How to Understand Argentine Spanish

Many people who want to travel in Argentina also decide to stay and take Spanish lessons. The most popular place to study is in Buenos Aires, where there are dozens of different Spanish schools. The classes are usually quite good, but it is important to note before coming that the Spanish is much different in Argentina than in all other Spanish speaking countries. If you learn Spanish here, you may have difficulties understanding Spanish in other parts of South America. Likewise, if you have already learned Spanish from another country, you may have difficulties understanding the Argentines.

The truth is, the Spanish that least resembles the purest forms of Spanish comes from Argentina. There are many reasons for this and to better understand the Argentines, it is important to know the ways in which the Spanish is different, and the reasons as to WHY it is different.

When listening to an Argentine speak, the two differences you will notice about their Spanish is that they pronounce certain sounds differently and the intonation is distinct from other Spanish.
The pronunciation is different because Argentines do not pronounce the "y" sound that the other dialects do. For example, in all other types of Spanish a "y" or "ll" makes a "ye" sound, just as it does in English, in words such as "llorar" "ya" or "castellano." However, when an Argentine speaks, they pronounce these sounds as "sh," the same way we pronounce words such as shop, shingles, or show in English. This is a very common sound in Spanish, so it is quite evident when speaking to an Argentine that they speak differently.

The other major difference in their speech is the change in intonation. It sounds much different because the Argentines stress different syllables than other Spanish speakers do. Furthermore, the intonation tends to go up higher and down lower than other Spanish speakers, making it sound similar to Italian. The end result is a Spanish that is much different and more difficult to understand than Spanish from other countries.

The main reason for these differences is the influence of the Italian roots in Argentina. In Argentina, the percentage of Spanish and Italian immigrants is pretty much equal. The result is that Argentine Spanish is more of a blend of Italian with Castellano. This is evident in both the vocabulary and the intonation.

The other major influence in Argentine Spanish is from Lunfardo, which is a type of Argentine slang that was developed in the early 1900s by people who danced Tango, especially in the poorer, rougher areas. This slang was so common that many words have been incorporated into the everyday speech of Argentines.

There is always much debate about whether Argentine Spanish is true Spanish or not. What can be agreed upon is that it is definitely different, and this must be taken into consideration when planning your trip to Argentina.

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