Customer Reviews

Mexican Spanish: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My wife and I went to Mexico to get married and we are not Spanish speakers. This handy book is first class and here are the reasons why:-

The book is small enough to easily fit into a coat or shirt pocket.

It has drawings of common situations with arrows pointing at items in the drawing with the Mexican word highlighted (how much easier could they make it)

The sections in the book are colour coordinated according to the situations you may find yourself (reservations,dining,partying... etc. Flick to the section and then use the obvious sentences to converse around the subject.

Pronunciation and grammar are explained clearly at the start of the book and all the words in the book are laid out phonetically (the only way you are going to get this wrong is if you can't read)

In conclusion, a first class guide, when we showed the book to the locals in Mexico they wanted to know if they could buy it in Mexico as they didn't think they could. They loved the pictures and even chipped in to help with correct pronunciation if we went astray.

The Mexican slang in the book is spot on, the Mexicans couldn't believe that some of the words were in the book.

When I go back to Mexico this book will be in my pocket, don't leave home without it.

Highly recommended

This handy new phrasebook is MUCH closer to the Mexican Spanish being spoken today than any other I have found. It's actually pretty good, BUT the pronunciation guide is very, very bad for anyone from the central/western US or western Canada. If you're from those areas and don't already have some idea of correct Spanish pronunciation, avoid this phrasebook.

I think the authors must have had some idea about this in advance, since they tell you, "Don't worry too much about pronunciation." That of course is totally wrong. Spanish is one of the world's almost perfectly phonetic languages and pronunciation is the MOST important thing about being understood.

I just want to say how pleased I am I have bought this phrasebook. I have used it on my recent visit to Mexico. It was a 'perfect companion'. The book is extremely well organised, covers what a visitor needs like food, shopping, etc. It also goes beyond what most phrasebooks have to offer. It has an unusual linguistic awareness of the language and its regional dialects. This is a taste of what could be developed into a course book on the Mexican language and its dialects. That would be most welcome. We want more!

Overall, this book is great and fairly up-to-date with phrases and useful notes throughout. I have a very limited background in Spanish, but I think this is perfect for even a novice. It gets 4 stars instead of 5 for a bit of a disconnect in actual vocabulary. For instance, instead of using the word Gas or Gasoline for the Engilsh word it uses the word "Petrol," which is a word I have NEVER used as an American in reference to the fuel for my car. Other than that, it is excellently organized and uses thoughtful phrases such as how to tell people you have an allergy to an item or that you have a flat tire. I recommend this book to anyone planning to travel to Mexico (I am taking it to Cancun with me!)

Mexican Spanish is a book I bought because I live in an area where there are many Mexican people. I have been trying to learn enough of their language to "get by". This book could be a tremendous help.

However, it is printed in very small print, as the book itself is pocket sized, a nice size to carry with me. The small print is understandable but the pastel colors of the text is more than difficult to read, especially since the print is so tiny. I think whoever put this book together was going for "attractive" but what I need most is black text!

Otherwise, I would reccommend this book to anyone who has some Spanish, surely not to someone who has not done at least a little studying of the language.

The book is well designed, just, harping on it again, the text needs to be black or at least dark red, navy blue, dark brown, dark green - to differentiate subjects. It is almost impossible to see the tildes and accent marks. One needs a magnifying glass! The italics that are supposed to tell one which syllable of the words must be accented for correct pronounciation, again, are almost impossible to detect.

However, don't trust the literal translations. But I think this book could get you thru. It has color coded thumb flipping helpers.

Note that the dictionary gives the US English terms as well as the UK or Australian English terms. Eg, petrol, gas; icy pole, popsicle; nappy, diaper etc.
Americans aren't the only people who visit Mexico :)

I think these books are perfect for any traveler. With the Spanish language being so unique to each country, the phrasebooks allow you to familiarize yourself with a specific Latin American region. I used the Costa Rican book last year when I visited and found it so useful that I left it with my friend who had just moved there. She found it so helpful that she still carries it with her everyday in her purse. I got my father the Mexican phrasebook for Christmas so he could communicate better with some of his employees at work. I think he has found it very useful as well.

This little book is packed with valuable information and advise when traveling in Mexico.I found the phrases useful and adequate. The book covers every thing from buying groceries to ending up in the Doctor's office. The size of the book is also a plus since it fits into small purses and fanny packs. In 06,I spent a month in Mexico going to village to village and found this book immensley helpful. Go for it!

I really like this book. Fits perfectly in your handbag or saddlebag out on the trail. All the basics are covered here and even some things you may never need to say at all - such as various pick up line in bars! There is a nice sense of humor paired with common sense throughout this phrasebook. However, if you need to find a particular word for a particular item you will need a true Engligh/Spanish dictionary rather than a phrasebook. I carry both with me almost constantly.