[Sirtravelot]

I'm a bit confused folks.

I understand "J" sounds like "rr".

But what does "G" sound like?

If I say "imaginar" in Spanish, does it sound like the g in "dog" or g like in the English "imagine"? Or does it sound like an English H?

This stuff keeps me up at night!

 

[jojo]

I'm a bit confused folks.

I understand "J" sounds like "rr".

But what does "G" sound like?

If I say "imaginar" in Spanish, does it sound like the g in "dog" or g like in the English "imagine"? Or does it sound like an English H?

This stuff keeps me up at night!

I think it varies from region to region. My understanding is that a "G" sounds like - er....... coughing up phlegm lol (hawking I believe is the correct term), altho sometimes its a very soft "J" and if it has a "U" after it, its "G" as in "Guardia"

Xabiachica/pesky wesky will know, they're teachers

Jo xxx

 

[Guest]

To me, Scottish based in this part of Andalucia, it is pronounced similar to the CH in loch. Imachanes.

My OH, from Cantabria, adds more of GEE lilt and her daughter (with Argentinian father) pronounces (sometimes!) it like a JEE.

I assume that makes it all clear for you?

 

[xabiaxica]

I think it varies from region to region. My understanding is that a "G" sounds like - er....... coughing up phlegm lol (hawking I believe is the correct term), altho sometimes its a very soft "J" and if it has a "U" after it, its "G" as in "Guardia"

Xabiachica/pesky wesky will know, they're teachers

Jo xxx

sort of.....

there's a hard G & a soft G which as you say sounds like - er....... coughing up phlegm - or if you can't do that just a H



essentially it's a hard G when it's GA, GO or GU - like GAP, GOT or GUT in English, or GATO, GOMA, OR GUARDIA (goo-ar-dia)

soft G when it's GE or GI - like GENIAL or GIRAR

the complicated bit is is when the GU is followed by an E or I, so GUE & GUI, then the U becomes silent & gives you GUERRA & GUITARRA (ge-rra & gi-tarra) - still with a hard G

oh - & J is like - er....... coughing up phlegm or just an H, again

 

[Alcalaina]

This video gives you an idea. The sound occurs twice in the first sentence - origen, traje - and then in gitanos a it later on.

 

[Pesky Wesky]

I'm a bit confused folks.

I understand "J" sounds like "rr".

But what does "G" sound like?

If I say "imaginar" in Spanish, does it sound like the g in "dog" or g like in the English "imagine"? Or does it sound like an English H?

This stuff keeps me up at night!

Now I'm confused - "J" sounds like "rr"??

To me "J" sounds like the "H" in "Hard"...

"G" as Jojo so picturesquely put it, sounds like coughing up phlegm in most parts of Spain, although it can be softer in some areas, and is a much softer sound in South American Spanish. This hard sound is carried over by many Spaniards into their English prounciation so we get
HHHe's veriiii HHHHappy - Read hacking "G" pronounciation where you see HHHH

PS Imaginar = eee mah HEE nar (HEE = stressed syllable)

 

[jimenato]

PS Imaginar = eee mah HEE nar (HEE = stressed syllable)

That surprises me!! Does the HEE have an accent on it?

 

[Pesky Wesky]

That surprises me!! Does the HEE have an accent on it?

Noooo!
My post is wrong
It should be NAR with the stress on, sorry.

 

[baldilocks]

sort of.....

there's a hard G & a soft G which as you say sounds like - er....... coughing up phlegm - or if you can't do that just a H



essentially it's a hard G when it's GA, GO or GU - like GAP, GOT or GUT in English, or GATO, GOMA, OR GUARDIA (goo-ar-dia)

soft G when it's GE or GI - like GENIAL or GIRAR

the complicated bit is is when the GU is followed by an E or I, so GUE & GUI, then the U becomes silent & gives you GUERRA & GUITARRA (ge-rra & gi-tarra) - still with a hard G

oh - & J is like - er....... coughing up phlegm or just an H, again

UNLESS the 'u' has a diaresis as in 'güisquería' in whch the 'gu' part is pronounced 'gw' and is often the only way that Spanish children can get a 'w' sound such as "The gweather is very gwet today". It is hard work getting rid of the 'g' just as getting rid of added 'e' in front of words beginning 's+consonant' (eschool, esky, etc.)

