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Hummingbirds, Spanish, and Other Things That Make No Sense but Are Delightful Anyway

Let me introduce you to the world’s sassiest animal: the hummingbird.

Yes, that tiny, sugar-addicted, feathered helicopter that moves like it just drank six espressos and saw a ghost. And guess what? They are everywhere in Latin America — zooming around like they’re late to a very important bird Zoom meeting.

Naturally, when I started learning Spanish, I thought, How hard can this be? I mean, I already knew “taco,” “salsa,” and “siesta.” (Spoiler alert: I was not ready.)

But back to hummingbirds — or as they say in Spanish, “colibrí.”

Sounds poetic, right? Like the name of a fragrance.
“Introducing… Colibrí. Smell like adrenaline and nectar.”

Here’s the thing: trying to catch a hummingbird is a lot like trying to master Spanish verb conjugations. You think you’ve got it, and then suddenly — bam! — it’s gone, and you’re left questioning everything you’ve ever known.

For instance:

  • I say: “Yo hablo español.” (I speak Spanish.)
  • Hummingbird says: “I buzz in 3D and can lick things 13 times per second.”

We are clearly not the same.