Fresh fish for lunch?
I have heard of tourists ordering un pez (fish) in restaurants in Spanish-speaking countries. But pez actually refers to fish that are still alive and swimming! The correct word to use would be el pescado, which is dead or cooked fish. There has been many a waiter who had a bit of fun in bringing a live fish to a customer's table!
Sent by: Delores
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Holo soy Jamie y soy Taiwanesa. Estoy aprendiendo español y me gusta mucho
Anyway, Delores, it's a mistake of use, not a real mistake of meaning. I'm sure the waiter understood the meaning perfectly.
When we first came to live in Spain, we took a fancy to perca, perch. For the next 18 months I asked for filetes de percha, fillets of coathanger!
I was a bit flustered trying to explain that my husband, a vegetarian, did eat fish, I said "Mi marido no come carne pero come piscinas". The waitress still laughes everytime we go to the restaurant. (We never eat by a swimming pool, just in case!!!!)
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