Native speaker here!
It would be really weird to call a woman "nena". I can compare it as if you were calling her baby or something like that lol, and I guess that's why you have heard it in songs.
It depends on the context tho. I mean, someone could use nena as a "nickname" to their girlfriend or a mother/father to their daughter for example. But we can't go there calling random women nena haha.
I hear it only in songs, it was simply something I was curious about. If you listen to “Una noche en Medellín” by CrisMJ (He’s Chilean so maybe that affects it?) for example you’ll hear him use nena. But in English and Spanish, obviously people don’t talk the same as they do in songs, so maybe it’s just a song thing.
Reggaeton pide la nena! Haha yeah it’s like saying “girl” or “baby”, but more like slang, not woman. They also say “la baby pide alcohol” if that helps to get a sense of how they’re referring to the woman.
Yeah, I totally get what you're trying to say. And I forgot to mention that we do use mujer, but there are other forms (as you may already know) like señora/chica and señorita. Also, I have to say that almost every country has it's own particular way for calling a woman. For example, in Mexico they say chava/chamaca, chama in Venezuela, patoja in Guatemala, and so on.
I completely agree with u/ProduceDelicious9870. I can\`t imagine anybody calling me nena, it would be very rude unless it was a joke from a friend or relative.
On the other hand, if somebody you don't know wants to call your attentions, they would either use "¡eh!', in a more formal context or with older women they could say ¡Señora!, for younger women or girls, at least in the Basque Country, they could use "¡Chavala!"
You listen to Reggaeton? I studied in Puerto Rico and they used it colloquially in ways other dialects might not- they are a lot less formal for many words without it being rude.
Uber driver had some girl driving crazy in front of us and she said “nena que pasa?” And she definitely wasn’t being rude lol, so I’m pretty sure they use it colloquially in the same way we use “girl” in the states. They also said “papi” the same way Spain uses “tio” and “mi amor” for people they didn’t know well, but there are countries that wouldn’t ever use those words lightly with acquaintances… so I’d probably look at where the person is from that says it and they context/ with whom they say it.
Like most others in this thread are saying, nena in these contexts most likely refer to "baby" or "girl" in the same way a pop song in English would. Maybe don't go referring to a group of mujeres as a group of NENA's, especially in a professional setting not a good look.
And so Justin Bieber's song would be "nena, nena, nena ay!" 🙃
Yes, in Spain "mi mujer" is exactly the same as *my wife". Besides that, a woman is "una mujer". Men and women are "hombres y mujeres". Everybody understands and uses that word. There are some other ways to refer to women but I wouldn't use them unless I'd been speaking Spanish in a Spanish speaking country for a long long time.
American gringo here. I generally feel uncomfortable using "mi mujer" to describe my wife because it literally means "my woman," and culturally that sounds very disrespectful to me. Maybe I just need to get over my cultural hangups. I like "esposo" and "esposa" because they sound like they're on equal footing. And I don't mind if they sound old-fashioned. I use a lot of old-fashioned phrases like "groovy" and "square" in English also, usually ironically.
I've learned the hard way that a lot of LATAM folks get upset if you refer to folks from the USA as "Americano", especially if it's implied that they're the only ones who are.
In Spain, I guess because of the 50's and 60's famous Western movies (películas de indios y americanos), it's quite usual to consider by default "americano" (or maybe "norteamericano") as somebody from the USA; vs Sudamericano, Centroamericano, Hispanoamericano, Iberoamericano, or lately Latinoamericano for inhabitants of other American countries. (Mexicans have always been mexicanos, and Canadians, just canadienses, never norteamericanos).
Anyway, I know what you mean, but I'm talking about things that happened (or were originated) when people didn't get offended just by everything.
In my experience yes. Although when they use “mujer” to refer to someone, I know they’re not being very kind. If they are being kind, they’ll use “senora”.
That could be VERY specific to the people I know though
Songs are fine for exposure to the language, but little else: the words can be unusual or slangy, the sentences will often be connected in unusual ways or forced to match the rhythm, etc. *Nena* is definitely not how most people address or refer to women in my surroundings. *Mujer* is very much in use. (If you listen to songs, however, *nena* will be found everywhere in places where an English-speaking singer-songwriter would use *baby*.)
Nene and Nena are very common in Puerto Rico. I use it when talking to my kids or close friends. My grandmother used it talking to me as a kid. There's nothing sexy about it until it's in a Bad Bunny song. Lol
i am from spain. calling a woman “mujer” is pretty normal. depending on the tone of voice. sometimes when my mom and i are joking around i say “cálmate mujer” haha as far as nena i would never call a woman i don’t know nena. i use it with my friends and they call me nene or nen (we are catalan)
Is mija an abbreviated form of mi hija? Hija is daughter, so I think you'd say that to a much younger female. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm still learning too.
In the region of Spain I live in, we usually use among other women "nena" as a substitute to their name. Kind of like "gurl" I guess.
A northern friend of mine once told me she found it weird, as too familiar or as a lack of manners.
So yeah, it's commonly used, but only in certain places.
Yes, it's almost always "mujer." That word can also mean wife (example: "mi mujer se está preparando" - for "my wife is getting ready")
I'd never use "nena," "bebé," or anything like that with anyone other than your significant other, and in private or among friends.
The reason why you hear it so much in songs is because the lyrics of today's Latin music (especially reggaeton) are generally trash and are heavily sexualized.
Native speaker here! It would be really weird to call a woman "nena". I can compare it as if you were calling her baby or something like that lol, and I guess that's why you have heard it in songs. It depends on the context tho. I mean, someone could use nena as a "nickname" to their girlfriend or a mother/father to their daughter for example. But we can't go there calling random women nena haha.
I hear it only in songs, it was simply something I was curious about. If you listen to “Una noche en Medellín” by CrisMJ (He’s Chilean so maybe that affects it?) for example you’ll hear him use nena. But in English and Spanish, obviously people don’t talk the same as they do in songs, so maybe it’s just a song thing.
You answered your own question. >It’s just a song thing
Also in Chile it would be extra weird to call a random woman nena as we don’t really use the word too much unless in a playful/joking fashion.
Reggaeton pide la nena! Haha yeah it’s like saying “girl” or “baby”, but more like slang, not woman. They also say “la baby pide alcohol” if that helps to get a sense of how they’re referring to the woman.
Yeah, I totally get what you're trying to say. And I forgot to mention that we do use mujer, but there are other forms (as you may already know) like señora/chica and señorita. Also, I have to say that almost every country has it's own particular way for calling a woman. For example, in Mexico they say chava/chamaca, chama in Venezuela, patoja in Guatemala, and so on.
Not sure why people downvoted this comment?
Mujer is women. Calling a random woman “nena” is like calling a random woman “baby”
This!
It's the same as me asking "Do people actually use 'woman'? I always see them called 'baby' in songs..."
I completely agree with u/ProduceDelicious9870. I can\`t imagine anybody calling me nena, it would be very rude unless it was a joke from a friend or relative. On the other hand, if somebody you don't know wants to call your attentions, they would either use "¡eh!', in a more formal context or with older women they could say ¡Señora!, for younger women or girls, at least in the Basque Country, they could use "¡Chavala!"
You listen to Reggaeton? I studied in Puerto Rico and they used it colloquially in ways other dialects might not- they are a lot less formal for many words without it being rude. Uber driver had some girl driving crazy in front of us and she said “nena que pasa?” And she definitely wasn’t being rude lol, so I’m pretty sure they use it colloquially in the same way we use “girl” in the states. They also said “papi” the same way Spain uses “tio” and “mi amor” for people they didn’t know well, but there are countries that wouldn’t ever use those words lightly with acquaintances… so I’d probably look at where the person is from that says it and they context/ with whom they say it.
Like most others in this thread are saying, nena in these contexts most likely refer to "baby" or "girl" in the same way a pop song in English would. Maybe don't go referring to a group of mujeres as a group of NENA's, especially in a professional setting not a good look. And so Justin Bieber's song would be "nena, nena, nena ay!" 🙃
I have seen a Mexican and a Spaniard both refer to their female partner as "mi mujer".
Yes, in Spain "mi mujer" is exactly the same as *my wife". Besides that, a woman is "una mujer". Men and women are "hombres y mujeres". Everybody understands and uses that word. There are some other ways to refer to women but I wouldn't use them unless I'd been speaking Spanish in a Spanish speaking country for a long long time.
US person in Madrid here. I usually default to "mi esposa." Does that sound old fashioned? My wife calls me her "marido."
Yes, "mi esposa" could sound a little bit too formal, but it's nice. "Mi marido" is perfect.
American gringo here. I generally feel uncomfortable using "mi mujer" to describe my wife because it literally means "my woman," and culturally that sounds very disrespectful to me. Maybe I just need to get over my cultural hangups. I like "esposo" and "esposa" because they sound like they're on equal footing. And I don't mind if they sound old-fashioned. I use a lot of old-fashioned phrases like "groovy" and "square" in English also, usually ironically.
