Say what? Practicing tongue twitsters in Spanish is a fun way of testing your Spanish dexterity. But don’t get too frustrated – just like in English, even native speakers can get tongue tied.
Watch the video above and practice trying to say them yourself after each one. We’ve provided all you need to understand the meanings below, but keep in mind they are Spanish tongue twisters, so the meaning doesn’t always make much sense. The essential ingredient in any tongue twister is using the same tricky letter combinations, and not always saying the most profound things 😉
Spanish Tongue Twister # 1
Como poco coco como, poco coco compro
Key Spanish words you need to know:
coco – coconut
como (1) – like; as; since
como (2) – I eat (1st person of comer = to eat)
compro – I buy
What it means:
Since I eat little coconut, I buy little coconut
Spanish Tongue Twister # 2
Pablito clavó un clavito ¿Qué clavito clavó pablito?
Key Spanish words you need to know:
clavó – he nailed (past tense 3rd person of clavar = to nail)
clavito – nail (noun)
What it means:
Pablito nailed a nail. What nail did Pablito nail?
Get a free PDF download of all the trabalenguas
Spanish Tongue Twister # 3
El amor es una locura que ni el cura lo cura, que si lo cura el cura es una locura del cura
Key Spanish words you need to know:
locura – crazy
el cura – priest
(lo) cura – cure (it)
What it means:
Love is a crazy that not even the priest cures it, for if the priest cures it, is a madness of the priest
Spanish Tongue Twister # 4
Tres tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal, en tres tristes trastos, tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres
Key Spanish words you need to know:
tragaban – they swallow (3rd person plural of tragabar = to swallow)
trigo – wheat
trigal – wheat field
trastos – piles of junk
What it means:
Three tigers swallowed wheat in a wheat field, in three sad piles of junk, they swallowed wheat (these) three sad tigers
Spanish Tongue Twister # 5
Cuando cuentes cuentos, cuenta cuantos cuentos cuentas por que, si no cuentas cuantos cuentos cuentas, nunca sabrás cuantos cuentos sabes contar
Key Spanish words you need to know:
contar = the verb to tell / to count
– cuentas = you tell (2nd person subjunctive)
– cuentes = you tell (2nd person subjunctive)
– cuenta = you count (2nd person imperative)
cuentos = stories
cuanto(s) = how many
What it means:
When you tell stories, count how many stories you tell because, if you don’t count how many stories you tell, you will never know how many stories you know to tell
How did you do? Which one was the hardest??
