San Miguel FAQ

By PinPoint Spanish.

Spanish has two forms for the word 'you': the formal 'usted' and the informal 'tú.' Choosing the right form for the occasion requires some cultural insight

A visiting Colombian student at one of Mexico’s universities complained about the expression ¿mande?—the Mexican way of saying ‘pardon?’ or of responding to someone who has called your attention. Literally, it means ‘command’ hence the dismay of the student who failed to see why one would submit to the orders of the speaker just because he or she wanted you to hear something.

But Mexican speech is polite even by Spanish or Latin American standards. As with many modern languages, English excepted, Spanish has two forms for the word you: the formal usted and the informal tú. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: ¿Mande Usted? The Formal and Informal You. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

In Mexico there are two ways of letting people know that something isn’t working properly:

• no sirve, from the verb servir, literally means “it doesn’t serve,” or properly translated “it’s no use,” and;
• no funciona, that means it’s not functioning, or is out of order.

Often in Mexico people will say —or scrawl on a piece of card— no sirve, when they probably ought to say or write no funciona—for example when a soft-drinks machine is taking money but not dropping the cans into the hatch, or a ticket-dispensing machine says it gives change but doesn’t, or an ATM asks you to try again later. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: When It’s Not Working: Out of Order, Useless—or Both? More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Cardinal numbers in Spanish are fairly straightforward until you get into the billions whereas ordinal numbers —first, second, third, etc.— get complicated way before then, and are certainly more complex than they are in English.

Ordinal numbers you should know
The numbers from one to ten, or more precisely first to tenth, are worth committing to memory as they appear frequently:

• Primero – first
• Segundo – second
• Tercero – third
• ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Getting to Grips with Ordinal Numbers in Spanish More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Modern conversations in Mexico are frequently interspersed with the word “güey” —pronounced “way”— which means several things and, just as often, nothing.

The word it derives from buey—that means ox, and was in finer times considered vulgar and insulting when applied to anyone. Its figurative meaning is that of mug, or sap, a connotation it still retains under its new spelling. In one of those changes in common usage which come about without anyone noticing exactly where or when, the “b” was replaced with a “g.” And that, users will defensively assure you, takes the curse off it.

Now the word güey is common in banter among all kinds of people, although particularly the younger generations. Use of it has grown and its meanings are manifold, changing with the context and even the intonation. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: The Modern Use of Güey: a Nasty Little Syllable. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Teachers of English frequently find themselves explaining the difference between “bring” and “take,” and when to use one and when the other.

The Spanish verbs “traer” (bring), and “llevar” (take), are applied almost in the same way. That is, traer is mostly used when the action is toward the place where the speaker is, and llevar when the action is away from the current location.

Examples of traer and llevar ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Bring This With You When You Go More. #Mexperience

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By Mexperience.

One of the ‘hidden’ costs of selling your Mexican home might lay in the ‘exchange rate effect,’ because tax liabilities when you sell are calculated in Mexican pesos and don’t take into account any shifts in foreign currency exchange rates between the date you purchased and date you sell.

Prices may be agreed in US dollars, but official amounts are documented in Mexican pesos

In many towns and cities across Mexico, house prices are quoted in Mexican pesos when they are offered to the market for sale. However, in a few places —and most notably in Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Ajijic/Chapala, and Cancun/Riviera Maya— home prices can often be seen quoted in US dollars. ...

The best way to understand the ‘exchange rate effect’ is through an example. ...

More at Mexperience: Exchange Rates and Capital Gains on Your Mexican Home. More #Mexperience

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by PinPoint Spanish

Most adjectives in Spanish go after the noun which they qualify or modify, although there are many exceptions, and the language gives its students plenty of flexibility without necessarily violating some especially-thorny grammatical point.

Some adjectives go before the noun, others can go before or after, and still others change their meaning depending on whether they precede or follow the noun.

One more or less reliable rule-of-thumb is that adjectives which differentiate an object from others of its kind —el coche azul (the blue car), la mesa redonda (the round table)— are placed after the noun; while those that underscore the quality of a thing precede the noun—una gran idea (a great idea), un perfecto caballero (a perfect gentleman), qué lindos niños (what lovely children). ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: A Place for Every Adjective, and Every Adjective in its Place. More #Mexperience

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By Mexperience.

