# Help needed on Hispanic dialect and accent (Warning, possible bad language)



## OurJud (Jun 28, 2013)

The opening scene of my short sci-fi feature a minor character. She will only appear in this scene, but I've decided she's Hispanic. Her name's Benita Lomez, if that helps picture her.

As an Englishman I'm sure you can appreciate I'm finding writing her dialogue quite difficult, and was wondering if anyone could give me a few pointers as to how she might speak.

In the scene, she is arguing with police officers, so I need to know what kind of swear (cuss) words the Hispanics use when angry. And not only what kind, but how they're said/spelt. I know this will be difficult due to the forum's policy on bad language, so I'm not sure how we can get around it other than having answers sent to me privately.

One line I'm struggling with, for instance is this: "The woman nodded, her face dropping slightly as a horrible realisation began to dawn. _“Oh, [cuss word here]. Are you from... I mean did you do that [cuss word] reversal [rhymes with hit] on my [other name for donkey]?"_

In a nutshell, I'm just trying get a feel for how an agitated, aggressive Hispanic woman would talk.


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## patskywriter (Jun 28, 2013)

There is no one "Hispanic" accent, just as there's no one "British" accent. It really depends on where she comes from, whether she's from the city or country. As far as the situation you described*, many Hispanic women would be loathe to hurl invectives at a police officer. They'd have to be pretty assimilated to do that (in which case, their English skills would be really good). I suppose you can do whatever you want in science fiction, but since you're using a real-world-sounding situation, it might be a good idea to remember that people aren't always the same. They're not always "the people you know" + a few foreign words inserted to define them. Sometimes there are real cultural traits to consider.

*   I'm assuming that this is a Hispanic woman in an English-speaking country.


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## Kevin (Jun 28, 2013)

It's been my experience (in my little part of the world) that the woman don't cuss, unless they're really ghetto, like hardcore gang members, in which case it's in English, with 'ghetto' inflection.


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## OurJud (Jun 28, 2013)

Yes, English-speaking country (America)

And yes, Hispanic ghetto.

As a Brit, I'm not really sure why I'm making things difficult for myself by setting it in America, it's just how I've pictured it from initial conception.


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## patskywriter (Jun 28, 2013)

Okay, now you have to figure out "which" type of Hispanic you're writing about. Different groups have different "relationships" to the police—some groups have high numbers of residents without legal papers. One group in particular—Puerto Ricans—don't have that problem at all. The reason this is important is because the police have different approaches for different groups. Another thing to consider is the age of the person. If your character is a young, streetwise person who hangs out all day, it could be possible that she only speaks Spanish at home


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## OurJud (Jun 28, 2013)

I suppose she's mid 30s, but I have no idea 'which' type of Hispanic she is, as I know very little about the race except from what I've seen in the movies. She's in a violent relationship, but gives as good as she gets.

I'm probably over-thinking and complicating things (again), but I was just looking for certain words and phrases they might use, in the same way I would write "Y'all" instead of "You all" if my character had been from the South. Stereotyping there, I know, but I just use it to illustrate a point.


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## patskywriter (Jun 28, 2013)

OurJud said:


> I suppose she's mid 30s, but I have no idea 'which' type of Hispanic she is, as I know very little about the race except from what I've seen in the movies. She's in a violent relationship, but gives as good as she gets.
> 
> I'm probably over-thinking and complicating things (again), but I was just looking for certain words and phrases they might use, in the same way I would write "Y'all" instead of "You all" if my character had been from the South. Stereotyping there, I know, but I just use it to illustrate a point.



(whispering): Hispanic isn't really a race. … But anyway, at the risk of appearing to be overthinking this as well, I guess you can gloss over the nationality and just make the character a random Hispanic person. But certain readers would think it weird that a Hispanic person would even call the police. Some groups are known for avoiding the cops at all costs due to the (il)legal status of so many in their communities. But, again, this is science fiction, so maybe all this doesn't really matter in the long run.


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## OurJud (Jun 28, 2013)

patskywriter said:


> (whispering): Hispanic isn't really a race. …



Oops! Sorry.



patskywriter said:


> But certain readers would think it weird that a Hispanic person would even call the police.



She didn't, but you were not to know that.

I suppose I could just youtube some examples of them in films, to get an idea of how they cuss and the way they say things.


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## escorial (Jun 28, 2013)

Tortilla Flat should contain every thing you need.


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## Kevin (Jun 28, 2013)

OurJud said:


> Yes, English-speaking country (America)
> 
> And yes, Hispanic ghetto.
> 
> As a Brit, I'm not really sure why I'm making things difficult for myself by setting it in America, it's just how I've pictured it from initial conception.


 Heh... difficult? It could have something to do with the lack of Hispanics in your country. It's like me, I wouldn't know a Manchester from a Winchester; a brogue-y from a stogie.

Hispanic ghetto? East coast, West coast, Miami, Texas?


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## OurJud (Jun 28, 2013)

Kevin said:


> Heh... difficult? It could have something to do with the lack of Hispanics in your country.



Yeah, I've made things a little easier on myself. She has so few lines in my story that she now speaks generically, using words that any English-speaking person might, regardless of where they're from. I'll let the reader give her the accent, which they should get from her name alone.

