How very dare you?

Are you insinuating that it was a translation by a robotic, unthinking machine, or on the other hand that she used google

LOL!!! As if I'd insinuate either!!! ...............


Nor would I dare suggest that the only way I could understand what she'd written was to put it into the dreaded "google translate"

Jo xxx

Unless I'm addressing children, people I know well, or Gitanos, I use usted.

of course not..........snigger snigger

I use usted in formal situations, but most of the times it's not using the word itself but the verb. When I address people I don't know I can say things like "me puede decir?", etc. You don't need the personal pronoun there, so it's not that common to hear "usted de dónde es?" instead of "de dónde es?". That doesn't mean usted is not used at all, of course. Certainly not on a forum, that's true.

I usually shy away from using Usted direectly, only saying the very in 3rd per.

I find it a bit forced somehow, maybe is a "being a hybrid" thing.

Its not necessary .... I understood what it meant

On why do Spaniards hate the British so much .... yes please, thats a good idea ... lets get back to the subject and maybe some on here can have a discussion without laying in to each other for a change

Hatred is far too strong a word, but I can well imagine respectable Spanish people, especially grandparents, getting upset when a total British stranger addresses them in the familiar Tu.

Or Guapa, or Hombre, and I've heard a 70-year old woman addressed as Senorita. Mind you, she did see the funny side of it.

The thing with the title of the thread "why do Spaniards hate the British so much" implies that it is a true fact that has been well established.

In my experience of being Spanish and listening to other Spanish, is that they dont hate the British.

Of course there will be others who disagree, but some of us have more insight into the mind of the native population than others, and that is a fact.

Most of the Spanish population never even get to meet a Brit, never mind have any negative experiences with them, so the ones that do "hate" them will be amonst the minority of spanish that have actually met them, and even then there we be people in that group that dont hate the British.

So what numbers could we be talking about maybe 5 percent of the population?

So if the British do feel hated as a nation, I really dont understand how, and the thread is quite misleading IMO.

Siesta made a point that the majority of the Spanish seem to have the same opinion of the gypsies, ie negative.
And I feel it is unfair to be called racist by other posters for pointing out facts are well known and well publisised especially as the rest of Europe seems to feel the same.

Wherever I have lived in Spain the older generation have always addressed me as usted as have people I have done business with although the younger generation siempre tutear conmigo. In the 1960s in Andalucia children addressed their parents as usted. Times change sometimes for the best and in certain situations I feel more comfortable with usted and anyway I'm now a part of the older generation.

Usted should be used quite a lot, Elspeth is being criticised unfairly.

I dont use it because I am a foreigner, I can get away with it But my OH uses it with anyone who is about 40 or over who she doesnt know, especially if a formal or semi-formal occassion such as at the Drs or a business deal.

Thanks for your support. Ever since I joined this forum I have been used as target practice on every point of view I've ever put forward. Quite fun actually but there are quite a few out there I wouldn't want to meet on a dark night. I find the level of spelling quite shocking.

About the usted. I know pretty well the word and how it was used years ago. My father always addressed to his parents with usted. As I said earlier, I still use usted with people I don't know, especially in formal contexts and if they're of a certain age. I was only pointing out that it's definitely not used on internet forums and that it's much more common to use the 3rd person without the word usted.

About the señora, señorita, etc I think that's more difficult. I know it changes a lot depending on the country. I know that for English standards I'm not a girl, but I'd be offended if someone talks about me as a señora. One thing is saying "Señora!..." and another thing saying "that señora". Señorita is not used here at all. At least we don't have the whole Mrs, Ms and the like, I'm really glad we don't.

There's a section of the UK population, and I'm not saying it's a large percentage (perhaps 5-10%) who feel that "Johhny Foreigner" is always conspiring against the Brits, or perhaps I should say the English. They tend to vote UKIP if older, or wrap the union jack around their shoulders at football matches if younger. I suspect they're scared of all the changes in society and are looking for an easy scapegoat - the "foreigner". Normally it's the French, or the Indians who they think "hate" the British, but obviously they can adapt to believing the Spanish "hate" the British if they spend any time there.

I'm going to stick my neck out and suggest that it's all a question of class, whether in Spain, England or India.

I wanted to find out the name of the second England football player to get one of those super injunctions (there must be something wrong with me).

It meant searching an appropriate forum, or Der Spiegel, but the latter didn't seem interested.

The stroppiest places in the UK are Liverpool and Glasgow and a quick look at one of their local forums got me the answer. The steadfast people of Surrey will never know the answer, but they will be offended if strangers call them 'mate'.