SWMBO's name is Alejandra and when I first took her to England, I just told everybody to treat the 'j' either as the Welsh 'ch', the soft Scottish 'ch' or just use an aspirated 'h'

 

[Sirtravelot]

Thanks guy, this totally helps.

 

[jojo]

Thanks guy, this totally helps.

Really ????? :rofl:

Jo xxx

 

[Sirtravelot]

Really ????? :rofl:

Jo xxx

Absolutely.

I had a conversation with a friend of mine about this and he didn't have any idea either.

 

[Goldeneye]

Now I'm confused - "J" sounds like "rr"??

To me "J" sounds like the "H" in "Hard"...

"G" as Jojo so picturesquely put it, sounds like coughing up phlegm in most parts of Spain, although it can be softer in some areas, and is a much softer sound in South American Spanish. This hard sound is carried over by many Spaniards into their English prounciation so we get
HHHe's veriiii HHHHappy - Read hacking "G" pronounciation where you see HHHH

PS Imaginar = eee mah HEE nar (HEE = stressed syllable)

PHEW, Thanks Pesky I was getting confused and thinking I'm going to have to 'rethink' Javea sounding like Havea..
Starting out here myself, I just know the basics of ordering coffee's, Tapa's and Beer !! last summer hubby ordered a coffee 'without the fat man'
(we say 'non fat milk or skimmed milk here') At least that is what I think he was ordering... might have been he wanted no cream..
He kept asking for Cafe sin Gordo

 

[Pesky Wesky]

PHEW, Thanks Pesky I was getting confused and thinking I'm going to have to 'rethink' Javea sounding like Havea..
Starting out here myself, I just know the basics of ordering coffee's, Tapa's and Beer !! last summer hubby ordered a coffee 'without the fat man'
(we say 'non fat milk or skimmed milk here') At least that is what I think he was ordering... might have been he wanted no cream..
He kept asking for Cafe sin Gordo

Hehehe!!
Like my MIL who asked for coca cola without cocaine!!!
You probably know now that you could ask for cafe con leche con leche desnatada. I don't know if bars do different types of milk though...

 

[xabiaxica]

PHEW, Thanks Pesky I was getting confused and thinking I'm going to have to 'rethink' Javea sounding like Havea..
Starting out here myself, I just know the basics of ordering coffee's, Tapa's and Beer !! last summer hubby ordered a coffee 'without the fat man'
(we say 'non fat milk or skimmed milk here') At least that is what I think he was ordering... might have been he wanted no cream..
He kept asking for Cafe sin Gordo

yep - without the fat man :laugh:

what did he actually want??

here we'd say con leche semidesnatada if we want coffee with semi-skimmed (half fat?) milk, or con leche desnatada for skimmed or non-fat milk

 

[macdonner]

Don't know if this is any help but I find some of her explanations quite useful and easy to follow........Spanish pronunciation for English speakers – the letter G « janecronin

 

[Alcalaina]

Since leche is feminine, it should really be without the fat woman (sin gorda) ...

But the amount of fat in such a small amount of milk is really not worth worrying about. Whole milk is 3.5% fat, semi is 1.7% fat. Unless you are drinking a couple of litres of milk a day, there won't be any noticeable effect on your weight and/or health.

 

[Guest]

bet you`re glad you asked

 

[Pesky Wesky]

OK, you got me interested ...
Macdonner, Jane Cronin's explanation may be great , but what you really need IMO is to hear the sound, and her site would be so much better if she had audio, don't you think?
I found a couple of things on the net, but still not the definitive
Spanish Letters - g
This is very clear and simple, but it's from the US so the influence is South American and the "G" is just not "aggressive" enough!
Here's another where the guy goes into perhaps a bit too much depth, but he does give clear examples of different possible pronunciations. "G" starts at 3.48

Time to do a bit of packing.

 

[Goldeneye]

yep - without the fat man :laugh:

what did he actually want??

here we'd say con leche semidesnatada if we want coffee with semi-skimmed (half fat?) milk, or con leche desnatada for skimmed or non-fat milk

He wanted a coffee with skimmed milk... He thought if he asked for a coffee 'no fat' that would do the trick! hence the 'sin Gordo'

Hubby wants to know if there is another word for beer other than .... Cerveza
He was ordering draft Beer and would asked for.... Cerveza de barril, he was told there is a more common way of asking for it, I know that on a Rick Steves Europe dvd he used a different phrase ~ when I do a Google translate it only gives the one option on 'de barril'

'gotta get the important stuff right !! lol :beer: