The Correct Malaga Pronunciation By a Local (Video Included)
Whether you’re travelling to Malaga and want to hang out with the locals or you’re learning Spanish, you probably want to know exactly how to pronounce Malaga.
It isn’t a word difficult to say compared to other Andalusian towns like Mojácar or Soportújar. The latter, I even have to think twice about the pronunciation.
I’m a certified Spanish Teacher from Malaga, and I’ve always tried to highlight the importance of Spanish accents to my students. When pronouncing Malaga, you must consider the accent.
If you’re struggling with pronouncing the word, don’t worry because this short guide on the correct Malaga pronunciation will tell you exactly how to say the name of my beautiful hometown.
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Malaga pronunciation from a local
I’ve met many students and friends from other countries in the UK, but also in Spain, and I’ve heard many different ways to pronounce Malaga. It isn’t a very difficult word to say, but it isn’t easy either.
First, we, Spaniards, write “Málaga” and not “Malaga”. You might wonder, but isn’t it the same? No, the Spanish accent makes a big difference when pronouncing the word.
Many travellers pronounce it ma-LA-ga, but it should be MA-la-ga. The phonetic transcription is [malˈɑːɡə].
Listen to this audio to learn how to pronounce Malaga:
How to pronounce Malaga by Cristina ReinaEtymology: what does Malaga mean?
Phoenicians were the first civilisation that named the city. They called it Malaka. Romans renamed it Malaca, and Arabs called it Malaqa, which is the most similar to its current name.
The meaning of the word Malaga is unclear. Some people think the name refers to “salt”, but others are more convinced that the word is related to the Phoenician coins with pliers engraved. Therefore, the theory behind it is that Malaga was the name of the place where they work with metals.
How do Spanish people spell Malaga?
The correct spelling of Malaga in Spanish is “Málaga”. Most non-Spanish-speaking countries spell it “Malaga” without the accent.
Misspellings for Malaga
- Mallaga
- Malagaa
- Malaca
- Malagga
- Mahagwa
- Malata
Typical words and phrases of Malaga
Typical words and phrases are my favourite things to teach. They’re fun and help you sound more like a local, right?
If you want to learn some words and expressions that only people from Malaga, like me, use, make a note of the following:
- Una pechá. It means “a lot”. In context: He comido una pechá (I’ve eaten a lot).
- Una mijilla. It means “ a little bit”. In context: Quiero una mijilla de pan (I want a little bit of bread).
- ¡Está to perita! It refers to something that is cool, or you’ve liked something. In context: Ese bar está to perita (That bar is so cool!)
- Ser un encogío. It translates to “be tight”. In context: No seas un encogío, deja propina a la camarera (Don’t be tight, tip the waitress!)
- ¿Te alargo? It means, “Do you want me to drop you off?” In context: ¿Te alargo a tu casa? (Do you want me to drop you off at home?)
- Cusha. It translates to “Listen!” In context: Cusha, te veo mañana (Listen! I’ll see you tomorrow)
There are many other words and sentences. For example, terral is a word that refers to a very warm and dry wind coming from the Sahara desert. We sometimes experience “terral” during summer.
Things to know about the Malaga dialect
Learning Spanish isn’t easy, and I often hear people saying that the Andalusian accent is even harder than others. I must admit it’s true.
Within Andalucia, you find different dialects too. People from Seville or Cordoba don’t speak like people in Malaga.
We all use very similar words and, of course, understand each other (except for a few words which can be specific from that province), but there are differences. These are some of the most common things about the Malaga accent:
- Most Malagueños don’t pronounce the final “s” of words. For example, gracias is said /grasia/. This applies to the rest of Andalucia too.
- The “ceceo”. This means that the letter “s” is pronounced as if it were a “z”. The truth is that this is a language phenomenon that is disappearing because of social pressure. Many people think that if you speak that way, you haven’t been to school or learned the Spanish language correctly. Also, not every person uses this pronunciation; it varies according to the area.
- We don’t always pronounce the letter “d”. For example, we would say “hemos cambiao de ruta” instead of “hemos cambiado de ruta”.
Frequently asked questions about Malaga
What are people from Malaga called?
People from Malaga are called Malagueños (masculine plural form) and Malagueñas (feminine plural form).
Is Malaga a good place to learn Spanish?
Yes. Malaga is known for being a good place for international students to learn Spanish and immerse themselves in the culture.
Conclusion on how to pronounce Malaga
Remember that the accent in the word “Málaga” makes a difference. The intonation is the following MA-la-ga.
Do you have any questions about the Spanish language? Leave a comment or join my Malaga Facebook group to connect with me and other travellers.
Cristina
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