Mexico is immensely popular with tourists from all over the world. This state is known not only for a huge number of all kinds of attractions, but also for its developed tourist infrastructure. In addition, Mexico, although infrequently, is chosen as a country for immigration. Of course, in order to feel comfortable in this country, you need to know what language is spoken in Mexico.

Mexican Spanish

The United Mexican States is a multicultural nation that recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to preserve and develop their own dialects. The main language in the country is Spanish - it is spoken by about 90% of the population. To understand why people in Mexico speak Spanish, you need to turn to history. In 1521, the Spanish colonialists arrived in Mexico City (formerly Tenochtitlan), who brought and spread their language throughout the state. As a result of intense interracial contacts and the birth of children (mestizations), Creole (Mexican) Spanish began to form.

Mexican Spanish is the most widely spoken Spanish language. He is understood not only in historical homeland but also throughout Latin America as well as in the United States. However, Spanish and Mexican are not the same. So, the formation of the Mexican Spanish was significantly influenced by the neighborhood with the United States.

Mexican Spanish is a native language in Mexico. It is spoken by approximately 125 million people. Of these, more than 100 million live in the state itself and about 25 million in the United States (mainly in the border regions of Texas, California, Arizona, etc.).

Official language of Mexico

The Mexican United States pursues a policy of bilingualism - this is stated in the country's Constitution. Therefore, speaking about which language is the official language in Mexico, it should be noted that the government of the country recognizes, in addition to Spanish, another 68 local dialects... At the same time, many consider Spanish to be the state language. However, this is an erroneous opinion, since there is no such definition in the country's legislation.

Answering the question about which language is the official in Mexico, one should again turn to the Constitution of the country, which says that due to the multinationality of the state, Spanish and local dialects have equal rights as official languages.

This is despite the fact that only 6% of the population speak dialects.

In 2003, the Congress of Mexico decided to support the law on the linguistic rights of indigenous peoples, which enshrined the right of the local population to use their native speech when communicating with the authorities and issuing official documents. And yet the de facto national language in this state is Spanish.

Dialects of local languages ​​in Mexico

Before the arrival of the Spanish in the United Mexican States locals spoke Indian languages. However, at the grammatical and phonological level of Spanish, this practically did not affect in any way, although linguists still recognize their influence on the lexical composition of speech.

The most common Native American languages ​​in Mexico:

• Nahuatl (Aztec group);
• Yucatec (from the Mayan language group);

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• Mixtec;
• Zapotec;
• tseltal;
• tsotsilskiy.

There are 364 different dialects in the state with significant differences. For example, Nahuatl is the language of the Aztec empire. It is spoken by about one and a half million people. However, it is highly fragmented geographically. But the largest adjacent dialect is Yucatec, which is spoken by about 800 thousand people. It is used on the Yucatan Peninsula. Therefore, it is rather difficult to answer unequivocally what language is spoken in Mexico.

Other popular languages

The United Mexican States is one of the most developed states in Latin America, which attracts every year great amount tourists from all over the world. Therefore, for those who have never been to this country, it is important to know what other language, besides Spanish, is understood in this state.

For example, English in Mexico, it is not common in all states, and you need to be prepared for this. However, recently, thanks to the active development of the tourism sector and an increase in the level of service for travelers, employers began to give great importance proficiency of applicants for work in restaurants and hotels in English, Italian, German, French and Portuguese. Moreover, in some fashionable hotel complexes, the staff even speaks Russian.



Going on a trip, tourists are interested in what language is the main one in Mexico City. As in the entire state, the overwhelming majority of residents speak Spanish. However, in this city you can also meet a lot of people who speak English. The same goes for other cities such as Palenque, Villarosa, Campeche and Cancun. But if you go south, then knowledge of Spanish is already required.

It should be noted that most of the excursions and recreational activities specially prepared for tourists are conducted in English.

Spanish language courses

Mexico is at the forefront of providing opportunities to study Spanish in Latin America - students from all over the world attend Spanish courses here. Language schools and courses provide an opportunity not only to quickly and efficiently learn Spanish, but also to get to know the culture of this distant state better.

Language schools in the United Mexican States are located in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen. They offer a variety of programs, but the most in demand are Standard and Intensive courses.

Mexico: Video

Aztec languages ​​have been studied since the mid-16th century, when the first grammar of the classical Nahuatl was published. For a long time, Nahuatl was described only by Christian missionaries. At the beginning of the 19th century. one of the Nahuatl languages ​​was studied by the German linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt. Nowadays, many of the Aztec languages ​​are well documented and taught in schools.

From the beginning of the 15th century, about 100 years before the Spanish conquest, the Aztecs began to use hieroglyphic, mainly ideographic, writing, which arose under the influence of the Mixtec script; the latter, in turn, goes back to the writing of the Zapotec Indians, who borrowed the idea and basic principles of writing from the Olmecs and, possibly, from the Mayans (see MAYAN LANGUAGES). Later, the Aztecs developed some elements of phonetic writing, especially when writing names. Currently, Latin-based scripts have been developed for many Aztec languages.

Aztec languages ​​are highly synthetic, with an accusative sentence construction.

In the Russian language there are a number of indirect borrowings from the Nahuatl language, which came through Spanish and English (or French): tomato, chocolate, avocado, coyote, ocelot. For example, the word chocolate comes from the Aztec xocolatl "bitter water".

Mexico is one of the most ancient countries with a rich history and numerous peoples living on its territory for a long time. It ranks third after the United States and in terms of the number of people living in its territory.

Initially, Indians lived in this country, this lasted for many thousands of years, until it was settled by Africans and immigrants from Europe. This determined the current composition of the country's population, the overwhelming majority of which are mestizos and mulattos, born as a result of mixing blood and international marriages. Therefore, there are many languages ​​spoken in modern Mexico.

In contact with

Tourists who are preparing for a trip to this country often wonder what language is the state in it, what dialects the local population still speaks, and also whether it is possible to communicate with Mexicans in English.

Short story

To understand the linguistic diversity of Mexico, let's look at its history. The Indians, who for the most part inhabited the entire territory of the country up to the 16th century, spoke a huge number of Mexican dialects, their number reached several dozen. Dialects and national languages differed from each other in different regions of the country. So, residents of the center of the country said in the Maaya language, and in the north, the most common was navajo... However, after the active population of the country by Europeans began in the 16th century, the overwhelming majority of the population began to say in spanish already by the 1750s - 60s.

In the process of settling, Europeans brought to Mexico not only their languages, but also diseases, to which the indigenous population there was no immunity... Among the local population, infant mortality has increased, which could not but affect the numerical ratio of the different peoples of Mexico. This caused a sharp decline in the number of Indians. However, the remaining indigenous population did not stop speaking their own languages, and the Spaniards had no goal of getting rid of the Indian dialects. Therefore, to this day, the ancient Mexican dialects of the local population exert their influence on the generally accepted national and give it a peculiar color.

In modern Mexico share of adverbs and Indian alphabets is about 8-10%, which is very much even a lot.

Even Spanish in Mexico has its own peculiarity. It is similar to Spanish, which was spoken in Madrid itself four centuries ago, because in the Mexican territories it did not receive such an active development as in its native Spain. Because of this, it would seem that the same language in these two countries is very different. Related to this is the emergence of such a concept as "Mexican Spanish".

Although the majority believe that Spanish is the state language of the country, there is no such clause in Mexican legislation. The constitution states that due to the multinationality of the country, the Spanish and Mexican languages act on an equal footing as official.

Most of the population, of course, speaks Spanish. Arriving in this country, you may not hear any other speech at all, the Spanish language is so widespread here. However, at the state level in this country, the right of indigenous peoples to submit official documents and requests to state institutions in Mexican languages ​​is enshrined, and the state agency is obliged to give answers to them to the population.

Modern Spanish in Mexico is a mixture of adverbs that have emerged as a result of mixing with local dialects and have become a kind of cultural heritage of this country. It is spoken by about 130 million people, not only at home, but also in the United States. This number is even higher than the number of speakers in Spain. Approximately 30 million people abroad continue to speak their language native language and develop it. The United States even introduces educational programs and Spanish language courses.

Mexican local languages ​​and dialects

In Mexico, the indigenous population continues to use Mexican dialects and dialects. Now there are about 7 million people in the state, who do not use Spanish in their speech... This is a rather impressive figure, even despite the fact that it defines itself as Indians by nationality twice. more of people.

Most often, the local population speaks the following Mexican dialects:

In Mexico, there is a historically established division of dialects and adverbs across the country. In the south, you can most often hear from the locals nahuatl in the states of Morelos, Ildago and others. Most of the population speaking this dialect live in rural areas. It continues to be spoken by about one and a half million people, and is the most common among Mexicans.

About 800 thousand people still speak dialect maaya taan, which remained a legacy of the Mayan civilization. This dialect even passed to other states. Previously, it was spoken only in its homeland - the Yukotan Peninsula, and later, as a result of migration and resettlement, it appeared in Guatemala and other neighboring countries.

Mishtek language ranks third among the surviving Mexican dialects in terms of prevalence. It is spoken by about 500 thousand Mexicans living in the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca.

At the state level, it is fixed that all Mexicans can speak any native language, and their total number is more than 60... There are also very few in number, but in Mexico, even a special direction for the maintenance and development of ancient local dialects is legally allocated, educational and cultural events are held.

Do Mexicans speak English

English is the most international language, so before traveling to this state, tourists often look for information if it is spoken in Mexico.

Of course, Mexico is actively developing, and the young population speaks good English and even in Portuguese and French. Therefore, if you only know English, and you needed to ask something on the street, the Mexicans will understand you and will be able to help and explain something.

Tourism in the country is developing, and when recruiting personnel for restaurants and hotels, employers pay attention to the fact that the candidate knows foreign languages:

Russian tourists may be pleasantly surprised that in some fashionable hotels or restaurants the staff will communicate with them in Russian! All entertainment events and excursions specially prepared for tourists are conducted in English, so there should be no language barrier. In any case, sign language helps out in different situations, even now, when people travel a lot and visit countries with a new culture for themselves.

Despite the colloquial differences in the population of Mexico, all of its inhabitants are united by their love for their country and an incredibly colorful culture that attracts many tourists to the country every year.

Television has shaped the image of Mexico as a very poor country, where drug cartels are constantly at war with each other. But in reality, this is not at all the case. Every year more than 20 million foreign tourists come to this country to see the unique monuments and pyramids of the Mayans and Aztecs, ancient Spanish forts, colonial palaces, taste the unforgettable Mexican cuisine, and, of course, relax at the Mexican beach resorts, among which "shine »Acapulco and Cancun.

Geography of Mexico

Mexico is located in the south of North America. Mexico borders the United States in the north, and Guatemala and Belize in the southeast. In the southeast, the country is washed by the Caribbean Sea, in the east - by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and in the south and west - by the waters The Pacific.

Mexico includes several islands in the Pacific Ocean, including the Revilla-Jihedo group of islands and Guadalupe Island. The total area of ​​this state, including the islands, is 1,972,550 sq. km., and the total length of the state border is 4 353 km.

From north to south, the Sierra Madre Western and Sierra Madre Eastern mountain ranges stretch across the territory of Mexico, they are located between the Mexican Highlands. In the south, the Sierra Madre South mountain range dominates. The highest local peak is Mount Orizaba, whose height reaches 5,700 meters.

There is a fairly high seismic activity in Mexico. In addition, there are many volcanoes there, some of which are still active (for example, Colima and Parikutin).

The largest Mexican rivers are Usumacinta (560 km), Grihalva (480 km), Papaloapan (534 km), Coatzacoalcos (282 km).

Capital of mexico

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico. More than 9 million people now live in this city. Historians claim that Mexico City was founded by the Aztecs in 1325.

Official language

In Mexico, one official language is Spanish.

Religion

More than 82% of the inhabitants are Catholics, about 9% are Protestants.

State structure

According to the current Constitution, Mexico is a presidential republic in which the President is the head of state (he is elected by universal suffrage for 6 years).

The bicameral Mexican parliament is called Congress, it consists of the Senate (128 senators, elected for 6 years) and the Chamber of Deputies (500 members, elected for 3 years).

The main political parties- Institutional Revolutionary Party, National Action Party, Democratic Revolution Party, Green Party and Labor Party.

Mexico is administratively divided into 31 states and one federal district centered in Mexico City.

Climate and weather

The climate is tropical and temperate, depending on the region and altitude in relation to sea level. On the Yucatan Peninsula, the average annual air temperature is + 26-30C.

The rainy season lasts from May to October. During the rest of the year, it also rains, but much less often. In general, you can relax in Mexico all year round, but it depends on the destinations where tourists want to go (some destinations are better to choose in certain months).

Average temperature in Cancun (Caribbean coast):

1. January - + 23С
2. February - + 23C
3. March - + 25C
4. April - + 26C
5. May - + 27C
6. June - + 28C
7. July - + 28C
8. August - + 28C
9. September - + 28C
10. October - + 27C
11. November - + 25C
12. December - + 24C

Seas and oceans of Mexico

In the southeast, the country is washed by the Caribbean Sea, and in the south and west - by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The total length of the coastline is 9,330 km.

Average sea temperature off the coast of Cancun (Caribbean coast):

1. January - + 26C
2. February - + 26C
3. March - + 26C
4. April - + 27C
5. May - + 28C
6. June - + 29C
7. July - + 29C
8. August - + 29C
9. September - + 29C
10. October - + 29С
11. November - + 28C
12. December - + 27C

Rivers and lakes

Several rather large rivers flow through the territory of Mexico - Usumacinta (560 km), Grihalva (480 km), Papaloapan (534 km), Coatzacoalcos (282 km). In the state of Guadalajara, at an altitude of 1,524 meters above sea level, there is a freshwater lake Chapala with an area of ​​1,100 sq. km, the largest in this country.

History of Mexico

On the territory of modern Mexico, people settled several thousand years ago. In the early centuries of our century, several Indian tribes lived there, including the famous Maya, who created hieroglyphic writing, a calendar and grandiose pyramids. Around the 12th century, the Aztecs appeared there.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, led by Hernandez de Cordoba, Juan de Grijalva and Hernan Cortez. After some time, Mexico became part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and remained a Spanish colony until 1821.

In 1823, after a long war of independence, the Republic of Mexico was proclaimed. Throughout the 19th century, bloody wars took place on the territory of this country, as a result of which the Mexican states of Texas, New Mexico, and Upper California ceded to the United States.

Not without wars for Mexico and the beginning of the XX century. From 1910 to 1917 there continued Civil War... As a result, the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz was overthrown and a Constitution was adopted that guaranteed the separation of church from state, agrarian reform, the creation of trade unions, etc.

In the 1950s, Mexico, where oil reserves are very large, began an economic recovery. In the mid-1980s, oil prices fell, and an economic and political crisis began in Mexico. Now this country is still experiencing economic problems, but the situation is quite stable.

Culture

The culture of Mexico was formed on the basis of the traditions of the Indians, and then on it strong influence provided by the Spaniards. Every Mexican city or village has its own festival in honor of a saint.

At the end of February, a grandiose Carnival takes place in Mexico City, which usually lasts 5 days. All these 5 days, colorful processions with music and dancing take place along the streets of the Mexican capital.

On December 12, Mexico City and some other Mexican cities celebrate the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, with a host of different events. On the metropolitan square, Basilica de Guadeloupe, colorful performances take place on this day.

September 16 is the most revered national Mexican holiday - Independence Day.

Kitchen

Mexican cuisine is famous all over the world. The main food items are corn, beans, rice and vegetables. Important ingredients for preparing Mexican dishes are spices and hot chili peppers.

The Mayan diet once long ago consisted mainly of corn and some vegetables, spices, herbs and chili were used in the preparation of dishes. After the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, the Indians' diet was replenished with animal meat and fish. Thanks to the fusion of the culinary traditions of the Indians and the Spaniards, modern Mexican cuisine has been formed.

In the south of the country, the dishes are spicier than in the north. By the way, in the south, tourists are usually offered chicken from meat dishes, and beef is more common in the north. In general, each region or city has its own special dish - "cochinita pibil" (Yucatan) and "huevos rancheros" (Sonora).

We recommend that tourists first inquire about what this or that dish is prepared from, because some of them may seem very exotic to Europeans. For example, you may be served “Chapulines” (fried grasshoppers) for lunch.