This article contains a list of the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding matters related to Mexico’s visitor visas, and the visitor permit, the ‘Forma Migratoria Multiple,’ or FMM. ...

How long can I remain in Mexico with a visitor’s permit (FMM)?
If you enter Mexico as tourist or business visitor, then the immigration official at the port of entry will grant you a maximum number of days to stay in Mexico when you arrive; this number of days will be written on the visitor’s permit for your reference and will not exceed 180 days.

If the official writes a number less than 180 days then your stay in Mexico will be limited accordingly; the FMM cannot be extended. In all cases, the visitor’s permit will always expire after the number of days written on the permit: it cannot be extended or renewed and you must leave the country before it expires. You can find further details about this permit on our article Your Mexican Tourist Permit, FMM ...

What do I do if I over-stay on my visitor permit (FMM)? ...

More questions and answers at Mexperience: FAQs: Mexico’s Visitor Visas and Visitor Permit, the FMM. More #Mexperience

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The most frequently-asked questions (and answers) about applying for residency in Mexico based on 'economic solvency'—using income or savings/investments

By Mexperience.

Most applications for residency in Mexico are approved based on proof of ‘economic solvency.’ This means that you must demonstrate a minimum amount of income or savings/investments to qualify for residency in Mexico.

The article is organized into three sections:

• General questions about economic solvency
• Questions about income requirements
• Questions about savings/investment requirements

...
More at Mexperience: FAQs: Obtaining Residency in Mexico via ‘Economic Solvency.’ More #Mexperience

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This guide describes the working environment in Mexico, and how you can earn a living here by working for yourself or others. Download your free copy.

By Mexperience.

One of the perceived obstacles about moving to Mexico is earning a living here; however, modern technology and flexible work practices make working in Mexico more viable than ever.

PART ONE of this guide is written to explain the job market and landscape in Mexico, how to go about seeking employment, and what to expect from the working environment here, as the culture and working ways are different to, for example, the U.S. and Europe, even if you are working for an American or European company.

PART TWO of this guide gives you a complete overview about being self-employed or starting your own business in Mexico.

(GW: This guide is not specific to SMA but it does have some useful background and general information if you are new to the subject.)

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Working & Self-employment in Mexico – Free eBook. More #Mexperience

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This guide contains tips and practical knowledge to help you keep your home in Mexico maintained and secure. Download your free copy.

By Mexperience.

Home ownership is a responsibility, whichever country your property is located in. Once you have moved to Mexico and taken possession of your home, whether you own your property in Mexico or are just renting it, there will be certain matters to organize and deal with on a regular basis to keep your house properly maintained and secured when you are home and away. ...

(GW: This guide is not specific to SMA but it does have some useful background and general information if you are new to the subject.)

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: House Maintenance & Home Security in Mexico – Free eBook. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Like the US and Europe, people in Mexico tend to take three basic meals a day, and may also tuck into some additional calories in-between meal times.

Breakfasts are famously hearty in Mexico, especially at weekend gatherings, whereas the weight and timing of other meals depend more on people’s schedules and eating habits.

Desayuno derives from the Spanish word ayunar —to fast— and thus describes the first meal of the day. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Discovering Daily Mexican Meals and Meal Times. More #Mexperience

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This free eBook is a complete and detailed guide to buying, owning, renting, and selling real estate in Mexico. Download your free copy.

By Mexperience.

This comprehensive guide to real estate in Mexico introduces you to essential information about buying, owning, and selling property in Mexico, and also provides detailed information the rental market—as many people who purchase a home here rent before they buy.

The guide also includes information about time share and fractional ownership markets in Mexico, which are distinct to the outright purchase of a property.

(GW: This guide is not specific to SMA but it does have some useful background and general information if you are new to the subject.)

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Guide to Real Estate in Mexico – Free eBook. More #Mexperience

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When you're considering Mexico as a place to retire, our free eBook, Living & Retirement in Mexico, provides a comprehensive and detailed guide

By Mexperience.

For decades, Mexico has been one of the world’s most popular destinations for retirees, being especially attractive to people moving here to retire from the United States and Canada—although people from Europe and Australasia are also beginning to discover the benefits Mexico offers to retirees.

(GW: This guide is not specific to SMA but it does have some useful background and general information if you are new to the subject.)

