Words English took from Spanish

1. 1
   canyon/ˈkænjən/

   noun

   A deep narrow valley with steep rocky sides, cut by a river.
2. 2
   mesa/ˈmeɪsə/

   noun

   A hill with steep sides and a wide flat top.
3. 3
   adobe/əˈdoʊbi/

   noun

   A brick of mud and straw dried hard in the sun.
4. 4
   patio/ˈpætiˌoʊ/

   noun

   A paved outdoor space next to a house, used for sitting outside.
5. 5
   ranch/ræntʃ/

   verb

   To run a big stretch of land where cattle or horses are raised.
6. 6
   barbecue/ˈbɑːrbɪˌkjuː/

   verb

   To cook food outdoors over fire or hot coals.
7. 7
   tortilla/tɔːrˈtiːə/

   noun

   A thin flat round bread made from corn or wheat flour.
8. 8
   jalapeno/ˌhæləˈpiːnjoʊ/iAlso said ˌdʒæləˈpiːnoʊ.

   noun

   A small hot green or red pepper used in cooking.
9. 9
   siesta/siˈestə/

   noun

   A short sleep taken in the early afternoon.
10. 10
    macho/ˈmɑːtʃoʊ/

    adjective

    Acting tough and manly in an obvious way.

The sentences

1. The trail down into the canyon looks pretty steep.

2. You can see the flat mesa from our window.

3. That old church is made of adobe brick.

4. Let's sit out on the patio after dinner.

5. They still ranch cattle out past the river.

6. We could barbecue those steaks on the patio.

7. She warmed a tortilla for each of us.

8. Is there any jalapeno in the green sauce?

9. I need a siesta before we drive again.

10. He gets a little macho about the driving.

Pronunciation

• mesa/ˈmeɪsə/

  First vowel is "ay": MAY-suh.

• adobe/əˈdoʊbi/

  Three syllables, and the final e is said out loud: uh-DOH-bee.

• tortilla/tɔːrˈtiːə/

  The ll is not an l sound: tor-TEE-uh.

• jalapeno/ˌhæləˈpiːnjoʊ/

  The j is an h sound, and the n has a y tucked in after it: hal-uh-PEEN-yoh.

Questions

What's the difference between a canyon and a mesa?

A canyon is a deep narrow valley with steep rocky sides cut by a river, while a mesa is a hill with steep sides and a flat top.

What does macho mean?

Macho means acting tough and manly in an obvious way, like someone making a show of their driving.

What's a siesta?

A siesta is a short sleep taken in the early afternoon, like the one you need before driving again.