Colombian Word of the Week -- Juicioso

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So, you are adopting a child over the age of 18 months and you want to be able to tell them to BEHAVE.

What should you say? Here is a great word that I highly recommend.

For a boy = Sé JUICIOSO (whee see OH so)

For a girl = Sé JUICIOSA (whee see OH sah)

It literally means "be judicious". But, in Colombia, it means "behave yourself."

Most kids will have heard this a thousand times, and they will be familiar with its meaning and the behavior you expect after they hear it.

Four years ago, a family I know brought home 2 children from Colombia. They asked me over to help teach the kids ESL. The adoptive mother was struggling with the language. When the kids started acting up, I reminded them to be JUICIOSOS. It helped.

To hear this word, click on this link.

Comments

Paula said…
Me encanto lo de juicioso/a, nosotros en Argentina, no usamos esa palabra, pero es excelente el recordatorio de como debemos decir a nuestros niños que se "porten bien" de modo que lo entiendan.
Excelente aporte!

Paula
January 9, 2009 at 7:19 PM
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