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Comprehensive Guide to Retirement in Mexico – Free eBook. More #Mexperience

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Our free eBook offers a comprehensive and detailed guide to Living & Retirement in Mexico that helps you make considered choices and informed decisions

By Mexperience.

Regardless of what stage you are at in your thinking and planning about a move to Mexico, this guide helps you to make considered choices and informed decisions. It’s packed with practical local knowledge that will enable you to map out a plan and turn your lifestyle aspirations into a living reality.

(GW: This guide is not specific to SMA but it does have some useful background and general information if you are new to the subject.)

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Your Complete and Detailed Mexico Relocation Guide – Free eBook. More #Mexperience

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This free eBook is a comprehensive and detailed guide to help you learn about money, finances and banking in Mexico. Download your free copy.

By Mexperience.

This guide gives you a comprehensive overview of Mexico’s money system as well as the banks and banking services available that help to facilitate the commercial interactions you’ll need to engage with while you’re here.

The local knowledge shared in this guide helps you to consider your needs and
formulate a plan to manage your money and any investments you have in Mexico, as well as arrange banking and financial services that provide essential support as you begin to realize your living and lifestyle plans.

(GW: This guide is not specific to SMA but it does have some useful background and general information if you are new to the subject.)

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Money & Banking Services in Mexico – Free eBook. More #Mexperience

See also: Mexperience: Living and Retirement in Mexico 2022 – Free eBook

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The Mexico Cost of Living Guide helps you to create a budget based on your individual situation and lifestyle choices. Download your free copy.

By Mexperience.

This is a practical guide that enables you to calculate your living costs in Mexico and compose a budget based on your individual lifestyle situation. ...

This fully updated 2022 Guide to the Cost of Living in Mexico enables you to create an accurate estimate of your living costs, based on your individual situation and lifestyle choices. ...

(GW: This guide is not specific to SMA but it does have some useful background and general information if you are new to the subject.)

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Guide to the Cost of Living in Mexico 2022 – Free eBook. More #Mexperience

See also: Mexperience: Living and Retirement in Mexico 2022 – Free eBook

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This free eBook is a complete guide about about immigration, visas and obtaining legal residency in Mexico, fully updated for 2021. Download your free copy.

By Mexperience.

2021 eBooks will be updated during January 2022

All our 2021 eBooks are currently being revised and updated and will be republished during January 2022.

The 2021 Mexico Immigration Guide is a definitive source of information about Mexican immigration and visas and is an ideal resource for anyone who seeks to live, work, retire, invest, or start a business in Mexico.

GW: And keep an eye out for the update for 2022 expected later this month.

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Free eBook: Mexico Immigration Guide 2021 (2022). More #Mexperience

See also: Mexperience: Living and Retirement in Mexico 2022 – Free eBook

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Spanish has two different words that can be translated as "for" and which occasionally cause some confusion for people learning the language.

By PinPoint Spanish.

As well as its two verbs “to know,” and two verbs “to be,” Spanish has two different words that can be translated as “for” and which occasionally cause some confusion for people learning the language. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Two Words in Spanish For For, Para Que Sepan. More #Mexperience

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This free eBook is a comprehensive guide to living & retirement in Mexico that helps you weave together the components for a fruitful lifestyle here

By Mexperience.

This guide intends to help anyone exploring prospects for living and retirement in Mexico. It provides practical insights, incisive local knowledge, and meaningful guidance that helps you to discover opportunities, consider your choices, and make informed decisions.

This guide helps you to discover what lifestyles Mexico offers, identify opportunities of interest to you, weight up the compromises, consider your options, and plot a course based on the things that are important to you.

More and download the free e-book at Mexperience: Living and Retirement in Mexico 2022 – Free eBook More #Mexperience

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One of the most rewarding, and frequently neglected, parts of learning another language is finding out the names of the different animals.

By PinPoint Spanish.

Mexico is one of the world’s top countries in biodiversity, yet most people use only the most generic terms for the different plants and animals.

Some English people, for example, pride themselves on knowing the difference between a rook and a raven. Urban Mexicans would tell you they’re both crows—cuervos, aquí y en China, as the local saying goes. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Animal Names in Spanish: Crowing About Nomenclature. More #Mexperience

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In a day and age when the seven deadly sins are fully operative at home and abroad, it makes sense to include them in the language syllabus.

By PinPoint Spanish.

