Let’s learn how to say jeans in Spanish and also how to say cowboy in Spanish. In a recent blog post, I told you about a mistake I made during my first or second year of studying Spanish on my own. I told you the story about how I met a Puerto Rican “muchacha” who worked in a Dominican restaurant not far from where I use to live in the Bronx.
I told you that her name was Jesenia and that she had recently moved to New York City from Puerto Rico and she spoke very little English. And I also mentioned that from head-to-toe Jesenia could have passed for Jennifer Lopez’s “gemela” (twin).
I told you that for our first “cita” (date), my plan was to take her “al cine” (to the movies), to see a horror film. And I told you about the mistake I made in Spanish when I tried to aks her in Spanish, “do you like horror movies?”
I am now going to share with you another mistake that I made on my “cita’ with Jesenia.
Jesenia told me that she had some jeans that she wanted to exchange at Macy’s and she asked me if I could drive her to Macy’s.
While I was at Macy’s, I decided to do a little shopping of my own. And picked out a pair of jeans, and then I went in to the “vestidor” (changing room) to try them on.
After I put on the jeans, I came out of the “vestidor” (dressing room) wearing the jeans to get a woman’s opinion.
I had recently learned that the Spanish word for “to fit” is “caber.” So I was confident that I knew how to ask Jesenia if the jeans fitted me well. So I asked Jesenia:
¿Me caben bien los vaqueros?
She thought my Spanish was hilarious. I was embarrassed by her laughter. Although Jesenia spoke very little English, she managed to ask me in perfect English — and with a giggly smile – – who is teaching you Spanish?
How To Say Cowboy In Spanish
Now I understand why she thought my Spanish was so funny. First of all, in Latin America hardly anyone calls jeans “vaquero.” “Vaquero” — that’s the word that I was taught from some of the Spanish courses that I had purchased. “Vaquero” also means “cowboy.”
How To Say Jeans In Spanish
In Latin America – including here in Medellin, Colombia – nearly everyone calls jeans “bluyín” or “jeans” (pronounced with a Latino accent).
And if you want to ask someone if an article of clothing fits you, then you must use the verb “quedarle“. So I should have asked Jesenia:
¿Me queda bien el bluyín?
Do the jeans fit me?
By the way, the Spanish word that Jesenia and other Puerto Ricans use for jeans is “mahón.”
If you are a fan of reggaetón music — a genre of music that was invented, named and made famous in Puerto Rico — then you have probably heard the word “mahón” mentioned many times in reggaetón songs. For example,
Ella balia con mahón bien apretado.
(She dances with tight jeans.)
