Recently overheard conversation between a Gringa and a Gringo in response to the question: “Is the word ‘computer’ (computador) masculine or feminine?” The woman said she was sure it was masculine, el computador, because it looked good in the store, did everything just right, but that when you brought it home, it just sat there. “Well, that’s funny, said the man, because I’d always thought it was la computadora, because it works well in the store, but when you bring it home you have to spend a fortune on accessories to get it to do anything!”

La computadora: the computer

Next in the Gringoism section, you will learn how to avoid using a dangerous false-cognate.