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¡Se me traba la lengua! Posted by on May 13, 2011 in Spanish Culture

After a hard week, can you think about a good plan for the weekend? I have one to share: to practise our pronunciation while we enjoy ourselves. And to do it, there is nothing better than to recite loudly a tongue twister. By creating these puns we  invent funny sayings and expressions, depending on their complexity, and they form part of the literary oral tradition in every country. It will be funnier if you practice with other people.

Lets start, and be careful so that “no se os trabe la lengua, or even worse, no se os lengüe la traba.” We will begin telling tales:

Cuando cuentes cuentos,
cuenta cuántos cuentos cuentas,
porque cuando cuentas cuentos,
nunca sabes cuántos cuentos cuentas.

And now, a very easy question: ¿do you like?

Si su gusto no gusta del gusto que gusta mi gusto,
qué disgusto se lleva mi gusto al saber
que su gusto no gusta del gusto que gusta mi gusto.

We are in spring, the season of love, so let’s talk about it, right?

El amor es una locura
Que solo el cura lo cura,
Pero el cura que lo cura
Comete una gran locura.

How are you doing? Do you think it is complicated? Listen to what somebody told me a few days ago:

Han dicho que he dicho un dicho,
tal dicho no lo he dicho yo.
Porque si yo hubiera dicho el dicho,
Bien dicho habría estado el dicho
Por haberlo dicho yo.

And to end with, the most difficult one. I had nightmares trying to learn it when I was I child!

Érase una vez una  madre tranque sipilitranque que le dijo al hijo trijo sipilitrijo:

-Hijo trijo sipilitrijo, ve al campo tranco sipilitranco por una liebre notiebre sipilitiebre.
– Madre tranque sipilitranque, aqui te traigo la liebre notiebre sipilitiebre.
– Hijo trijo sipilitrijo, ve y pídele a la vecina trija sipilitrija una olla trolla sipilitrolla para cocinar la liebre notiebre sipilitiebre.

-Hijo trijo sipilitrijo ve y dile a tu madre tranque sipilitranque que no tengo una olla trolla sipilitrolla para cocinar la liebre notiebre sipilitiebre.

-Madre tranque sipilitranque dice la vecina trija sipilitrija que no tiene una olla trolla sipilitrolla para cocinar la liebre notiebre sipilitiebre.
-Bueno, hijo trijo sipilitrijo, entonces devuelve  la liebre notiebre sipilitiebre al campo tranco sipilitranco.

See you soon!

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About the Author: Magda

Hi all! I’m Magda, a Spanish native speaker writing the culture posts in the Transparent Language Spanish blog. I have a Bachelor’s in English Philology and a Master’s in Linguistics and Literature from the University of Granada, in Spain. I have also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and then worked as an English teacher in several schools and academies for several years. Last year was my first at university level. In addition, I work as a private tutor, teaching English and Spanish as a foreign language to students and adults. In my free time, I’m an avid reader and writer, editing and collaborating in several literary blogs. I have published my first poetry book recently. And last but not least, I love photography!