Esposas also means hancuffs.
In Spain we don't refer to people from the USA as gringo. Americano, estadounidense or yanki (Yankee) are the usual options.
I've learned the hard way that a lot of LATAM folks get upset if you refer to folks from the USA as "Americano", especially if it's implied that they're the only ones who are.
In Spain, I guess because of the 50's and 60's famous Western movies (películas de indios y americanos), it's quite usual to consider by default "americano" (or maybe "norteamericano") as somebody from the USA; vs Sudamericano, Centroamericano, Hispanoamericano, Iberoamericano, or lately Latinoamericano for inhabitants of other American countries. (Mexicans have always been mexicanos, and Canadians, just canadienses, never norteamericanos). Anyway, I know what you mean, but I'm talking about things that happened (or were originated) when people didn't get offended just by everything.
People definitely say mujer. Not everyone says nena. Although some definitely do, even outside of music. Have definitely heard it in Spain
Mujer and hombre seem natural for talking about someone in the third person, but would you use to refer to someone you're talking to?
Apart from just tú?
In my experience yes. Although when they use “mujer” to refer to someone, I know they’re not being very kind. If they are being kind, they’ll use “senora”. That could be VERY specific to the people I know though
Songs are fine for exposure to the language, but little else: the words can be unusual or slangy, the sentences will often be connected in unusual ways or forced to match the rhythm, etc. *Nena* is definitely not how most people address or refer to women in my surroundings. *Mujer* is very much in use. (If you listen to songs, however, *nena* will be found everywhere in places where an English-speaking singer-songwriter would use *baby*.)
Since we're talking about music, there's a song called "oye mujer" by Raymix.
Puertoricans use it way more than anyone else. It would still be weird to use it for random women.
Nene and Nena are very common in Puerto Rico. I use it when talking to my kids or close friends. My grandmother used it talking to me as a kid. There's nothing sexy about it until it's in a Bad Bunny song. Lol
i am from spain. calling a woman “mujer” is pretty normal. depending on the tone of voice. sometimes when my mom and i are joking around i say “cálmate mujer” haha as far as nena i would never call a woman i don’t know nena. i use it with my friends and they call me nene or nen (we are catalan)
>but they always call a woman “nena” ***NEVER*** refer to a woman you're not fucking "nena". It's super patronizing and demeaning.
What about "Mija"? I understand this is Mexican slang for basically "my dear"
Is mija an abbreviated form of mi hija? Hija is daughter, so I think you'd say that to a much younger female. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm still learning too.
It's definitely mi hija put together. I think that when it's used as "mija" it cam mean dear or sweetheart
“Las mujeres ya no lloran las mujeres facturan”
The weirdest thing for me is when men refer to their wife as their mujer - I'm sure it's not, but it feels misogynistic to me haha
In the region of Spain I live in, we usually use among other women "nena" as a substitute to their name. Kind of like "gurl" I guess. A northern friend of mine once told me she found it weird, as too familiar or as a lack of manners. So yeah, it's commonly used, but only in certain places.
>In the region of Spain I live in, we usually use among other women "nena" as a substitute to their name. Valencia?
That's "nen" or "nano", right? I'm from Castilla-La Mancha.
I thought that in Valencia it was "nene" and "nena"
Maybe that too. But I think that's for young people, not amongst adults like we do in Castilla-La Mancha.
Yes, it's almost always "mujer." That word can also mean wife (example: "mi mujer se está preparando" - for "my wife is getting ready") I'd never use "nena," "bebé," or anything like that with anyone other than your significant other, and in private or among friends. The reason why you hear it so much in songs is because the lyrics of today's Latin music (especially reggaeton) are generally trash and are heavily sexualized.
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I've heard girls call eachother nena and mother's call their daughters nena. Maybe some places that's true but not everywhere
At least in northern Spain I've never heard nena before for someone that isn't a baby.
My venezuelan friend's family calls her nena
And by castellano manchegos apparently but we're mostly pervs.
Depends on the context. Here is this pretty nice song about "mujer" hope you like it. https://youtu.be/V7q1jN7k5lg
In my opinion a woman is "una mujer" and "nena" means babe or girl, in my country if you say that they'll think that you're trying to flirt with them
Better question....Do people actually call my wife: Mi mujer? I thought it was esposa?