Culture & Etiquette

1. Onde podo escoitar gaita en directo?

   Where can I hear bagpipes live?

   Usage

   Asks where to hear live gaita, Galicia's traditional bagpipe, a familiar sound at festivals and romarías

   Grammar Note

   "Gaita" is feminine and can be used without an article for the instrument in general. "Live" is en directo

2. Como se saúda aquí?

   How do people greet each other here?

   Usage

   Asks about local greeting manners; besides a handshake, friends may kiss on the cheek

   Grammar Note

   "Se saúda" is an impersonal reflexive ("one greets"). Saudar means to greet and carries an accent on the ú

3. Que significa esta tradición?

   What does this tradition mean?

   Usage

   Used to ask about the origin or meaning of a custom you are seeing

   Grammar Note

   "Que significa ...?" asks what something means. "Tradición" is feminine and ends in -ción

4. Podo mercar artesanía local aquí?

   Can I buy local crafts here?

   Usage

   Used to ask about buying local crafts; Camariñas lace and Sargadelos ceramics are well known

   Grammar Note

   "Artesanía" is a feminine uncountable noun used without an article. "Mercar" means the same as comprar

5. Que é a queimada?

   What is the queimada?

   Usage

   Asks about the flaming spirit drink of Galicia, made while reciting a spell (conxuro) against witches and evil spirits

   Grammar Note

   "Queimada" is feminine. "What is ...?" is asked with Que é ...?

6. Que é un hórreo?

   What is a hórreo?

   Usage

   Asks about the granary raised on stone pillars to keep maize dry; those at Carnota and by the sea at Combarro are famous

   Grammar Note

   "Hórreo" is masculine and carries an accent on the ó

7. Que é un cruceiro?

   What is a cruceiro?

   Usage

   Asks about the large stone crosses that stand at crossroads and in churchyards

   Grammar Note

   "Cruceiro" is masculine; the dictionary defines it as a large stone cross at crossroads, wayside and in churchyards

8. Quen foi Rosalía de Castro?

   Who was Rosalía de Castro?

   Usage

   Asks about Rosalía de Castro, the 19th-century Galician poet whose Cantares gallegos (1863) is seen as the start of modern Galician literature

   Grammar Note

   "Foi" is the third-person singular past of ser. "Quen" means who and has no accent

9. Pode falarme en galego, por favor?

   Could you speak to me in Galician, please?

   Usage

   A polite request for someone to speak Galician to you, useful when you want to practise

   Grammar Note

   A polite request addressed to vostede; the pronoun me attaches to the infinitive falar. The language name galego is lower case

10. Que é a Santa Compaña?

    What is the Santa Compaña?

    Usage

    Asks about the Galician legend of a night-time procession of the souls of the dead

    Grammar Note

    Santa Compaña is a proper name written in capitals. "Compaña" is a feminine noun meaning company

11. Que é o botafumeiro?

    What is the botafumeiro?

    Usage

    Asks about the huge censer of Santiago Cathedral, swung on ropes like a pendulum on major feast days

    Grammar Note

    "Botafumeiro" is masculine; the dictionary defines it as the large censer of Santiago Cathedral

12. Por que levan os peregrinos unha vieira?

    Why do pilgrims carry a scallop shell?

    Usage

    Asks why pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago carry a scallop shell, which is the emblem of St James and of the pilgrimage

    Grammar Note

    The question "why" is written as two words, por que, with no accent. "Peregrino" is masculine (plural peregrinos)

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