Los siete pecados capitales, as they’re called in Spanish, crop up every now and again in conversation, even if not necessarily as part of a discussion on piety.

Pride
Of several words in Spanish that can be used to mean pride, orgullo is the most common and the most versatile, and it can have both positive and negative connotations. Orgulloso can apply to people who take pride in their work or in their children’s achievements, but also to describe those who are somewhat aloof.

Soberbia is synonymous with orgullo but usually denotes a greater degree of arrogance. Someone who is soberbio looks down haughtily on others and lets them know it both by actions and attitude. One catch: soberbio can also mean superb, for example in sports when referring to a great goal or some other skillful play. Un gol soberbio, or una jugada soberbia. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: The Seven Deadly Sins Expressed in Spanish. More #Mexperience

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This article describes principal routes foreigners take to apply for legal residency in Mexico, with references to additional information and helpful resources

By Mexperience.

Our Mexico Immigration Guide provides detailed information about visas and residency permits. This article summarizes the principal routes that most people use to apply for, and acquire, legal residency here with links to further information and helpful resources.

Temporary or Permanent residency
Regardless of which route you take to apply for residency in Mexico, if your application for residency is accepted, you’ll be granted either temporary or permanent residency here.

Some routes and situations enable the applicant to apply for permanent residency right away; other routes and situations may require you to apply for temporary residency first, and after four consecutive years of holding temporary residency, you may opt to exchange that for permanent residency. ...

More at Mexperience: Principal Routes to Obtaining Legal Residency in Mexico. More #Mexperience

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You normally have to leave Mexico to apply for residency, but a special procedure is making it possible for some people with an expired visitor permit to apply in-country.

By Mexperience.

Under Mexico’s immigration rules, most applications for legal residency in Mexico need to begin outside of Mexico, at a Mexican consulate abroad. The few exceptions are people with certain family connections here, and those seeking residency on humanitarian grounds or through political asylum.

Opportunity if you plan to remain in Mexico longer term
A special procedure announced by the INM, Mexico’s immigration institute, that was originally introduced in the late spring of 2021, had its qualification criteria expanded in the fall of 2021—and those expanded criteria open an opportunity for some people to regularize their status and apply for legal residency in Mexico, in-country, without having to leave to apply at a Mexican consulate abroad.

More at Mexperience: Special Procedure to Apply for Mexico Residency In-Country. More #Mexperience

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Most applications for residency in Mexico begin at a Mexican consulate. Some documents might need to be 'apostilled'; this article describes the requirements.

By Mexperience.

With a few exceptions —mostly related to Family Unit circumstances— all applications for Mexican residency must begin outside of Mexico, via a Mexican consulate.

You can apply for residency in Mexico from any Mexican consulate world-wide; whether it is in your home country, or a ‘third country.’

However, if you apply from a country that is not your home country, or documents you have in support of your residency application were not issued in the country where you apply, you will need to get those key documents that support your application, e.g. marriage certificates and bank statements, ‘legalized,’ also known as ‘apostilled.‘ ...

More at Mexperience: Applications for Legal Residency Via a Mexican Consulate. More #Mexperience

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This article describes the rules and procedures and key points you need to know when you plan to bring your foreign-plated car to Mexico.

By Mexperience.

Mexico’s reformed immigration law enacted in 2012 changed the rules concerning the import of foreign-plated vehicles. For temporary visitors (tourists) and temporary residents, procedures remain straightforward; however, a significant change is that permanent residents are no longer allowed to import a foreign-plated car into Mexico using a Temporary Import Permit (TIP). Here are the details:

Obtaining a Temporary Import Permit (TIP)
If you intend to drive your vehicle beyond the 25km border zone (checkpoints exist), or anywhere outside of a defined Free Zone (Free Zones are: Baja California peninsula, a defined area in the state of Sonora, and the state of Quintana Roo), you must have a valid TIP to avoid fines and confiscation of the vehicle. You must obtain the permit before you cross into Mexico: they are not available anywhere inside Mexico, nor at Mexico’s interior checkpoints. ...

Much more at Mexperience: How to Bring a Foreign-Plated Car Into Mexico. More #Mexperience

Regularization of Existing Vehicles of Foreign Origin.


On Saturday, October 16, the President of the Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, signed a decree for the regularization of vehicles of foreign origin that are already in the country, specifically in the State of Baja California. ... The cost to regularize a vehicle will be 2,500 pesos ...

