey
History & Politics
Christopher Columbus first landed on Cuba in 1492 and claimed the island for Spain. The native population slowly declined and in 1526, African slaves started arriving on the island. Towards the end of the 19th century Spain lost Cuba and it briefly fell under US tutelage. During the beginning of the 20th century the country was mostly ruled by military leaders. In 1959 Fidel Castro led a coup ending the corrupt Batista regime and the United States subsequently broke off diplomatic relations, placing a goods embargo on the country. Fidel’s communist rule would last nearly half a century, having resigned as President of Cuba in February of 2008. Today Fidel’s brother Raul has taken over as president of Cuba.
¿Sabías qué….? According to the CIA there have been 638 assassination attempts on Fidel Castro’s life. The documentary “638 Ways to Kill Castro” goes over some of these different attempts.
Famous People
- José Martí (national hero)
- Camilo Cienfuegos (revolutionary)
- Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (revolutionary, politician, and former president)
- Yulieski Gourriel (baseball player)
- Ernesto Lecuona (composer)
- Compay Segundo (singer, composer)
- Andy Garcia (actor)
- Gloria Estefan (singer)
- Juan Hernandez (writer)
- Celia Cruz (salsa singer)
- José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (chess player)
- Alberto Korda (photographer)
- Amelia Peláez (painter)
- Tomas Sanchez (painter)
- Zoé Valdés (author)
Media
Media in Cuba is strictly controlled by the government and there are many laws against anti-government content. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Cuba had the second highest number of imprisoned journalists in the world in 2008. There are also important sources of Cuban media based in Miami that serve the large community of exiles. Newspapers are said to encounter the problem of paper shortages; thus limiting the amount of printed press. The Cuban government limits ownership of computers by individuals and similarly only grants the right to use the internet to selected individuals (whose use is then monitored). Radio is the main source of news and aside from criticism of the government, a variety of topics and views are explored.
Ultimas Noticias – www.granma.cu