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:

1. 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!

1. The meanings of ahorita are very contradictory. It can either mean:
   1. Right now, like right now, now. Right this second.
   2. Just a little bit ago.
   3. In a little bit, or anytime between 5 minutes and a couple of hours.
   4. 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:

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:

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!