The UCD will advocate before the government of the Republic so that the coverage of the decree is extended to all the entities of the country ...

Unfortunately, there are several fraudsters who are asking for money in advance for an alleged management, when the corresponding payments will have to be made directly to the tax authority ...

Noticias Con Valor (sp) | English.
Published by Noticias Con Valor at October 18, 2021 1:20 pm.

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By Mexperience.

If you intend to stay in Mexico for more than a couple of weeks, or are accustomed to using Mexico’s visitor permit for longer-term visits —for example, if you spend winters in Mexico or own a home here and live part-time as a visitor— and you automatically expect to be granted 180 days because that has been the norm to now, you should talk to the immigration official at the port of entry and explain your plans and intentions before they write the number of days on your permit.

‘Perpetual visitors’
This change is likely to impact ‘perpetual visitors’ as they will likely not be granted 180 days by default. As we have remarked in the article about the FMM, some people have been using the flexibility of the Visitor permit to continually return to Mexico to remain here longer-term. We also remarked that immigration officials have been checking the arrival records of people coming to Mexico for some while now and questioning the intentions of those who continually return—and we’ve thus been recommending that you consider applying for legal residency if you intend to be in Mexico for longer. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Changes to Time Allowed in Mexico Using a Visitor Permit. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Mexico has a wide variety of dichos or refranes —sayings, maxims, or phrases— some of Mexican origin and others evidently not.

Expressions of natural wisdom
By analogy or through rhyme, the dichos are supposed to convey time-honored truths that admit no argument. But they can be, and often are, pronounced in such a smug manner as to fit the definition of perogrullada—a word almost onomatopoeic in its ugliness which means, briefly, an obvious truth of such little moment that to utter it is foolishness.

One frequently used phrase, tanto va el cántaro al agua, hasta que se rompe, —or the jug is dipped so often into the water that eventually it breaks— is self-explanatory and can be particularly annoying with its “told you so” tone and presumption of virtue in the inevitable. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Dichos y Refranes: A Saying For Every Occasion. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

In Spanish, double negatives are valid when referring to the absence of people and things.

“No hay nada” —literally, “there isn’t nothing”— is a multi-purpose expression which can mean the fridge is empty, no one showed up for the game, or nobody knows anything about this. It can also mean “there’s nothing.”

Likewise, “no hay nadie” means there’s no one, and “no tenemos nada,” means we have nothing. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: In Defense of the Double Negative in Spanish. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

For people who object to the double-negatives common in Spanish, there is one area where Spanish usually omits a negative which in English is necessary to make sense. It involves the word “until”—hasta.

Here are some examples:

• The bus won’t arrive until 3 pm, in Mexico would be: el camión llega hasta las 3 pm.
• He didn’t hand in his homework until the next day. Entregó su tarea hasta el otro día.
• I didn’t see your message until I got home. Vi tu mensaje hasta que llegué a la casa.

...

Continue reading at Mexperience: (Don’t) Read This Until You’re Ready. More #Mexperience

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By Mexperience,

You can’t please all of the people all of the time. Still, the Bank of Mexico certainly tried with its latest commemorative banknote—a new 20-peso bill marking the 200th anniversary of the consummation of Mexico’s independence from Spain.

After the new 100-peso bill drew some badly informed criticism on social media for being designed vertically the central bank and others involved in the concept and design of banknotes appear to have gone for a Solomonic solution: the image on the front of the new bill is horizontal, and the one on the reverse side is vertical.

As is well known, Mexico’s war of independence began on September 16th, 1810 with the Grito de Dolores, the call to arms by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Indeed, the country’s independence is celebrated each year on September 16th, and the bicentennial was marked in 2010.

But it was 11 years later, on September 27th, 1821 ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: New $20-peso Banknote Commemorates Mexico’s Independence. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Some while ago, an exercise by BBC Mundo showed the most annoying expression across the Spanish speaking world as being “¿me entiendes?” —do you understand me?— which certain speakers will inject into their conversation when trying to make a point.

One similar expression, “¿me explico?“ —am I explaining myself?, or am I making myself clear?— is fairly common in Mexico, and particularly galling.

