: Re: Should I "spanglish" a Mexican character's dialogue? I am working on a novel based in Mexico, and I am wondering if there are any strong opinions on whether or not I should put common phrases

@Miguel976

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I recently completed my dissertation where the main character was German. The advice I was given was that if it was a common phrase people were likely to know, (for instance, 'Sì'), use it. If it's a less common phrase, put it into italics and translate it or explain in the next sentence. For instance if your character asks, '¿Que estas leyendo?' ('What are you reading?'), have the person they're asking reply, 'I'm reading Gone Girl,' and the audience will work out the rest.

Using the language from where your story is set helps the reader to picture the setting and can say a lot about the characters, too. You could have one character use more Spanish than the others, or one that doesn't speak any Spanish at all.

I'd say do it, but don't over do, because that can be distracting. However, it's better to use too much and cut it out than be conservative - follow your instincts on what fits, what doesn't, and what's right for your characters.

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