If you've ever celebrated Cinco de Mayo with tacos and margaritas, you're definitely not alone. But do you know what this holiday is actually about? And as a Spanish learner, did you know it's also a great opportunity to pick up some useful vocabulary and get a closer look at Mexican culture? Today, we'll uncover the real story behind Cinco de Mayo, clear up one of the most common misconceptions about Mexico, and explore the Spanish words and expressions that come with it.
Let's start with the basics. Cinco de Mayo simply means "the fifth of May" in Spanish. Cinco means "five" and mayo means "May." Simple enough!
y falleció el cinco de mayo de mil novecientos doce.
and died on May fifth, nineteen twelve.
Caption 7, Cleer Rafael Pombo y "Pastorcita"
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One small but interesting note for Spanish learners: in Spanish, dates are expressed differently than in English. While in American English we say May 5th, in Spanish the format is reversed — el cinco de mayo (literally, "the five of May"). You'll notice this pattern with all dates in Spanish, and Cinco de Mayo is a great hook for remembering it.
This is the most common misconception about this holiday, so let's set the record straight: No, Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day.
Mexican Independence Day — known as El Día de la Independencia or Fiestas Patrias — is celebrated on September 16 (el dieciséis de septiembre), and it commemorates Mexico's independence from Spain back in 1810. So if you ever hear someone say "¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!" and respond with "¡Viva México!", just know those are actually two very different occasions!
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla (la Batalla de Puebla), which took place on May 5, 1862. Here's the short version:
Mexico was in serious financial trouble. President Benito Juárez had been forced to stop making debt payments to European countries. While Britain and Spain eventually negotiated and pulled out, France — led by Napoleon III — decided to invade Mexico instead.
On May 5, 1862, French troops marched on the city of Puebla. The Mexican army was vastly outnumbered — about 2,000 Mexican soldiers against 6,000 French troops. Against all odds, Mexico won the battle (México ganó la batalla).
Here's some key vocabulary from this part of the story:
• la batalla – the battle
• la victoria – the victory
• el ejército – the army
• las tropas – the troops
• la deuda – the debt
• invadir – to invade
• ganar – to win
Here's another surprise: Cinco de Mayo is actually a pretty small holiday in Mexico. Businesses stay open, most people go to work, and it's not a national holiday (no es un día festivo nacional).
The biggest celebrations happen in the city of Puebla itself, where locals hold military reenactments (recreaciones históricas) every year. If you ever watch Spanish-language coverage of these events, you'll often hear words like conmemorar (to commemorate), honrar (to honor), and rendir homenaje (to pay tribute) — all great additions to your vocabulary.
So if it's a minor holiday in Mexico, why is it such a big deal in the United States? The answer goes back to the 1960s, when Mexican American activists — known as Chicanos — embraced the holiday as a symbol of cultural pride and resistance. They identified with the story of a smaller, less powerful group defeating a much stronger European force.
Over time, the holiday grew — and became increasingly commercial. Today in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is widely associated with parties, parades, and Mexican food. While that's fun, many Mexican Americans remind us that the real meaning of the day runs much deeper.
Here's a recap of the most useful Spanish vocabulary from today's lesson:
• Cinco de Mayo – the fifth of May
• la batalla – the battle
• la victoria – the victory
• el ejército – the army
• festejar / celebrar – to celebrate
• el desfile – the parade
• conmemorar – to commemorate
• los fuegos artificiales – fireworks
• la comida mexicana – Mexican food
• el mole – mole (a traditional Mexican sauce from Puebla!)
Speaking of mole — if you really want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo the authentic way, skip the nachos and order mole poblano, the rich, complex sauce that originated in Puebla itself. Now that's a fun food fact worth knowing!
Vamos a preparar el taco, a rellenar la tortilla, primero con el mole; es muy típico.
We're going to prepare the taco, fill the tortilla, first with the mole; it's very typical.
Captions 4-6, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y los tacos - Part 2
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Holidays like Cinco de Mayo are a wonderful entry point into the Spanish language precisely because the vocabulary feels alive and relevant. Whether you're watching Spanish-language news coverage of the celebrations in Puebla, listening to mariachi music, or simply wishing someone a happy Cinco de Mayo, the words you've learned today will serve you well.
And now you'll also be the person who actually knows what the holiday is about — which, let's face it, is its own kind of victory (¡su propia victoria!). Did you already know the real story behind Cinco de Mayo, or was this news to you? We'd love to hear your thoughts — feel free to reach out with your questions and comments, and ¡hasta la próxima!
Generally speaking, there are three main meals that many people eat each day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Do you know how to say the names of those three meals in Spanish? Let's see how the answer to that question depends upon where you happen to be in the Spanish-speaking world.
If you are in Spain or Mexico, the following are the names of the three main daily meals:
es la hora del desayuno
it's breakfast time,
Caption 7, Clase Aula Azul Acciones habituales y en este momento - Part 1
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Todos los días, hago la comida a mediodía
Every day, I make lunch at midday
Caption 24, Ariana Mi Casa
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y normalmente cuando llego a casa, me hago la cena,
and usually when I get home, I make myself dinner,
Caption 30, El Aula Azul Actividades Diarias
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In the following clip, our Mexican friend Karla mentions all three of these daily meals as she tells us how, in her country, tacos can be eaten at any time of the day!
