Español guatemalteco
Spanish (Guatemalan)
Romance
Guatemalan Spanish is the official language spoken by approximately 16 million people (93% of Guatemala's population; native speakers approximately 69% of 17.6M total). As a Central American Spanish variety, it exhibits: (1) Seseo (merger of /θ/ and /s/ as [s]), (2) Yeísmo (merger of /ʎ/ and /ʝ/ as [j]), (3) Lenition of voiced stops /b d g/ to fricatives/approximants [β̞ ð̞ ɣ̞] in intervocalic position, (4) Full consonant preservation (unlike Caribbean varieties; final /s/ is generally maintained rather than aspirated or dropped, particularly in highlands), (5) Velarization of word-final /n/ t
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Spanish (Guatemalan)
Water
agua
/aɣ̞wa/
Fire
fuego
/fweɣ̞o/
Sun
sol
/sol/
Moon
luna
/luna/
Mother
madre
/maðɾe/
Father
padre
/paðɾe/
Eat
comer
/komeɾ/
Drink
beber
/beβ̞eɾ/
Love
amor
/amoɾ/
Heart
corazón
/koɾason/
Tree
árbol
/aɾβ̞ol/
House
casa
/kasa/
Dog
perro
/peːro/
Cat
gato
/ɡato/
Hand
mano
/mano/
Eye
ojo
/oxo/
Hello
hola
/ola/
Thank you
gracias
/ɡɾasjas/
One
uno
/uno/
Good
bueno
/bweno/
Words compared
Compared with related Romance languages
| Meaning | Spanish (Guatemalan) | Spanish (Salvadoran) | Spanish (Ecuadorian) | Spanish (Mexico) | Spanish (Colombia) | Spanish (Argentina) | Spanish (Peruvian) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | agua /aɣ̞wa/ | agua /aɣ̞wa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ |
| Fire | fuego /fweɣ̞o/ | fuego /fweɣ̞o/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ |
| Sun | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ |
| Mother | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ |
| Father | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ |
| Eat | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ |
| Drink | beber /beβ̞eɾ/ | beber /beβ̞eɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ |
| Love | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ |
| Heart | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾaˈson/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ |
| Tree | árbol /aɾβ̞ol/ | árbol /aɾβ̞ol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ |
| House | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ |
| Dog | perro /peːro/ | perro /peːro/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ |
| Cat | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ |
| Hand | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ |
| Eye | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ |
| Hello | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ |
| Thank you | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ |
| One | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ |
| Good | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ |
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