Like its counterpart “¿me entiendes?,” “¿me explico?” comes across as speaking down to the listener, with the added poison of fake humility. Both carry the implication that any failure to comprehend (and of course agree) is caused by the faulty intellect of the receiver.

Continue reading at Mexperience: Comprehension: ¿Me Entiendes, o Me Explico? More #Mexperience

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By Foreign Native.

Malinchista is a term some Mexicans use to describe other Mexicans who show a preference for foreign things, speak gushingly of the order and tidiness to be found abroad, or are critical of Mexico and Mexican ways vis-à-vis their foreign counterparts.

The expression malinchista (or the practice, malinchismo) harks back five centuries to the native woman Malinche —the Aztecs called her Malintzin, and the Spanish doña Marina— who served as interpreter for Hernán Cortés, became his mistress, and bore him a son.

Incidents in her early life meant that Malinche spoke both Maya and Náhuatl, and along with Gerónimo de Aguilar, who knew Spanish and Maya, allowed Cortés to communicate with the Aztecs in his conquest of Tenochtitlán.

Continue reading at Mexperience: Cultural Insight: Woe is the Malinchista. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

One thing that makes Spanish conversation quite easy for the beginner is that there are basically only five vowel sounds.

Vowels don’t change their sound in Spanish
By themselves, Spanish vowels never really alter their sound, unlike English vowels, which, to the native Spanish speaker can be quite baffling. Pronunciation of words like determine, waffle, sausage, and names like Ian and Graham, as well as wind (the kind that blows) and wind (as a watch), read (present) and read (past), and differences in the pronunciation of words such as rough, bough, though, thought and thorough, are almost anathema to the logical Spanish mind.

Even when two vowels together join to make a single sound, that sound is essentially a combination of the two vowels’ individual pronunciations.

Continue reading at Mexperience: The Five Vowel Sounds in the Spanish Language. More #Mexperience

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Mexican Spanish is versatile when it comes to questions of time and punctuality through use of the diminutive term, "ahorita".

By PinPoint Spanish.

Spanish words ending in “ito” or “ita” are diminutive: indicating a smaller version of the noun in question.

Diminutives as euphemisms…
Diminutives are also used as a form of euphemism, especially for guilty pleasures. A dieter may go for “taquitos” rather than tacos, or round off a meal with a “pastelito” instead of pastel, while a drinker could order a “cubita” (a little rum and coke) if it looks a bit early for a cuba, or open the appetite with a “tequilita.”

…except for now
An exception to this rule is “ahorita”—at least as it is often used in Mexico. As the diminutive of “ahora” —now— technically it should mean “right now,” as in “ahora mismo,” insofar as it suggests that less time ought to elapse between the promise and the fulfillment. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: It’s Urgent that You Wait. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Among the many versatilities of the Spanish language is the use of adjectives as nouns. By adding “el,” “los,” “la,” or “las” before an adjective or past participle of a verb, you get a descriptive noun referring to a person, place or thing.

Some examples include:

• El veloz — “the speedy” one
• La Ventosa — “the windy” place
• Los desesperados — “the desperate” ones

Some English adjectives are also applied as nouns, such as in the rich, the poor, the good, etc., but these are usually general, whereas in Spanish almost any adjective can be used, and the application is specific. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: The Spherical Object is in the Back of the Net. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

“There is” or “there are” in Spanish is expressed with the simple word hay. Derived from the verb haber —nominally, “to have”— hay can be applied without modification to singular and plural, masculine or feminine.

Hay lugar para tres personas.
There is room for three people.

Hay tres personas en el elevador.
There are three people in the elevator.

Dealing with tenses ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Hay & Haber—Treading in a Grammatical Minefield. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Mothers are widely revered in Mexico, and although Mother’s Day on May 10 isn’t a national holiday, not a great deal gets done that day. It isn’t moved to the nearest Sunday like Father’s Day, or Mother’s Day in other countries: when it falls on a week day, so be it. Working mothers are given the day off, some people leave early for family gatherings, and any employer who refuses to allow this without good reason may be said to “not have a mother.”

Which brings this entry to its point: the widespread use of the word madre in expressions whose English equivalents have nothing to do with matriarchal figures.

When it’s said of a person, “no tiene madre,” it means they are shameless or unscrupulous. It can also be applied to things that are disgraceful or simply unfair. A variation is “¡qué poca madre!” which amounts to the same thing.

