All You Need to Know About The Simpsons in Spanish
Are you ready to learn about the legendary cartoon, The Simpsons in Spanish? You can even use it to improve your Spanish and learn about Latin American culture!
The Simpsons in Spanish has had a huge influence on language, meme culture, and music. Popular kids shows creators from recent years, such as Adventure Time, were inspired by Simpson creator Matt Groening’s genius. His shows came to remind us that cartoons are not just for kids, and that we can learn, comment on society, and laugh while watching a silly cartoon about a—mostly—wholesome family.
If you watch the Simpsons in Spanish to learn more about the language, you’ll get more than just vocabulary words. Let’s get started!
The Cultural Impact of The Simpsons in Spanish-Speaking Countries
Memes
Memes of the Simpsons in Spanish are not in short supply. Many well-known Simpson memes—such as the Homer in the bushes meme—are widely used by Latin Americans. However, we also have some memes that might not be as popular with English speakers.
There’s a famous meme from one of the older episodes where Gaspar is the new teacher after a teacher strike leaves the school unattended. He begins class by saying hay tabla as a consequence of any action he deems inappropriate. Hay tabla literally translates as “there’s a board,” but what he really means is that he’ll hit whoever disobeys his rules. The meme can apply to many things, and it’s reminiscent of spanking children as a disciplinary method, which unfortunately is still prevalent today in many Latin American countries.
Check out my original version of this meme: Si no aprendes español, hay tabla. I promise our teachers aren’t nearly as ruthless as Gaspar!
How The Simpsons in Spanish Changed Language
The cultural impact of The Simpsons in Spanish is almost as big as the one it made in the English language. Bart taught you Spanish with the phrase ¡Ay caramba! Similarly, there are two iconic interjections that made it into Latin American slang.
Fun Fact: Bart’s alter ego, El Barto, is a joke on how many words in English can be translated into Spanish by adding the letter o at the end. Don’t mistake this translation as an accurate one, Bart’s name in Spanish is simply Bart with a Spanish pronunciation.
¡Doh!
This famous interjection is used to express regret over something silly or dumb that happens to you, a comedic interjection to relieve the pain from everyday tragedy.
¡Bah!
This is the Spanish version of “meh,” the popular interjection used to show indifference or disdain. While this phrase may not originally be from The Simpsons in Spanish, it was most definitely popularized by it.
Let’s Learn With The Simpsons in Spanish
The Simpson family is full of complex personalities and interesting characters. Let’s take a look at some of them by reading translated paragraphs describing their personalities. If you want to catch some nice vocabulary, make sure to mark or highlight the words that you don’t recognize, and leave a comment with your favorite word that you learned while reading these descriptions!
Homero Simpson
Homero Simpson es un hombre a quien le gusta tomar, comer y ver televisión. Usualmente actúa de manera infantil y carece de sentido común. Sin embargo, ama a su esposa e hijos y trabaja duro para proveer a su familia.
Homer Simpson is a man who likes to drink, eat, and watch television. Usually, he acts like a child and lacks common sense. However, he loves his wife and kids and he works hard to provide for his family.
The Importance of Humberto Velez
Humberto Velez is the Latin American voice for Homero, or Homer. He is one of the best known voice actors for cartoon dubs, starting with his iconic role on the Simpsons in Spanish. He has also worked on Winnie the Pooh, Family Guy, and Monsters Inc.! That’s a huge range of voices. However, his most iconic remains Homero Simpson. His recreation of the doofus family man is amazing.
Marge Simpson
Marge Simpson es una madre que de momentos es sobreprotectora. Le encanta la organización y limpieza en su ambiente, a menudo se encuentra moderando la conducta de su esposo y su hijo. Es una mujer que valora los buenos modales, generalmente tiene valores conservadores y se preocupa mucho por las personas que ama.
Marge Simpson is a mother that can be overprotective at times. She loves a clean and organized space, and she often finds herself moderating the behavior of her husband and son. She’s a woman that values good manners. She generally has conservative values and worries a lot about the people she loves.
Bart Simpson
Bart es un niño travieso e inquieto que no encaja con las expectativas de su entorno. Le encanta jugar bromas, andar en patineta y hacer graffiti. A pesar de sus dificultades escolares, Bart puede ser más listo de lo que parece.
Bart is a mischievous and restless kid that doesn’t fit with the expectations of his environment. He loves to play pranks, ride on his skateboard and do graffiti art. Despite his difficulty with schoolwork, Bart can be smarter than he seems.
Lisa Simpson
Lisa es una niña extremadamente inteligente, sensible, y siempre apoya causas que considera nobles. Le encanta tocar el saxofón, es perfeccionista y no siempre la escuchan cuando intenta ser la voz de la razón o cuando intenta cambiar las opiniones de los demás respecto a temas que le apasionan.
Lisa Simpson is an extremely intelligent, sensitive, girl that’s always supporting causes she considers to be noble. She loves to play the saxophone and she’s a perfectionist that’s not always listened to when she tries to be the voice or reason; or when she tries to change others’ opinions regarding subjects she’s passionate about.
Maggie Simpson
Maggie es la hija menor de la familia. No habla y siempre tiene un chupete en la boca. Maggie tiende a ser una fuerza caótica y parece estar más consciente de su entorno que muchos otros bebés de su edad.
Maggie is the youngest daughter of the family. She doesn’t speak and she has a pacifier in her mouth. Maggie tends to be a force of chaos and she seems to be more aware of her surroundings when compared to other babies her age.
Where to Watch The Simpsons in Spanish
There are many free sites where you can stream “Los Simpson,” the Simpsons in Spanish, but the best way is by streaming the episodes through Disney Plus. They offer dubbing as well as subtitles, which you can use to learn Spanish while watching the show. If you want to have a taste of how The Simpsons flows in Spanish, check out some YouTube clips of episodes in Spanish! This way, you’ll find out if watching the Simpsons in Spanish is your cup of tea.
Use Spanish subtitles to train your ear to listen to Latin American Spanish. Turn on English subtitles to learn more vocabulary as you watch the show without missing important plot points.
Learn Spanish Through Entertainment!
The Simpsons in Spanish brought a cultural phenomenon to Latin American households. Take your Spanish to the next episode by engaging in conversation about your interests. The teachers at Homeschool Spanish Academy have a passion for language learning, and they’ll help you become a fluent Spanish speaker. Try a free class at Homeschool Spanish Academy to get started or go further on your Spanish learning journey!
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