Eh... Puedes encontrar tacos en todas las esquinas, en todas las ciudades de todo México y puedes comerlo, en realidad, de desayuno, de comida o de cena,
Um... You can find tacos on every corner, in every city throughout Mexico, and you can eat it, actually, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner,
Captions 37-39, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y los tacos - Part 2
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In contrast, in most Latin American countries, the names of the three main meals are as follows:
Hoy es domingo y vamos a hacer el desayuno.
Today is Sunday, and we're going to make breakfast.
Captions 6-7, Quito Desayuno con Julia
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Al mediodía, preparo el almuerzo.
At noon, I make lunch.
Caption 14, GoSpanish La rutina diaria de Maru
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While some places use the word comida (e.g. Colombia), others use the term cena (e.g. Argentina). Let's hear a couple of clips:
¿Qué es la comida?
What's for dinner?
Caption 9, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 3
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Bueno, espero que lleguemos justo para la cena porque tengo un hambre que me muero.
Well, I hope that we are arriving just [in time] for dinner because I am dying of hunger.
Caption 49, Muñeca Brava 44 El encuentro - Part 6
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As we have just seen, the main difference between the meals of the day in Spain and Mexico vs. other Latin American countries is the term people use to talk about lunch. However, if you happen to hear the word almuerzo in Spain, you should be aware that, in that country, almuerzo refers to a mid-morning snack. In addition, it is very common for Spanish people to enjoy an afternoon snack called la merienda. Let's hear Raquel and Marisa explain this in detail:
El almuerzo es lo que tomamos entre el desayuno y la comida. Pero además tenemos la merienda y la cena. La merienda suele ser a las seis de la tarde. Y la cena es la última comida del día.
The mid-morning snack is what we have between breakfast and lunch. But in addition, we have the afternoon snack and dinner. The afternoon snack is usually at six in the afternoon. And dinner is the last meal of the day.
Captions 30-33, Raquel Presentaciones
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That's all for this lesson. We hope you learned some new words today, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
Can you think of any Spanish word that contains all five vowels? Believe it or not, there are many words in Spanish that have all five vowels. In this brief lesson, we will list some of the most common ones. However, before you go through our list, we would like to invite you to do the following:
1. Read this lesson about the vowels in Spanish.
2. Try to come up with some word in Spanish that has all 5 vowels.
If nothing comes to mind, get ready to check out the following list of words, which we have classified into 3 big groups: Nouns, Adjectives, and Conjugated Verbs. If you have been studying Spanish, we are sure you are already familiar with several of the words we have included in this list. Are you ready to unveil these words and hear how to say them? Let's get started!
El abuelito merece la mejor fiesta
Grandpa deserves the best party
Caption 10, Cleer y Carolina Organizando la fiesta del abuelo
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España está dividida en diecisiete comunidades autónomas.
Spain is divided into seventeen autonomous communities.
Caption 11, Ariana España
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Mi escultura es la solución a una ecuación
My sculpture is the solution to an equation
Caption 25, San Sebastián Peine del viento
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El uso de las computadoras y el internet forman parte de la educación de los estudiantes
The use of computers and the internet are part of the students' education
Captions 38-39, Aprendiendo con Karen Útiles escolares - Part 2
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¿Qué es eso de la euforia?
What is that [whole] euphoria [thing]?
Caption 5, Aprendiendo con Silvia Las emociones - Part 6
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dice que si tú tienes tu menstruación,
says that if you're on your period,
Caption 37, Melyna El aguacate
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Los murciélagos se llaman "morciguillos",
Bats are called "morciguillos,"
Caption 73, Soledad El argot
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O sea... que esa imagen que tenemos de la orquídea,
In other words... that image that we have of the orchid
Captions 29-30, Estepona Orquidario - Part 1
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A veces era una fuente, otras un riachuelo,
Sometimes, it was a fountain, other times, a stream,
Captions 50-51, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 3
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para un taco auténtico:
for an authentic taco:
Caption 23, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y los tacos - Part 2
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o algo que puede ser cuestionable.
or something that could be questionable.
Caption 17, Carlos explica 20 formas de decir no sin decir no
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y servían como necrópolis para los enterramientos funerarios.
and were used as a necropolis for funeral burials.
Caption 7, Rosa Los Dólmenes de Antequera
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Pero claro, muñeca. No te preocupes que averiguo todo y te cuento, ¿listo?
But of course, doll. Don't worry as I'll find out everything and I'll tell you, alright?
Caption 32, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 1 - Part 5
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Sí, querida, te llamé porque quería comunicarte
Yes, dear, I called you because I wanted to communicate to you
Caption 12, Muñeca Brava 39 Verdades - Part 10
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And those were the words with all five vowels in Spanish! How many did you know? While there are, of course, many more words Spanish words containing all five vowels, we have limited this list to some of the more common ones. Is there any word that you think we should have included? Do let us know, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
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