These two expressions, however, can also mean something quite different ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: The Mother of All Expressions. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

Spanish offers a potpourri of different terms to describe paths, streets, roads, and highways, some of which provide practical assistance to the traveler and others which provide opportunities for flexibility in use of the language.

Common terms for streets in Mexico
The most common term seen and used in Mexico is “calle” —street— with calle principal indicating a main route, usually crossing or connecting smaller streets adjacent. The fancier avenida, or avenue, and even bulevar may also be employed when the need for distinction arises.

Camino, the equivalent of ‘road’ or ‘way’ in English, is less commonly seen and used in Mexico, and is a word that can also serve to describe a person’s journey: va en camino, he’s on his way—or distinctly, va por su camino which translates to ‘he’s making his own way (in life)’.

Continue reading at Mexperience: A Guide to Mexican Street Speak. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

A good many Mexicans, when returning from an extended stay in Spain, get into the habit of saying hubiese instead of hubiera, hablase instead of hablara—and some even pronounce the ‘s’ almost as an ‘sh.’

Now if there’s one thing that’s liable to get friends and family wound up, it’s talking as if you had been born and bred on the peninsula. The reasons for this could be historical, or cultural, or a bit of both. The point is that applying the preferred Iberian usage of the imperfect subjunctive tense in Mexico is considered pompous at best.

The imperfect subjunctive in Spanish
The imperfect subjunctive is very common in Spanish and it’s easy to mix it up with the conditional tense. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: If You Had Read This: Verb Tenses in Spanish. More #Mexperience

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One of the most popular programs that senior citizens in Mexico enroll for is the INAPAM discount card. This article explains what it is, how it benefits you, and how to enroll.

By Mexperience,

One of the most popular programs that senior citizens in Mexico enroll for is the discount card offered the INAPAM (Instituto Nacional para las Personas Adultas Mayores).

How does it work?
The program is open to all Mexicans and legal foreign residents who are 60 years of age or older, and the card issued by the institution enables holders to enjoy worthwhile discounts on a wide range of goods and services including food, medicines, transport, clothing, as well as recreation and leisure activities.

Many firms and businesses actively advertise the fact that they offer discounts to INAPAM card holders, and even those who don’t advertise it might give a discount on goods and services you buy if you present your card to them.

Many organizations in Mexico are pleased to give seniors a discount, and this card is the means by which prove your legal residency and age qualification. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: INAPAM: Mexico’s Discount Card for Seniors. More #Mexperience

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By PinPoint Spanish.

It’s said that even people who can waltz through a lie-detector test without so much as blinking will stumble if required to do arithmetic in a foreign language.

This probably wouldn’t be very useful for Sherlock Holmes to know in these days of $1 calculators, since it’s rather hard to find anyone who can do much arithmetic in their own language without the aid of an intelligent chip and LCD screen.

Big numbers get trickier in Spanish
Numbers in Spanish —particularly big numbers— can be a bit tricky for native English speakers. The Spanish-speaking world still uses thousands of millions — miles de millones— for billions, and un billon is a million millions, or a U.S. trillion. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Cardinal Numbers in Words. More #Mexperience

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A Mexican law empowers authorities to seize your home if it’s suspected that the property was obtained illicitly or if it’s being used for illegal activities.

By Mexperience,

Legislation enacted in August 2019 gives the Mexican state wide-ranging powers to seize physical property in the event that it’s suspected to be —or suspected ever was— linked to illicit or criminal activity.

Known in Spanish as Ley Nacional de Extinción de Dominio, the law enables a judge to immediately order the seizure of a property that is suspected to be part of a corrupt or illegal transfer chain (for example, if previous owners used illicit means to acquire it or build it) and/or if it’s suspected the property is being actively used for criminal purposes. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Make Sure You Know Who’s Renting Your Mexican Home. More #Mexperience

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UDIs were introduced as an inflation-protected unit to address a banking crisis in 1995, and are still used today for mortgages, bonds, and some financial calculations.

By Mexperience,

UDI is an acronym for Unidad de Inversión, or Investment Unit. UDIs were first introduced in 1995, at the height of the so-called Tequila Crisis.

