Ecuadorian Spanish - What's the Difference?

This essay penned by Kip Devvy explores unique nuances that may be observed while studying at Ecuador Spanish schools

If you come to Ecuador to learn to speak Spanish, or if you have already learned the language in school or from a course (such as the ones you can get online), you will have a pleasant surprise. The Spanish spoken in this Andean country is considered among the clearest and most precisely pronounced versions of the language to be heard anywhere.

Aside from issues of pronunciation, all countries have their own peculiar idioms and slang words. In this Ecuador is no exception. Here is an area ripe for misunderstanding and confusion, even for those visitors with an excellent knowledge of standard Spanish.

If you know a bit of Spanish, you probably know that precio means price and huevo means egg. In Ecuador, someone might try to induce you to buy a necklace or a shirt by claiming that it is a precio de huevo -- "the price of an egg."  The phrase is used here simply to mean a "cheap price."

Speaking of eggs, don't be surprised to hear a bald gentleman referred to as a cabeza de huevo. Literally, this means "egghead," but without necessarily connoting someone who is extremely smart (as people in the U.S. use it).

Some Ecuadorian idioms simply substitute a different word for the one you might have learned in your Spanish class. For example, instead of chiste, Ecuadorans sometimes use cacho for "a joke." Similarly, you might hear caleta instead of casa used for "house."

Ecuador is one of the best places in the world to learn to speak Spanish. But keep in mind that even here, there are local differences in the language that you must keep an ear out for.

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