Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In informal situations, you might hear the phrase le mandó un mensajito to mean "sent him/her a little text", where the diminutive mensajito is used to refer to a quick message. Additionally, chatear is considered an informal way to describe texting or chatting.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the informal term chatear is often replaced by mensajear or mandar mensajes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase envió un mensaje de texto is in the third-person singular preterite tense, which translates to "he/she/it texted". If you want to say "we texted", you should use the first-person plural preterite form enviamos un mensaje de texto.
When do people say it?
In written Spanish conversations, people often use jaja to mean "haha" and xd to indicate "laughs".
Did you know?
- The word texto comes from the Latin word for 'woven'. This means that when you send a 'text', you are etymologically sending a piece of woven fabric.
- The use of xd in Spanish texts is a visual representation of a face with closed eyes and a wide mouth, signifying an intense laugh.
- In Spanish, the diminutive mensajito is used to make the act of texting seem more casual or affectionate. Adding the suffix -ito transforms a standard 'message' into a 'little message'.
Examples in context
- Él me envió un mensaje de texto para confirmar la reunión.He texted me to confirm the meeting.
- Mi jefe me mandó un mensaje de texto para decirme que llegaría tarde.My boss texted me to say he would be late.
- Le envié un SMS para preguntarle cómo estaba.I texted him/her to ask how he/she was doing.
- Ayer le escribí un mensaje a mi amigo para quedar esta tarde.Yesterday I texted my friend to meet up this afternoon.
- María me mandó un mensaje para contarme lo que pasó en la fiesta.María texted me to tell me what happened at the party.
- Anoche estuve chateando con mi novio hasta tarde.Last night, I was texting my boyfriend until late.
- Él envió un mensaje de texto ayer.He texted yesterday.
- Ella envió un mensaje de texto para avisarme.She texted me to let me know.
- El cliente envió un mensaje de texto hace una hora.The client texted an hour ago.
Example conversation
Javier is asking Elena about a notification she received.
- Javier¿Recibiste algo de tu hermano?Did you receive anything from your brother?
- ElenaSí, él envió un mensaje de texto hace poco.Yes, he texted a little while ago.
- Javier¿Te dijo algo importante?Did he tell you anything important?
- ElenaNo, solo me saludó.No, he just said hello.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, mensaje, texto, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
