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tu y usted

Oso - 9-8-2008 at 07:36 AM

¿Sabes la diferencia que existe entre "tu" y "usted"?.

Un pequeño ejemplo ilustrara muy bien esta diferencia.

El director general de un banco, se preocupaba por un joven director "estrella" que después de un periodo de trabajo junto a el, sin parar nunca ni para almorzar, empieza a ausentarse al mediodía.
Entonces el director general llama al detective privado del banco y le dice:
"Siga a Martínez una semana entera, no vaya a ser que ande en algo malo o sucio".
El detective cumple con su cometido, vuelve e informa.

"Martínez sale normalmente al mediodía coge su coche, va a su casa a almorzar, luego le hace el amor a su mujer, se fuma uno de sus excelentes habanos y vuelve a trabajar".

Responde el director:
"¡Ah, bueno, menos mal, no hay nada malo en todo eso!

Luego el detective pregunta: ¿Puedo tutearlo, señor?
Sorprendido el director responde: "Si, como no".
Y el detective dice:
"Te repito: Martínez sale normalmente al mediodía, coge tu coche, va a tu casa a almorzar, luego le hace el amor a tu mujer, se fuma uno de tus excelentes habanos y vuelve a trabajar".

sylens - 9-8-2008 at 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Oso
¿Sabes la diferencia que existe entre "tu" y "usted"?.

Un pequeño ejemplo ilustrara muy bien esta diferencia.

El director general de un banco, se preocupaba por un joven director "estrella" que después de un periodo de trabajo junto a el, sin parar nunca ni para almorzar, empieza a ausentarse al mediodía.
Entonces el director general llama al detective privado del banco y le dice:
"Siga a Martínez una semana entera, no vaya a ser que ande en algo malo o sucio".
El detective cumple con su cometido, vuelve e informa.

"Martínez sale normalmente al mediodía coge su coche, va a su casa a almorzar, luego le hace el amor a su mujer, se fuma uno de sus excelentes habanos y vuelve a trabajar".

Responde el director:
"¡Ah, bueno, menos mal, no hay nada malo en todo eso!

Luego el detective pregunta: ¿Puedo tutearlo, señor?
Sorprendido el director responde: "Si, como no".
Y el detective dice:
"Te repito: Martínez sale normalmente al mediodía, coge tu coche, va a tu casa a almorzar, luego le hace el amor a tu mujer, se fuma uno de tus excelentes habanos y vuelve a trabajar".

bajajudy - 9-8-2008 at 03:14 PM

:lol:

good one
el director general...pobrecito :mad:

Udo - 9-8-2008 at 04:17 PM

BOTH GOOD ONES!

:lol:

ps, I didn't know Grover spoke Spanish :?:

Linguistic query for Oso

thebajarunner - 9-8-2008 at 07:28 PM

Yep, I enjoyed your little piece (at least I think I did- asked the little senora for help in translating and she told me I was doing o.k.)

My question, oh learned one.

For many years I had friends (in high places) in D.F.
One of their kids spent a summer up here in Gringoland with us.
All the kids went to private French schools....
All the kids called the parents, "Tu"

My wife is from mountains of Jalisco.
She says it would never, ever, not possibly, be appropriate to call Mama anything but "Usted"

So, every time I address the Grande Dame I stumble over my tus, yous and usteds.

What say you??

Oso - 9-9-2008 at 07:26 AM

It all depends on the place, the culture, the circumstance etc. My wife would never, ever consider addressing her parents with anything but usted. Many modern young Spaniards have all but completely abandoned the word and treat anyone, known or not, as tu. I generally subscribe to the traditional way and save tu for close friends, etc. When in doubt, you can't go wrong with usted. If the person you're talking to thinks you're being too formal they'll let you know and then it's ok to use tu.

thebajarunner - 9-9-2008 at 08:12 AM

Thanks....

It is a very big deal to my wife, so I try real hard to comply, the 'tu' does slip on occasion, because that is my natural way of communicating.

Most of our earlier times in Baja were spent at various orphanages, and the usted never existed with those kids, so the tu is the norm for me.

If we have solved that one maybe you want to tackle the "vos" idiomatic style,

then again, probably not.

have a great day....

Oso - 9-9-2008 at 09:05 AM

Vos is seldom used in Mexico but quite prevalent in El Salvador and other parts.

I too sometimes mix up tu and usted, sometimes in the same sentence. Since the forms don't exist in English, it's common for gringos to make mistakes. One of my worst gaffes was in my early days in the D.F. I saw a newspaper vendor walking down the street. I wanted a paper so I shouted "Oye" (shoulda said oiga). The guy stopped, slowly turned, fixed me with a stare that could burn a hole in me and replied "Oye tu." I immediately realized I had insulted him, that he thought I was talking down to him because I thought his station in life was lower than mine and I could speak to him that way because I felt superior. Luckily my wife was with me and stepped in, explaining that I didn't mean anything by it, that I was just a stupid gringo just starting to learn Spanish. I managed to fumble an apology and he was somewhat placated but I've never forgotten it.