40+ Cinco de Mayo Phrases: Checklist with Audio and Definitions

Cinco de Mayo marks the celebration of the Battle of Puebla which happened on the fifth of Might in 1862.

Though it’s a celebration of Mexican patriotism and pleasure, it’s truly extra extensively celebrated in the US than in Mexico.

On this publish, you’ll study over 40 Cinco de Mayo phrases so you’ll be able to take part in additional than simply the consuming and ingesting! 

Contents

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La comida (Meals)

Right here’s a little bit of vocabulary regarding conventional Mexican delicacies that you simply’ll in all probability discover at a typical Cinco de Mayo celebration:

1. Tortilla — Skinny, spherical and unleavened pan (bread) ready with harina de maíz (cornmeal) or harina de trigo (wheat flour) sometimes served scorching with toppings or fillings.

2. Burrito — A well-liked Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla rolled round a relleno (filling) of carne (meat), frijoles (beans), queso (cheese) and different greens.

3. Taco — A zesty Mexican meals consisting of tortilla (often fried) rolled round or filled with filling of carne, queso, lechuga (lettuce) and a smattering of different issues, relying on the prepare dinner.

4. Nacho — A tortilla chip sometimes served with dipping sauce (salsa, queso, guacamole) or topped with carne, queso and all the identical roster of conventional substances.

5. Enchilada — A tortilla product of maíz (corn), rolled and crammed with a combination of straightforward, conventional substances (carne, frijoles, queso) and lined in a chili pepper sauce known as salsa de enchilada (enchilada sauce).

6. Tamal — A conventional Mexican plato fuerte (important course) consisting of seasoned carne and/or frijoles wrapped in dough constituted of harina de maíz and baked or steamed in corn husks.

7. Guacamole — Mashed or pureed aguacate (avocado) combination with tomates (tomatoes), cebollas (onions), cilantro, pimientos (peppers) and varied seasonings, often served as a dip or topping.

8. Salsa — A spicy sauce/dip combination made with tomatoes, cebollas, pimientos and cilantro.

9. Tequila — A powerful Mexican liquor constituted of agave azul (blue agave).

10. Cerveza — Beer

11. Margarita — A cóctel (cocktail beverage) made with tequila, el triple seco (triple sec), lima (lime) or limón (lemon juice), and served in a glass topped with sal (salt) or azúcar (sugar). Simply remember that many individuals check with each lime and lemon as limón!

Even should you already knew these phrases, no less than now you’ll be able to apply naming their substances in Spanish and saying them like a local!

Do not forget that Cinco de Mayo isn’t just an excuse to occasion, however has an actual rooting in Mexican historical past and tradition. Listed below are some phrases you need to use to debate the historical past of the vacation:

12. La batalla — Battle

13. La guerra — Conflict

14. La bandera — Flag

15. Rojo — Purple (one of many three colours of the Mexican flag)

16. Blanco — White (one of many three colours of the Mexican flag)

17. Verde — Inexperienced (one of many three colours of the Mexican flag)

18. Cinco — 5. That is the beginning of somewhat breakdown of the vacation’s title, in case you might be questioning about these phrases. Many Latin American holidays are referred to as by their dates, very similar to the 4th of July is in the US. Nevertheless, in Spanish we don’t use ordinal numbers for dates, so we’d say “el 4 de julio” to check with the 4th of July.

19. De — Of

20. Mayo — Might

21. Mil ochocientos sesenta y dos — 1862, which was the 12 months of the Battle of Puebla.

22. Puebla — Town in Mexico the place the 1862 battle happened.

23. El Día de la Batalla de Puebla — The day of the Battle of Puebla.

24. El soldado — Soldier

25. El Día de la Independencia — Independence Day. Folks usually confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Independence Day, which is definitely celebrated on September sixteenth.

La fiesta (Occasion)

Listed below are some vocabulary phrases which will turn out to be useful at your subsequent Cinco de Mayo fiesta:

26. La celebración — Celebration

27. El baile folklórico — Folkloric dance

28. La música — Music

29. La pista de baile — Dancefloor 

30. Las decoraciones — Decorations

31. El traje de charro — Conventional Mexican gown or go well with, usually worn by Mariachi bands. That is based mostly on the clothes of a kind of horseman referred to as el charro.

32. El Mariachi — A Mexican people band of no less than 5 musicians who sometimes gown in charro fits and play guitar, trumpet, violin and vihuela.

33. Las maracas — Mexican rattles that make noise when shaken.

34. La piñata — A paper mache ornament crammed with sweet and hit with a stick to interrupt open.

35. La matraca — Wood Mexican noisemaker instrument

36. El sombrero — Conventional Mexican hat

37. El desfile — Parade

38. Las soldaderas — Navy ladies of the Mexican revolution, sometimes represented in Cinco de Mayo parades by ladies carrying skirts and flowery hats.

39. Los fuegos artificiales — Fireworks

40.El anfitrión/la anfitriona — Host, as within the host of the occasion. Make sure to thank them! 

You is likely to be asking your self, “Why do I must study vocabulary to drink margaritas, eat yummy Mexican meals and hearken to mariachi bands?” Positive, you don’t want any Spanish vocab to take a seat again and passively benefit from the festivities, however there are numerous causes to brush up in your Cinco de Mayo vocabulary earlier than the celebration begins.

To begin with, as a Spanish language learner, it’s essential to reap the benefits of any and all enjoyable alternatives to use the language and enhance your talking abilities outdoors of a classroom surroundings. What higher time to apply your dialog abilities than a Cinco de Mayo celebration? Or you need to use the vocabulary to speak to a Spanish speaker about their perspective and expertise of the vacation.

Secondly, studying vacation vocabulary may help enhance your general understanding of Mexican historical past and tradition. With the intention to actually grasp a language, you want a very good grasp of the tradition upon which it stands. The extra you’ll be able to find out about Hispanic tradition, the higher your Spanish might be.

Final however not least, speaking and displaying curiosity within the tradition at a Cinco de Mayo occasion will provide help to present your host that you simply respect their hospitality and that you simply’re genuinely considering their cultural background. Bear in mind, whereas the fiesta could also be a great deal of enjoyable, it’s greater than only a occasion; it’s a celebration of historic victories and cultural heritage.

• The Leaf Undertaking (Language Training Entry Basis) offers a web based written description on the historical past of Cinco de Mayo, in addition to a vocabulary listing and a sequence of movies on the historical past and traditions of the vacation.
• The Historical past Channel presents a printable on-line research information, curriculum and actions for Cinco de Mayo studying on their web site.
• MyVocabulary.com offers interactive puzzles containing Cinco de Mayo vocabulary designed to make studying enjoyable.

Now you could have greater than 40 Cinco de Mayo vocabulary phrases to speak about this fashionable vacation and its celebrations.

Benefit from the festivities and don’t be afraid to talk up and use these phrases when you could have an opportunity.

And keep in mind, should you’re going to have fun this Mexican vacation, be sure to do it respectfully, with out perpetuating dangerous stereotypes.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo, amigos! (Joyful Cinco de Mayo, mates!)

Obtain:
This weblog publish is offered as a handy and transportable PDF that you simply
can take wherever.
Click on right here to get a duplicate. (Obtain)