New "bad" words

[Chip]

I just had a business meeting on behalf of a good friend of mine here in the DR, and upon asking my buddy's fiance(who is Dominican) what could I do to make my Spanish better, she immediately said to stop using "joder" and "vaina", especially during somewhat formal situations.

As I had been using these words quite often and hear them everyday I was a little bit surprised, but understood as there are words in English that aren't for general consumption either - anyway take note, if you want to appear at least medio fino, don't use them.

[AnnaC]

Well I guess so, who would want to be in any situation where people use the F word to describe everything.

Thanks for bringing that up Chip.

[John Evans]

errrrr right ....why were you surprised lol

[Chip]

Originally Posted by AnnaC

Well I guess so, who would want to be in any situation where people use the F word to describe everything.

Thanks for bringing that up Chip.

Actually she said it isn't near as bad as the f word, but nonetheless not good. I had enquired about "joder" many years back to other English speaking Dominicans in the US and they said it wasn't as bad as the f word, so I kept on using it. BTW, the f word is no longer part of my vocabulary either.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by John Evans

errrrr right ....why were you surprised lol

I guess maybe because my Spanish isn't as fisno as yours.....?

[John Evans]

my spanish is non-existant but strangely I remembered that word ahem

[Chip]

Originally Posted by John Evans

my spanish is non-existant but strangely I remembered that word ahem

Now I understand, in hispanic other countries joder means....

[Keith R]

Both words are what my wife (Dominican professional) calls "street Spanish" when she's feeling charitable, "crude Spanish" is what she calls it most of the time, and when we first moved to SD she lectured me repeatedly about streering clear of it "if you want to be taken seriously by anyone other than beer buddies at the colmado."

"Joder" is essentially the F word, no matter what you were once told. There are worse versions, but that doesn't make this one less jarring to a "well educated" Dominican.

"Vaina" is a very Dominican expression, not used much outside the DR and certainly not in a biz meeting.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by Keith R

Both words are what my wife (Dominican professional) calls "street Spanish" when she's feeling charitable, "crude Spanish" is what she calls it most of the time, and when we first moved to SD she lectured me repeatedly about streering clear of it "if you want to be taken seriously by anyone other than beer buddies at the colmado."

"Joder" is essentially the F word, no matter what you were once told. There are worse versions, but that doesn't make this one less jarring to a "well educated" Dominican.

"Vaina" is a very Dominican expression, not used much outside the DR and certainly not in a biz meeting.

It is a bad word indeed, but the f word, no.

[Keith R]

Actually, Chip, I think you need to check on that again. It is one way of saying the F word in Spanish.