Mexican

In Mexico the opossum is a tlacuache, a word from Nahuatl. Elsewhere in Spanish it is a zarigüeya.

Mexicans say té for “tea”. Note the accent mark, which separates it from te, the pronoun meaning “you” or “yourself”.

In Mexico autumn is otoño. It is a masculine noun, and the seasons are written in lowercase. To say “in autumn” use en otoño. The adjective is otoñal.

The basic way to ask for a kiss is Dame un beso. Mexicans often soften it to Dame un besito, which sounds sweet and playful.

In Mexico the word is also tequila, pronounced teh-KEE-lah. It names a spirit made from the blue agave and also a town in the state of Jalisco.

At home a Mexican family keeps the car in the cochera, though garaje is also understood everywhere.

The usual word for stinky is apestoso. People also say hediondo for a really strong smell, and huele feo when something smells bad.

A drink coaster is a posavasos in Mexico, literally “glass rest”. The word is the same in most Spanish-speaking countries.

In Mexico thin noodles are fideos, and they appear in the classic sopa de fideos. Long pasta strands are tallarines and the general word is pasta.

In Mexico “share” is compartir, used for food and things as well as for posts on social media. The online button says Compartir.