estafadora de amores (ehs-tah-fah-DO-rah deh ah-MO-rehs): swindler of loves
estrella/estrellita (ehs-TREH-yah/ehs-treh-YEE-tah): star/little star
¿Es tu culpa? (ehs too COOL-pah): Is this your fault?
familia (fah-MEE-lee-ah): family
favorcito (fah-vor-SEE-to): little favor
gente (JEHN-teh): people
gracias a Dios (GRAH-see-ahs ah dee-OS): thank God
guelito (weh-LEE-to): grandfather
hasta mañana (AHS-tah mah-NYA-nah): see you tomorrow
hermano/hermanito (ehr-MAH-no/ehr-mah-NEE-to): brother/little brother
hija (EE-hah): daughter
hija mía (EE-hah MEE-ah): my daughter
¡Hijo de Satanás! (EE-ho deh sah-tah-NAHS): Son of Satan!
hola (O-lah): hello
jacalitos (hah-kah-LEE-tos): huts
jefe (HEH-feh): boss
Kineño (kee-NEH-nyo): the King men, field hands working at the King Ranch in South Texas in the early 1900s
La Calaca (lah kah-LAH-kah): feminine form of the Angel of Death, also known as La Santa Muerte (Saint Death) and La Santísima (the Most Saint)
la cuerda (lah coo-EHR-dah): the rope
ladrona de alientos (lah-DRO-nah deh ah-lee-EHN-tos): breath thief
La Nochebuena (lah no-cheh-boo-EH-nah): Christmas Eve
lechuzas (leh-CHOO-sahs): barn owls, folktale witches
lentejuelas (lehn-teh-hoo-EH-lahs): sequins
Los Matadores (los mah-tah-DO-rehs): fictitious tejano rebel gang
mal aire (mahl AY-reh): evil air
maldiciones (mahl-dee-see-O-nehs): curse words
máscaras (MAHS-kah-rahs): masks
matanza (mah-TAHN-sah): slaughter
mejicano (meh-hee-KAH-no): Mexican
mi amor (mee ah-MOR): my beloved
m’ija/m’ijo (MEE-hah/MEE-ho): contractions of my daughter/my son
mochila (mo-CHEE-lah): saddlebag, bag
monte (MON-teh): woodland
muchacho (moo-CHAH-cho): young man
mujer/mujeres (moo-JEHR/moo-JEH-rehs): woman/women
músicos (MOO-see-kos): musicians
negrita (neh-GREE-tah): young black girl
niños (NEE-nyos): little boys
ojitos (o-HEE-tos): making eye contact, flirting
padrecito (pah-dreh-SEE-to): priest (the -ito denotes a loving tone)
pan dulce (pahn DOOL-seh): Mexican sweet bread
pásenle a lo recogido (PAH-sehn-leh ah lo reh-ko-HEE-do): come in, to the clean part of the house
patrón (pah-TRON): boss
pañuelo (pah-nyoo-EH-lo): handkerchief
pelados (peh-LAH-dos): scoundrels, rogues
piedra (pee-EH-drah): stone
plumas (PLOO-mahs): feathers
por favor (por fah-VOR): please
¡Por favor, no te olvides de mí! (por fah-VOR no teh ol-VEE-dehs deh mee): Please, don’t forget me!
potrillos (po-TREE-yos): colts
pozole (po-SO-leh): a soup made with pork, hominy, red chiles, and spices
pulque (POOL-keh): a fermented alcoholic drink made from the maguey cactus
¿Qué pasa? (keh PAH-sah): What’s going on?
quinceañera (keen-seh-ah-NYEH-rah): a coming-out party for a girl’s fifteenth birthday celebrating her transition from girl to young lady
rancho (RAHN-cho): ranch
ranchero (rahn-CHEH-ro): rancher
recámara (reh-KAH-mah-rah): bedroom
remuda (reh-MOO-dah): slang for herd of horses
revolución (reh-vo-loo-see-ON): revolution
rumores (roo-MO-rehs): rumors
sala (SAH-lah): living room
sediciosos (seh-dee-see-O-sos): seditious men, rebels; Los Sediciosos was the name of a prominent, well-known rebel gang in South Texas at the time of the Mexican Revolution
señorita (seh-nyo-REE-tah): young lady
sí (see): yes
siéntense (see-EHN-tehn-seh): sit down
sirena (see-REH-nah): siren, seductress
socorro (so-KO-rro): help
soldadera (sol-dah-DEH-rah): female soldier
soldados (sol-DAH-dos): soldiers
sospechosos (sos-peh-CHO-sos): suspicious men
te amo (teh AH-mo): I love you
tejano (teh-HAH-no): Texan
Tejas (TEH-hahs): Texas
¡Tengo miedo de perderte! (tehn-go mee-EH-do deh pehr-DEHR-teh): I’m afraid to lose you!
Tierra y libertad (tee-EH-rah ee lee-bear-TAHD): Land and liberty
tlacuache (tlah-KWAH-cheh): possum
trenzas (TREHN-sahs): braids
trueno (throo-EH-no): thunder
una carta (OO-nah KAHR-tah): a letter
una señorita de familia decente (OO-nah seh-nyo-REE-tah deh fah-MEE-lee-ah deh-SEHN-teh): a young lady from a decent family
un Jesucristo moreno (OON heh-soo-KREES-toh mo-REH-no): a brown Jesus Christ
vacas (VAH-kahs): cows
vámonos (VAH-mo-nos): let’s go
velorio (veh-LO-ree-o): viewing
¡Venganza! (ven-GAN-sa): Vengeance!
verdad (vehr-DAHD): true
¡Viva la Independencia! (VEE-vah la in-deh-pen-DEN-see-ah): Long live Independence!
zarape (sah-RAH-peh): serape, a colorful shawl worn especially by men
zopilotes (so-pee-LO-tehs): buzzards