April 24, 2023 [Cindy Blanco, Ph.D.](https://blog.duolingo.com/author/cindy/) # What Bad Bunny can teach you about Spanish (and Puerto Rico!) Add some *sazón* to your Spanish practice with Bad Bunny! Here’s something beginner _and_ advanced Spanish learners might not realize: There are lots of Spanish lessons hidden in Bad Bunny lyrics! Here are just a few of the things you’ll [learn about Spanish](https://blog.duolingo.com/why-study-spanish/) and Puerto Rico when listening (or dancing, or working out) to Bad Bunny. ## Bad Bunny is proud of Puerto Rican Spanish (and it shows) **Song:** “Un verano sin ti” **Lyric:** The whole song! **Meaning:** Bad Bunny puts Puerto Rican Spanish on display in all his music, and _Un verano sin ti_ is filled with great examples! Here are some things you’ll find in Caribbean Spanishes, including some that are especially common in Puerto Rico: - **“S” is often not pronounced at the ends of words.** You might notice this written in lyrics with apostrophes to show the deleted sound. Listen for _tú sabe’_ (you know), _tanto’ consejo’_ (so much advice), and _todo’ lo’ plane’ que hicimo’_ (all the plans that we made). You’ll also find many examples of “s” deletion inside words, too, before sounds like “p,” “t,” and “k” (often written with “c”): _de’pedida_ (farewell), _e’toy_ (I am), _li’ta_ (ready), and _e’cribo_ (I write). - **“R” is pronounced as “L” at the ends of words.** In Puerto Rican Spanish this means that all those verbs ending in _‑ar_, _‑er_, and _‑ir_ will have an “L” sound at the end instead! You’ll also hear it in _amol_ (love) and before consonants in the middle of words, like in _cualto_ (room). So, for Bad Bunny, “my love” is _mi amol!_ 💗 - **English words are used in Spanish sentences.** Due to Puerto Rico’s unique relationship with the U.S., [Spanglish, or codeswitching](https://blog.duolingo.com/spanglish-codeswitching/), is even more common in Puerto Rico than in other parts of Latin America (where you’ll find English and mixing, too). Some of this mixing is due to words in different languages evoking different feelings for [bilinguals](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-is-bilingual-6-types/) in Puerto Rico—it’s not because they don’t know the word in the other language (they definitely do!). In _Un verano sin ti_, Bad Bunny says _Sorry por ser yo_ (Sorry for being who I am)—which is an especially cool switch between languages because the English word “sorry” is pronounced with the Spanish trill for “rr.” This sentence is truly a mix of languages! - **English words are Spanish-ified… and then spread around the world!** Another result of bilingualism in Puerto Rico is that some English words get [fully adopted into Spanish](https://blog.duolingo.com/history-of-spanish/), and even get Spanish spellings and word endings. A great example of this is _jangueo_ (I hang out) from the (new!) verb _janguear_ (to hang out). In Spanish, [“j” is pronounced like English “h”](https://blog.duolingo.com/spanish-pronunciation-tips/) and new verbs adopted into Spanish often get the ending _‑ear_ to make them _‑ar_ verbs. _Janguear_ has become so popular that you’ll hear it in many parts of Latin America! ## Bad Bunny shines a light on Puerto Rican politics **Song:** “Andrea” **Lyric:** “Quiere quedarse en PR, no irse pa’ ningún estado” **Meaning:** The relationship between Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans and the U.S. is complicated: There’s a long history of migration to the “mainland” or “los estados” (the States) and young people on the island feel pulled by large Puerto Rican communities in the U.S. to move to _los estados._ Bad Bunny often references the pride that many young Puerto Ricans feel by choosing to stay, favoring their roots and identity over economic opportunity (this narrative is also featured prominently in his song _El Apagón_ and its music video). In the song _Andrea,_ Bad Bunny also recognizes that women in Puerto Rico (and across Latin America) are frequent targets of gender-based violence, and he tells the story of one of these victims, Andrea, in an effort to honor her life and bring awareness to the situation. ## Bad Bunny is a big shot when it comes to Latin American Spanish **Song:** “Andrea” **Lyric:** “ **Bichotes** y rapero’” **Meaning:** The term **bichote** comes from the English term “big shot” (another perfect Spanglish example!)! This Puerto Rican slang is widely used in reggaeton and is used increasingly throughout Latin American Spanish. You might also hear the feminine form, _bichota,_ used in Latin America as a word for female empowerment. Just a few years ago, _bichote_ would have been unknown outside Puerto Rico, but Bad Bunny and reggaeton have changed that! ## Bad Bunny prioritizes me, myself, and I **Song:** “Trellas” **Lyric:** “ **Me** pregunté” / “ **Me** acordé” / “ **Me** gusta” **Meaning:** The little word **me** (pronounced like English “may”) has a lot of meanings, all of them about “me.” It means "myself" in _**me** pregunté_ (I asked myself), and in _**me** acordé,_ it is part of the expression _acordar **se** de,_ the Spanish phrase for “to remember something.” And _me_ is the pronoun used with _gustar_ to talk about liking something: _**me** gusta_ (I like) and _**me** gustaba_ (I liked, or I used to like). ## Bad Bunny gets whatever Bad Bunny wants **Song:** “Yo visto así” **Lyric:** “Yo hago **lo que quiera**” **Meaning:** **Lo que quiera** means “whatever I want,” and in _Yo visto así_, there are a lot of things Bad Bunny is doing however he wants: You’ll hear _Me pongo **lo que quiera**_ (I put on whatever I want) and _Yo hago **lo que quiera**_ (I do whatever I want). _Lo que_ is Spanish for “that which,” or, less formally, “the thing that,” and learners will hear that in other parts of the song as well. _Quiera_ is the subjunctive form of the verb _querer_ (to want or wish), and it’s used with _lo que_ to show that what Bad Bunny wants includes _whatever_ he wants, without limit! ## Bad Bunny appreciates the li’l things **Song:** “Neverita” **Lyric:** “En la **neverita**” **Meaning:** Spanish uses the _diminutive_ endings _‑ito_ and _‑ita_ to show affection, playfulness and closeness. _**Neverita**_ is from the word _nevera_ (a refrigerator or a cooler). Here, Bad Bunny means a cooler that he has taken to the beach, and the _‑ita_ ending gives the feeling of a li’l cooler, one familiar to him. In this song, that’s where Bad Bunny’s love interest puts her _corazón_ (heart)! You’ll also hear _‑ita_ at the end of every line of the chorus, in _solita_ from _sola_ (alone) and _chamaquita_ from _chamaca_ (a slang term for “girl”). And that _quita’_ in the chorus? That’s the verb _quitas,_ [without the “s”](https://blog.duolingo.com/bad-bunny-spanish/#bad-bunny-is-proud-of-puerto-rican-spanish-and-it-shows)! ## Bad Bunny is a Good Teacher Listening to music in the language you’re learning is a [great way to practice](https://blog.duolingo.com/how-music-can-help-you-learn-a-language/) what you study, and doing things you love is a great way to stay motivated in your learning. 💪 And if you’re a Spanish learner, Bad Bunny makes for an excellent teacher! 🕶 For more music to help you practice Spanish, check out Duolingo’s [Spanish playlist on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0QReNKddCNAoLBgVKr9CHL?si=2c2a299d2a1b426c&ref=blog.duolingo.com), where you’ll find these Bad Bunny songs and many more from artists across Latin America!