A hilarious video is making rounds on social media, featuring a Cuban woman and a Uruguayan woman exchanging words in Spanish, highlighting the linguistic differences in their respective countries. "Differences in words between Cuba and Uruguay," noted Yisley Hernández in the reel shared on Facebook.
The clip starts with the Cuban mentioning the word "café," which, according to the Uruguayan, is called "mate" in her country—a beverage not always highly appreciated among those born in the Caribbean nation.
Among the long list of terms used in Cuba and their equivalents in Uruguay, they mentioned "guagua" (bus), "malecón" (promenade), "frijoles" (beans), "maíz" (corn), "aguacate" (avocado), "piña" (pineapple), and "bistec" (steak).
The video concludes with laughter as the two women discuss the word "coger," commonly used in Cuba with various meanings. The humor arises because in Uruguay, as well as in countries like Spain and Mexico, this word has a different connotation related to sexual intercourse. In this context, they are referring to the action of "grabbing" an object.
Recently, these two women starred in another amusing video where they mentioned a series of words highlighting the linguistic variations of the Spanish language. In that instance, the clip also ended in laughter and with a question: "What would 'ñeri' be in Cuba?"
Linguistic Differences Between Cuba and Uruguay
This section addresses common questions about the linguistic variations highlighted in the video between Cuban and Uruguayan Spanish.
What is the Cuban equivalent of "mate" in Uruguay?
In Cuba, "mate" is referred to as "café."
Why is the word "coger" considered funny in the video?
The word "coger" has a different meaning in Uruguay and other Spanish-speaking countries, where it is associated with sexual intercourse, unlike in Cuba, where it simply means to grab or take.