Speak like a native by shortening words

Speak like a native by shortening words
   0 Published by Nuri at 28/01/2019

The English tend to abbreviate words, especially informally. It's not that Spaniards don't do it, we say that we go to "cole", to the "super" or to the "cine"; that we want a "bici" or that we have a "guai" teacher.

Even if you have a great command of English, you won't speak like a native unless you use these kinds of words in your informal conversations. Obviously, they don't shorten all words so here are some of the most common ones:

Decaf (decaffeinated)
Can I have a decaf coffee, please? ¿Me pone un café descafeinado, por favor?

Comfy (comfortable)
The chairs in this restaurant are really comfy. Las sillas de este restaurante son muy cómodas.

Bro (brother) sis (sister). It is usually used when someone speaks directly to their brother or sister.
How’s it going bro / sis? ¿Qué tal hermano / hermana?

Mag (magazine)
There's a new music mag on sale. Hay una nueva revista de música a la venta.

Sec (second)
Have you got a sec? I’d like to talk to you. ¿Tienes un segundo? Me gustaría hablar contigo.

Undies (underwear)
I'm going to clean my undies. Me voy a lavar la ropa interior.

Pic (picture)
Would you like to see the pics I took on my trip to Japan? ¿Te gustaría ver las fotos que hice en mi viaje a Japón?

Congrats (congratulations)
Congrats on your recent promotion. Felicidades por tu nuevo ascenso.

Defo! (definitely)
Are you coming to the cinema on Saturday? Defo! ¿Vendrás al cine el sábado? ¡Por supuesto!

Fab (fabulous)
Your new car is really fab! ¡Tu coche nuevo es increíble!

Info (information)
There's interesting info on this website. Hay información interesante en este sitio web.

Mayo (mayonnaise)
I'll have a burger with mayo and some chips. Yo tomaré una hamburguesa con mayonesa y patatas fritas.

Meds (medicines)
I'm going to the chemist's to buy some meds. Voy a la farmacia a comprar medicamentos.

Mo (moment)
I'll be back in a mo. Vuelvo en seguida.

No prob /probs (no problem)
Can you drive me downtown? Yes, no probs. ¿Puedes llevarme al centro? Sí, no hay problema.

Veg (vegetables)
He's gone to the market to buy fruit and veg. Se ha ido al mercado a comprar fruta y verdura.

Teen (teenager)
His new film is aimed at teens. Su nueva película está dirigida a los adolescentes.

Vet (veterinary)
I've had to take my dog to the vet. He tenido que llevar a mi perro al veterinario.

Lab (laboratory)
We're doing some experiments in the lab. Estamos haciendo experimentos en el laboratorio.

Max (máximum)
The meeting will last about two hours max. La reunión durará unas dos horas como máximo.

Start using these words in your English conversations, you'll sound like a real native. If you know other shortened words, don't hesitate to put them in your comments.

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