Which has now made me think of another thread idea, but if I start anymore I think I'll get chucked out


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## shadowwalker (Jun 28, 2013)

Yeah, typically I urge caution when trying to write accents. A couple words here and there, or just plain tellomg what the accent is, is far better than trying to actually write it (especially phonetically!).


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## OurJud (Jun 28, 2013)

shadowwalker said:


> [...] tellomg [...]



Is this an abbreviation for something, shadowwalker?


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## David Gordon Burke (Oct 7, 2013)

Hey,
I am working on a book that is 100% set in Mexico and has 100% Mexican characters so I know this ground.  Plus I'm bilingual, an English teacher and I can cuss in Spanish like a Mexican drug lord.

First thing that struck me as I read the description - where did you get the Lomez last name?  I have never heard that name.  Does it exist in real life?  If not, scrap it for a last name that is recognizable.  (I won't go into the how and why of it ... take my word for it ... you have to get real names) Spanish culture isn't like US, Canada, Brit culture - they rarely adopt names from outside their culture ... There is no (probably not) Frank Zappa naming his son Dweezil and his daughter Moon Unit.  

As per accent and dialect ... the whole "Ey Meestair, dyu wanna meet mai seestair" approach to adding accent to dialogue is almost universally looked down on except in the rarest of cases where a writer has a knack for grabbing the phonetic sense.  Some can do it, other can't.

Trying to imitate the syntax of a language you don't speak is going to be hard as well.
I speak Spanish (plus I have been an English Teacher here for 15 years) I know where people make mistakes and can mess around with English to express they way the speak.  (whether anyone catches it or not is another story)  For example, instead of saying Thank you I might say Many Thanks (direct translation of Muchas Gracias)  

Sprinkle your stuff with a few choice words like Adios, Dinero, and other words that 99% of the people know.  I am going all out and using a ton of words in Spanish and including a glossary at the end of the book.  Plus I give a bit of an explanation as I go.  

As far as a Spanish / Latina woman swearing at a cop - she'd have to be a real Homegirl to have a mouth.  I agree that many (most) Latina women would be more respectful.

You could throw in "Pinche Puerco"  Damn Pig.
Hijo de Perra - S.O.B.
Vete al Infierno - Go to Hell.  

Good Luck
David Gordon Burke


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## WechtleinUns (Oct 7, 2013)

There are two major types of Hispanics in South Texas: You've got the Tejanos, who were living here since before the Texas Revolution, and the more recent immigrants that came here in the 30's and 80's, roughly. You also have the really recent new arrival illegals.

I'm part of the Tejano class, which is pretty assimilated. English is our first language, but many of us can speak Spanish fluently. Although, our spanish is much more Tex-Mex than the others. It's far removed from the Spanish that is spoken relatively near here, in Matamoros, Mexico, and very different from "proper" spanish as spoken in Spain.

For example, I might say something like this:

"George, Dame la maleta. Esta en el telgeta de la troca, por favor."

Where "Maleta", "Telgeta", and "Troca" are no proper spanish, but Tex-Mex. Again, there are plenty of other examples, some more extreme than others. Here are a few:

"Watchate!" <- Which means, "Watch it, dumbass!"

Or the by now infamous:

"Pusho el carto." <- Which means, "I'm pushing the cart." This is used almost exclusively in places like H-E-B Grocery stores, for obvious reasons.

If you're looking for cuss words from this group, you'll be fine with using english cuss words, and maybe sprinkling a few "pendejos" around or something. Maybe a "Pinche Cabron" or two. The Tejanos are very well assimilated, and there's plenty of them that'll cuss out the police if they feel the need to. Hell, there's plenty of us that are members of the National Rifle Association. I myself am pro-gun. But then, this is Texas. Them boys was dove hunting earlier today, and you could hear gun-shots out back. It's normal.

The immigrant communities, on the other hand, are of a different caliber. In general, the immigrants themselves are divided into two classes:

Legal Immigrants, which are rich and educated mexicans that live north of the border. These include bankers from mexico, lawyers/reporters fleeing political persecution, etc. They are wealthy, well groomed, and educated, but often don't speak English natively. If they do, they are children of the Legal immigrants. Some of them are Narcos or Drug Lords.

Then you've got the illegals. They don't make too much noise, and tend to be very meek. Although, considering their socioeconomic status, it kind of makes sense. I've got one of them, a maid, who comes and cleans the house every so often. Her son will come over as well and work on the weekends during the summer. He's extremely polite, and does what he's told. Although he probably doesn't enjoy it all too much.

Picture that image for a moment, however: You've got me, a Mexican, hiring a Mexican, to work on his lands. I'm an engineer by trade, but I've got land as well, and I burn brush and know how to set up a fence. I can also ride a horse.

It's almost surreal, in a way. 

But back to your information. I highly doubt that any illegal is going to stick around long enough to have a conversation with the police. If they see an officer coming one way, they're going the other. The exception would be the narco-corriendos and gang bangers/mexican mafia. These guys *do* exist, but I don't really run in the same circles as them, so I can't tell you much.

Having said that, there are a few things that you should know: 

1. We never use the word "Stockings". NEVER. Any usage of that word by an hispanic is just not convincing. The word is "Medias". "MEDIAS." This has lead to countless situations of hilarity in and around San Antonio. 

2. Catholicism. Learn about it, if you haven't already. The Church may be losing her strength among the younger kids, but this is still Catholic country, so be prepared to have your character's "Cross themselves".

Hope that helps. (^_^)


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