chabacano
Mexico
In Mexico an apricot is a chabacano. The word albaricoque is the one used in Spain and Mexicans understand it, but it is not what you hear at a market.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| chabacano | Mexico |
| albaricoque | Spain, understood |
Is it said differently in some regions?
Some South American countries say damasco for the same fruit, so chabacano is a good marker of Mexican usage.
What mistakes should you avoid?
In Spain chabacano as an adjective means tacky or crude, so the same word has an unrelated meaning there.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word chabacano is the same for the fruit in Mexico and for something tasteless in Spain, a good example of one word splitting by region.
Examples in context
- Quiero un kilo de chabacanos.I want a kilo of apricots.
- La mermelada de chabacano es mi favorita.Apricot jam is my favorite.
- Estos chabacanos están muy maduros.These apricots are very ripe.
Example conversation
Don Miguel buys fruit at a market stall in Mexico City.
- Don MiguelBuenas tardes, ¿a cómo están los chabacanos?Good afternoon, how much are the apricots?
- VendedoraA treinta pesos el kilo.Thirty pesos a kilo.
- Don MiguelDeme uno, por favor.Give me one, please.
