Editorial Reviews
Review
"...Lonely Planet phrase books have long taken a hip, streetwise approach."
-- Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 27, 2004
"Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Portable, pocket-size, cheap, and available for
almost any country you might want to visit..." -- National Geographic
Traveler, September 2006
National Geographic Traveler, September 2006
'Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Portable, pocket-size, cheap, and available for
almost any country you might want to visit...'
Product Description
I would never have found this place, learned your name, shared a bottle of
tequila - unless I'd opened this book...
o local expressions and cultural facts
o culinary guide to Mexico's world-famous cuisine
o shopping lingo, pick-up lines & sports speak
Product Details
- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Lonely Planet; 1st edition (October 1, 2003)
- Language: English, Spanish
- ISBN-10: 1740594959
- ISBN-13: 978-1740594950
- Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 3.7 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
- Average Customer Review:
(14
customer reviews)
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Rating:
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I really like this book. Fits perfectly in your handbag or saddlebag out on the
trail. All the basics are covered here and even some things you may never need
to say at all - such as various pick up line in bars! There is a nice sense of
humor paired with common sense throughout this phrasebook. However, if you need
to find a particular word for a particular item you will need a true Engligh/Spanish
dictionary rather than a phrasebook. I carry both with me almost constantly.
Rating:
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As usual Lonely Planet has the best. Lots of phrases grouped into sections ie)
restaurants, shopping etc. Good Eng-Spa dictionary and vice versa. Easy to use.
Rating:
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Easy to navigate, read, and carry...only downfall i could find is that its hard
to find the colors translated. I find this important but unfortunately there is
no section for them.
Rating:
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Had been looking for this phrasebook since I went to Mexico in Nov 06. I was
able to use it extensively while there. Excellent helps!
Rating:
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I think these books are perfect for any traveler. With the Spanish language
being so unique to each country, the phrasebooks allow you to familiarize
yourself with a specific Latin American region. I used the Costa Rican book last
year when I visited and found it so useful that I left it with my friend who had
just moved there. She found it so helpful that she still carries it with her
everyday in her purse. I got my father the Mexican phrasebook for Christmas so
he could communicate better with some of his employees at work. I think he has
found it very useful as well.
Rating:
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Mexican Spanish is a book I bought because I live in an area where there are
many Mexican people. I have been trying to learn enough of their language to
"get by". This book could be a tremendous help.
However, it is printed in very small print, as the book itself is pocket sized,
a nice size to carry with me. The small print is understandable but the pastel
colors of the text is more than difficult to read, especially since the print is
so tiny. I think whoever put this book together was going for "attractive" but
what I need most is black text!
Otherwise, I would reccommend this book to anyone who has some Spanish, surely
not to someone who has not done at least a little studying of the language.
The book is well designed, just, harping on it again, the text needs to be black
or at least dark red, navy blue, dark brown, dark green - to differentiate
subjects. It is almost impossible to see the tildes and accent marks. One needs
a magnifying glass! The italics that are supposed to tell one which syllable of
the words must be accented for correct pronounciation, again, are almost
impossible to detect.
Rating:
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I used to speak pretty fluent Spanish when I was in high school, but with years
of neglect and non-use, I've become a bit rusty. This book is a great refresher
on key phrases and structure, and will fit in your pocket quite easily.
Don't expect to have a long, involved conversation using this book (only reason
I gave this a 4), but if you're going on a trip, there are plenty of phrases to
help you out in MANY types of situations. The scenarios in this book are QUITE
comprehensive. I also have the Lonely Planet Japanese handbook which is also
quite good.
Rating:
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This little book is packed with valuable information and advise when traveling
in Mexico.I found the phrases useful and adequate. The book covers every thing
from buying groceries to ending up in the Doctor's office. The size of the book
is also a plus since it fits into small purses and fanny packs. In 06,I spent a
month in Mexico going to village to village and found this book immensley
helpful. Go for it!
Rating:
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My wife and I went to Mexico to get married and we are not Spanish speakers.
This handy book is first class and here are the reasons why:-
The book is small enough to easily fit into a coat or shirt pocket.
It has drawings of common situations with arrows pointing at items in the
drawing with the Mexican word highlighted (how much easier could they make it)
The sections in the book are colour coordinated according to the situations you
may find yourself (reservations,dining,partying... etc. Flick to the section and
then use the obvious sentences to converse around the subject.
Pronunciation and grammar are explained clearly at the start of the book and all
the words in the book are laid out phonetically (the only way you are going to
get this wrong is if you can't read)
In conclusion, a first class guide, when we showed the book to the locals in
Mexico they wanted to know if they could buy it in Mexico as they didn't think
they could. They loved the pictures and even chipped in to help with correct
pronunciation if we went astray.
The Mexican slang in the book is spot on, the Mexicans couldn't believe that
some of the words were in the book.
When I go back to Mexico this book will be in my pocket, don't leave home
without it.
Highly recommended
Rating:
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This handy new phrasebook is MUCH closer to the Mexican Spanish being spoken
today than any other I have found. It's actually pretty good, BUT the
pronunciation guide is very, very bad for anyone from the central/western US or
western Canada. If you're from those areas and don't already have some idea of
correct Spanish pronunciation, avoid this phrasebook.
I think the authors must have had some idea about this in advance, since they
tell you, "Don't worry too much about pronunciation." That of course is totally
wrong. Spanish is one of the world's almost perfectly phonetic languages and
pronunciation is the MOST important thing about being understood.
Rating:
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I just want to say how pleased I am I have bought this phrasebook. I have used
it on my recent visit to Mexico. It was a 'perfect companion'. The book is
extremely well organised, covers what a visitor needs like food, shopping, etc.
It also goes beyond what most phrasebooks have to offer. It has an unusual
linguistic awareness of the language and its regional dialects. This is a taste
of what could be developed into a course book on the Mexican language and its
dialects. That would be most welcome. We want more!
Rating:
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Note that the dictionary gives the US English terms as well as the UK or
Australian English terms. Eg, petrol, gas; icy pole, popsicle; nappy, diaper
etc.
Americans aren't the only people who visit Mexico :)
Rating:
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Overall, this book is great and fairly up-to-date with phrases and useful notes
throughout. I have a very limited background in Spanish, but I think this is
perfect for even a novice. It gets 4 stars instead of 5 for a bit of a
disconnect in actual vocabulary. For instance, instead of using the word Gas or
Gasoline for the Engilsh word it uses the word "Petrol," which is a word I have
NEVER used as an American in reference to the fuel for my car. Other than that,
it is excellently organized and uses thoughtful phrases such as how to tell
people you have an allergy to an item or that you have a flat tire. I recommend
this book to anyone planning to travel to Mexico (I am taking it to Cancun with
me!)
Rating:
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However, don't trust the literal translations. But I think this book could get
you thru. It has color coded thumb flipping helpers.
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