Ahorita and Its Multiple Meanings
Do you remember the blog about ya where we introduced you to the first of many Spanish words that have multiple meanings? Today, we’ll continue exploring the phenomenon of words that are spelled the same but don’t mean the same thing! We can categorize these words as:
- Polysemic words – words that have one single origin, but when used in different contexts have different meanings.
- Homonyms – two or more words that are spelled the same but don’t have the same linguistic roots; they, therefore, have different meanings.
Helpful Vocabulary
The difference between these two is that a polysemic word is one single word with two or more meanings that depend on context, while homonyms are two or more words that are spelled the same but mean different things because they don’t have the same etymological background. This means that homonyms are words that are spelled the same by chance, not because they have evolved from the same word.
For all you grammar nerds, Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their evolution throughout history.
Ahorita
We’ll start with our first polysemic word; this one has caused the most trouble to all my English-speaking friends learning Spanish! In Mexico and Guatemala, we use the word ahorita. This is the diminutive form of ahora – we sure love our diminutives! Ahorita is a colloquial expression, which means that we use it in informal speech. There are two reasons why this word causes so much trouble:
- As a part of informal speech, we use it all the time in conversations. So, it’s really easy to misinterpret it as we really use it so often!
- The meanings of ahorita are very contradictory. It can either mean:
- Right now, like right now, now. Right this second.
- Just a little bit ago.
- In a little bit, or anytime between 5 minutes and a couple of hours.
- In an indeterminate amount of time.
In order to understand what the other person means with ahorita, I’ve often needed to ask something like, “Are you leaving the house ahorita as in right this second, or ahorita as in a couple of hours?” I’ve also had friends who live only a 5-minute drive from me tell me they’ll leave their house ahorita, only to come to my house 4 hours later! And once they arrived, I asked them, “Weren’t you leaving ahorita?” To which they would usually reply with something like, “Oh, yeah, I did. I was just finishing something.”
As you can see, the meaning of ahorita greatly varies depending on the context. This can cause a lot of frustration not only for people who are learning about a new language and culture but also to people who speak the language as a mother tongue. Don’t ever feel bad about these misinterpretations! Remember that a language is not always an exact science!
While most of these words are not as confusing as ahorita, it’s important to know them before you encounter them!
Spanish Polysemic Words
As we mentioned before, a polysemic word has one single etymological origin and multiple meanings that vary depending on the context in which we use the word. Let’s have a look at some of these words:
Word in Spanish: Planta
Meanings in Spanish:
- Botanical organism
- Factory or workshop for the manufacture of a particular product
- The bottom of the feet: the sole
Word in Spanish: Falda
Meanings in Spanish:
- Foothill
- Piece of clothing, a skirt
- the cut of a cow, brisket
Word in Spanish: Cuadro
Meanings in Spanish:
- Framed artistic painting
- A geometrical figure, a square
- Part of a bicycle, bicycle frame
Word in Spanish: Carta
Meanings in Spanish:
- The card of a deck
- Form of communication, a letter
- The menu of a restaurant
Word in Spanish: Café
Meanings in Spanish:
- The color brown
- The beverage coffee
- The plant that produces coffee seeds
Word in Spanish: Bolsa
Meanings in Spanish:
- A bag, purse or pouch
- The stock exchange
Word in Spanish: Banco
Meanings in Spanish:
- The financial institution bank
- Piece of furniture to sit on, stool or bench
Word in Spanish: Bomba
Meanings in Spanish:
- An explosive, a bomb
- A device that moves fluids, a pump
Word in Spanish: Mango
Meanings in Spanish:
- The fruit mango
- The handle of a utensil or tool
- Colloquially used as an adjective to say someone is attractive
Word in Spanish: Mono
Meanings in Spanish:
- Species of animals, a monkey
- As an adjective to describe someone or something as cute, lovely, or adorable
- Piece of clothing, onesie or overalls
Word in Spanish: Sierra
Meanings in Spanish:
- A saw to cut wood or other materials
- Mountain range
Spanish Homonyms
As we mentioned above, homonyms are two or more words that are spelled the same but do not have the same etymological background, so they have various meanings. Let’s look at some of them:
Word in Spanish: Lengua
Meanings in Spanish:
- An organ of the body, the tongue
- Written and/or oral language
Word in Spanish: Vino
Meanings in Spanish:
- The beverage wine
- The verb venir (to come) conjugated in the third person singular, past tense: él vino (he came)
Word in Spanish: Llama
Meanings in Spanish:
- The camelid animal, a llama
- Flame (of fire)
- The verb llamar (to call) conjugated in the third person singular, present tense: ella llama (she calls)
Word in Spanish: Cara
Meanings in Spanish:
- The face of a person or the side of a thing
- Feminine singular adjective meaning expensive: cara, caro, caras caros
Word in Spanish: Cola
Meanings in Spanish:
- Glue
- The tail of an animal
- Line of people
Word in Spanish: Carpa
Meanings in Spanish:
- A camping tent
- A type of fish, a carp
Word in Spanish: Cobre
Meanings in Spanish:
- The metal copper
- The verb cobrar (to charge) conjugated in the first and third person singular subjunctive mood in present tense: yo cobre, él cobre (I should charge, he should charges)
Word in Spanish: Clave
Meanings in Spanish:
A code, a password
The verb clavar (to nail) conjugated in the first and third person singular subjunctive mood in present tense: yo clave, él clave (I should nail, he should nail)
Word in Spanish: Muñeca
Meanings in Spanish:
- A doll
- A part of the body, the wrist
Word in Spanish: Pila
Meanings in Spanish:
- A stack or batch of things
- A battery
- Line of people
Takeaway
As you can see in all these examples, there are many Spanish words that we spell exactly the same way but that have more than one meaning! We understand what these words mean because of the context in which we’re saying them. If someone said puedes bajar la llama de la estufa, they could mean two different things:
- You can turn the llama down on the stove, or
- You can get the llama off the stove
What is certain is that the person is most likely referring to turning down the flame on the stove, and not telling you to get the fluffy animal off the stove!
Let’s have a look at some more examples! As you will see below, there are times when more than one sentence makes sense. This is why the context is so important! If you’re sitting at a restaurant, you’ll more likely ask for a menu than for a letter or a card. And while a baby is sure mono (cute, lovely, or adorable), he can’t wear a monkey (monkey also means mono in Spanish – the right word here would be onesies).
Me duele la muñeca
- My doll hurts
- My wrist hurts
Me puede traer la carta
- Please, bring me the card
- Please, bring me the letter
- Please, bring me the menu
Me encanta comer falda
- I love to eat foothills
- I love to eat skirts
- I love to eat brisket
Mis plantas están verdes
- My plants are green
- My factories are green
- My soles are green
Las carpas son de agua dulce
- Tents live in freshwater
- Carps live in freshwater
El mono le queda muy bien al bebé
- The monkey fits the baby well
- The cute one fits the baby well
- Onesies fit the baby well
If you have any questions regarding the use of any words, remember that you can always schedule a FREE class with us and we’ll help you solve any doubts!
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