Events that led to the creation of the UDI
Unlike the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, or even the Covid crisis of 2020, the Tequila crisis was a home-grown Mexican economic blowout. In 1994, a year of political unrest which included the armed Zapatista uprising in southern Mexico and the assassination in Tijuana of the ruling party’s presidential candidate, foreign investors fled the country with their capital. By the end of the year, central bank reserves were depleted, and the government was unable to pay its debts. The peso was allowed to float against the dollar, bringing about a sharp devaluation. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: What are Mexico’s UDIs, and what are they used for? More #Mexperience

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Mexico’s latest census reveals insights about the country’s changing population trends, including a rise in the number of foreign-born residents living here

By Mexperience,

On January 25th, 2021, Mexico’s statistics institute, INEGI, published the preliminary results of the 2020 national census, which was completed last year with some interruptions because of the social-distancing measures imposed in late March, April and May.

Population growth is declining, and aging slightly
The population was recorded at just over 126 million people, of whom 64.5 million were women and 61.5 million men—a split of 51.2% to 48.8%. The average annual population growth rate was 1.2% since the last census in 2010 when a population of 112.3 million people was recorded. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Mexico’s 2020 Census Reveals an Increase in Foreign-born Residents. More #Mexperience

Executive Summary (sp pdf) also attached.
Principal Results (sp pdf) also attached.
Population and Housing Census 2020 (sp).

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There are many pairs of words in English-Spanish that look and sound similar but have very different meanings.

By PinPoint Spanish.

Native English speakers more or less know that if you’re struggling to find a word in Spanish, you can add an ‘o’ or an ‘a’ to the end of an English noun —as well as “idad” for words ending “ity” and “ología” for “ology” and “ismo” for “ism”— and have a 50% chance of coming up with something close enough that people will understand what you are getting at.

Of the remaining 50% chance, there’s roughly a 33% chance each that you will: a) be misunderstood, b) say the opposite of what you mean, and c) make a complete fool of yourself. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: That’s what False Friends are for. More #Mexperience

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Our Mexico Immigration Guide has been fully revised and updated for 2021.

By Mexperience,

The most complete and up to date guide about Mexico Immigration is available as a free eBook again this year from Mexperience.

2021 edition completely revised and updated
We have been publishing the Mexico Immigration Guide for over a decade. It’s the most complete guide to Mexico Immigration whether you plan to live, work, retire or start a business here.

Continue reading at Mexperience: 2021 Mexico Immigration Guide is Published. More #Mexperience

You can download the free eBook from the Mexperience link above and it is also an attachment to this post.


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Our Mexico Cost of Living Guide has been fully revised and updated for 2021.

By Mexperience,

The most comprehensive guide to the cost of living in Mexico is available as a free eBook again this year from Mexperience.

Our 2021 Mexico Cost of Living Guide is more than a random list of prices
People considering a move to Mexico —part-time, full-time, or for a defined period— usually want to know what their cost of living is likely be here, so that they can assess the affordability of the move and plan accordingly. Our guide to the cost of living in Mexico —updated annually— enables you to do just that.

Continue reading at Mexperience: 2021 Mexico Cost of Living Guide is Published. More #Mexperience

You can download the free eBook from the Mexperience link above and it is also an attachment to this post.


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By Mexperience,

The Mexican peso went on a roller-coaster ride against the US dollar in 2020, at one point reaching an all-time low before gradually clawing back those losses to end the year only about 5% weaker than at the end of 2019.

The peso’s fall and recovery in 2020
The peso had ended 2019 at about 18.90 to the US dollar following its most stable year in a decade. But as businesses prepared to shut down in the US and Mexico in March of 2020, the peso started to sell off heavily. Toward the end of that month, it fell as low as 25.26 per dollar—its weakest ever level.

This was partly because oil prices were sinking on a global glut and shrinking demand, which would cause a loss of government revenue from crude oil exports and even greater financial difficulties for the state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos, but also because neither traders nor economists knew what to expect in terms of economic growth. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Mexico’s Peso Roller-Coaster Ride of 2020 and Estimates for 2021. More #Mexperience

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Learn about the 2021 fees for Mexico residency-related permits and administrative procedures.

By Mexperience.

If you intend to apply for legal residency in Mexico or need to engage in some administrative process regarding your existing legal residency permit, you will need to pay some fees to facilitate the procedures.

Here is the schedule of fees for 2021. ...

Continue reading at Mexperience: Mexico Residency-Related Fees for 2021. More #Mexperience

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