1. "Guacamole" - a sauce with fried tortilla pieces;
2. "Tacos Tortillas" - tortillas with different fillings (most often with meat filling);
3. Pozole - chicken or pork soup with corn and spices;
4. "Carnitas" - fried pork;
5. Chilaquiles - fried potatoes with tomatoes;
6. Sopes - cornmeal pie with chicken, cheese and hot sauce;
7. "Tostados" - tortilla with chicken, beans, tomatoes, onions, cream, cheese and hot sauce;
8. "Huachinango" - perch;
9. "Ceviche" - raw fish with lime juice (added to salad).
10. Pollo Pibil - charcoal stew, pickled in spices and wrapped in banana leaves.

Traditional alcoholic drinks are beer, tequila, tepache (made from pineapple), tuba (fermented coconut juice) and pulque (fermented agave juice with a strength of 5-8 °).

Mexico landmarks

Mexico now has several thousand archaeological, historical and architectural sites. The most famous of them are, of course, the Mayan and Aztec pyramids. But this country also has many medieval Spanish forts, churches and palaces. The top ten Mexican attractions, in our opinion, include the following:

• Pyramid of the sun
• Pyramid of the moon
• Pyramid at Cholula
• Pyramids of Mitle and Monte Alban
• The Mayan city of Chichen Itza
• Cathedral in Mexico City
• Cortés Palace in Mexico City
• National Palace in Mexico City
• Mayan city of Uxmal
• Mayan city of Palenque

Cities and resorts

Most big cities- Tijuana, Puebla, Ecatepec de Morelos, Leon, Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey, Zapopan, and of course Mexico City.

Tourists come to Mexico mainly for the beach holiday, although there are, of course, many historical sites left over from the pre-Columbian era. The most popular Mexican beach resorts are Acapulco, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Costa Maya and Zihuatanejo. Acapulco and Cancun are very popular among foreigners.

Some of the best Mexican beaches include, in our opinion, the following:

1. Cancun
2. Playa del carmen
3. Puerto Vallarta
4. Los Cabos
5. Tulum
6. Mazatlan
7. Cozumel
8. Huatulco

Souvenirs / shopping

Souvenirs in Mexico ("reminder") are probably best bought from roadside stalls and rural markets. Tourists in this country buy ceramics, a toy "Pinata" (an old game of the Aztecs), dresses, blouses, blankets and handmade carpets, leather goods (purses, wallets, belts, sandals), silver and coral products, cigars, chocolate, vanilla, various Mexican sauces, and, of course, tequila.

Opening hours of institutions

Banks:
Mon-Fri: 09: 00-17: 00
Some banks are also open on Sundays.

The shops:
Mon-Sat: 09: 30-20: 00
Supermarkets in Mexico City are open 7 days a week, with some of them open 24 hours a day.

Visa

Ukrainians need to apply for a visa to visit Mexico.

Currency

Hello everyone, my name is Dasha Mendez.

Today I want to tell you about funny Spanish words that sound like swear words to Russian-speaking people. I already made a similar video, and subscribers wrote some interesting words to me. Thank you very much for the examples!

Whoever studies Spanish and, for example, does not even live in Spain, but in Russia, has probably already met Spanish words that can be read in Russian with a touch of sarcasm; but in Spanish they are read in a slightly different form. Let's move on to examples.

1. Huesos ‘bones’ reads like [uesos], but since there is an h before u, it can be read in Russian accordingly.

2. Concha ‘shell’ [end], but in general this word in Latin America also means the female genital organ, therefore it has 2 meanings there. In Spain, the word Concha can even be the name of a girl, a woman. And if she goes to Latin America with that name, then the locals can laugh at this name. It's just that I've already heard a few stories about it.

3. Perdi ‘I’ve lost’ [perdi’] (from the verb perder ‘to lose’), but here it is clear, yes, who lost what?

4. Huesoso ‘bone’ [huesoso], to the same theme can be attributed to the Huesitos [huesoso] chocolates, the photos of which I like to post on Instagram. If you pronounce the letter h at the beginning of a word, then you know how it will sound in Russian.

5. Julio ‘July’ [jullo] and junio ‘June’ [hunyo], when I started to learn Spanish, I thought it was the funniest language in the world, because for a Russian person to read it - wow!

6. Chileno ‘Chilean’ [chilene], fun, huh? I have one friend chileno.