# Word Usage



## cay (Jan 8, 2015)

Hola todos!

I have a small question about word usage by natives ? I've noticed that the Spanish will often greet a child by "hola guapo/a" and that obviously is in a cute manner directed towards children (in English they will do it too "hello handsome!" Or the like) but when we were entertaining family last week we had gone out and the waiter had greeted the table next to us "hola guapas!" (It was a table of a few young women) Now, I see this two ways as he was either being overly friendly (ie, flirting) or is this only a common expression when greeting people in Spain? 

Only wondering here  I love learning the why behind the vocabulary instead of only learning "the language". 

Muchas gracias por adelantado!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

cay said:


> Hola todos!
> 
> I have a small question about word usage by natives ? I've noticed that the Spanish will often greet a child by "hola guapo/a" and that obviously is in a cute manner directed towards children (in English they will do it too "hello handsome!" Or the like) but when we were entertaining family last week we had gone out and the waiter had greeted the table next to us "hola guapas!" (It was a table of a few young women) Now, I see this two ways as he was either being overly friendly (ie, flirting) or is this only a common expression when greeting people in Spain?
> 
> ...


It could be serious flirting or just a friendly greeting.
I'm over 50 and the butcher in the market, who looks about 20, usually greets me by saying Hola Joven unashamed selling technique.
Other things you might hear are _rubio/a_, _mozo/a_, and in Colombia I was sometimes called _flaca..._


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Around here any female of any age or appearance is often greeted as "guapa", by other women as well as by men. It would be nice to be able to take it as a compliment but when I look at some of the people who are greeted in that way, it's unmistakeably obvious that it's just people being nice, no deeper meaning than that!


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## cay (Jan 8, 2015)

Lynn R said:


> Around here any female of any age or appearance is often greeted as "guapa", by other women as well as by men. It would be nice to be able to take it as a compliment but when I look at some of the people who are greeted in that way, it's unmistakeably obvious that it's just people being nice, no deeper meaning than that!


Ah vale! I had assumed as much 




Pesky Wesky said:


> cay said:
> 
> 
> > Hola todos!
> ...


Haha I can see that too, as a selling technique. Thank you for the additional vocabulary ... although I thought Rubio was only used with blonde women? Or am I mistaken?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

cay said:


> Ah vale! I had assumed as much
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rubia = blonde girls or women
Rubio = blonde boys or men

I will say_ hola guapo_ to my male friends especially if I haven't seen them for a long time, or as a jokey greeting. A variation would be guapetón/ guapetóna


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## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

When my 4 kids and I met our new Spanish pediatrician, he let us all know which two were "guapo" and which two were "feo." But he said that one of them was "guapo como su madre" so I couldn't complain.

Pretty sure he was kidding around, but it was definitely a cultural experience. As was wrapping up our appointment at 10:30pm...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

kdsb said:


> When my 4 kids and I met our new Spanish pediatrician, he let us all know which two were "guapo" and which two were "feo." But he said that one of them was "guapo como su madre" so I couldn't complain.
> 
> Pretty sure he was kidding around, but it was definitely a cultural experience. As was wrapping up our appointment at 10:30pm...


That's late, even for Spain!


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## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

Pesky Wesky said:


> That's late, even for Spain!


And there was still another family in the waiting room after us!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

kdsb said:


> And there was still another family in the waiting room after us!


Not social security though, was it?


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## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Not social security though, was it?


Not sure what you mean by that. I think Social Security means something totally different to those from the US than what you are referring to.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

kdsb said:


> Not sure what you mean by that. I think Social Security means something totally different to those from the US than what you are referring to.


I mean I presume you were going to a private doctor, not one in the public health system = social security = seguridad social, just because I didn't think doctors who work in social security would work so late if nothing else because the health clinics close around 9:00pm.


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## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

Ah, OK. Yes, I think it was a private doctor as we have private health insurance (DKV). Not quite sure how the whole system works. But it was within a clinic/hospital building that also has an ER,etc.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

kdsb said:


> Ah, OK. Yes, I think it was a private doctor as we have private health insurance (DKV). Not quite sure how the whole system works. But it was within a clinic/hospital building that also has an ER,etc.


A lot of private hospitals in Spain have ERs (or A&E Departments as we call them in the UK). That is different from the UK, where the private health sector does not provide emergency treatment.


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