56 replies to this topic

[AlanMexicali]

Is a maid the wrong terminology used here for a cleaning lady?


Maid :

A maid, girl, domestic, servant, care giver or maid is a woman used to do household work. In the past, is part of the hierarchy within the mansions, although it is currently only a domestic worker for families of upper class and even middle class.

Housemaids work is such as cooking, ironing and washing, cleaning the house, buying food, walking the dog, serve the table, to run errands and care for children.

In some cases, housemaids assume the role of nurse to care for the elderly or disabled. Many housemaids must wear a uniform, according to the wishes of its patrôn, some are living in their employer's home and must wear the uniform all day and all night, until they go to sleep, whether she lives inside or outside the home and serve all the days, except for the free afternoons, rather few. Usually one or two to the week, the rest of the week caring for her employers. The uniform can be maid's uniform or a bata and apron.

Translated from Wikipedia Mexico.

[Ferret]

I prefer Housekeeper...ama de llaves

[bournemouth]

Does it really matter what they are called?

[ericurmudgeon]

Does it really matter what they are called as long as they are treated with respect and honesty? :-)

[AlanMexicali]

Does it really matter what they are called?

It matters to the locals because if you say Mi Sirvienta [maid] and they know you have "A lady who cleans the house one or two days each week" "un senora que limpia la casa uno o dos dias cada semana" [Señora de la limpieza] they will get a chuckle at your misuse of a common word. Also you would be telling a fib.

[More Liana]

La sirvienta, la muchacha, and la ayudante (or ayudanta), and la señora que nos ayuda con el aseo are all terms we hear. There is one colloquial term that should NEVER be used. Ever. If you don't know what it is, someone else will no doubt tell you.

[fordtruckman]

La sirvienta, la muchacha, and la ayudante (or ayudanta), and la señora que nos ayuda con el aseo are all terms we hear. There is one colloquial term that should NEVER be used. Ever. If you don't know what it is, someone else will no doubt tell you.

It would be nice if you wouldn't "pussy foot" (refers to your avatar) around. You have some knowledge perhaps you might share it. Holding onto information ~ "I know something you don't know" sometimes comes across as childish. This is an informational web board....

[AlanMexicali]

Does it really matter what they are called?

I am not trying to be antagonistic. I made some common terminology mistakes and learnt from them [sometimes] when learning Spanish. The educados [learned, educated; trained; polite, mannerly] don't talk like they are from another world. It is common to follow the rules of etiquette which are laid out very specifically according to the class structure here. Using wrong terminology in this case is ".No educado".

[More Liana]

It would be nice if you wouldn't "pussy foot" (refers to your avatar) around. You have some knowledge perhaps you might share it. Holding onto information ~ "I know something you don't know" sometimes comes across as childish. This is an informational web board....

If you know me at all, you know that I never 'pussyfoot', nor am I childish. There are some words I simply won't say or write--but others--generally native Spanish-speakers--will tell you.

[Wheels]

most NOB prefer to call her a maid, so when they tell their NB relatives or friends, they feel really good. Everyone tells them Oh you have a maid??

it is really a cleaning lady not a maid. Two totally different things.

How funny that when they lived up north they always said my cleaning lady.

[AlanMexicali]

most NOB prefer to call her a maid, so when they tell their NB relatives or friends, they feel really good. Everyone tells them Oh you have a maid??

it is really a cleaning lady not a maid. Two totally different things.

How funny that when they lived up north they always said my cleaning lady.

I do not think it is that at all, from my own experience. I think it is getting your feet wet in the mannerism of this complex word specific social structure terminology and learning the word "sirvienta" is a very easy word to pick up. It almost sounds or reminds us gringos of the word servant. I did many similar foul ups with ordinary words that reminded me of English. They meant something different even though I pronounced them correctly.

Once I got a word in Spanish down, I would transfer it over to the same word when using English to describe something. This also made some gringos say "What was that you just said?." You live here long enough it gets harder and harder over time to speak proper English.

[willieboy]

Well, I think this is childish. The word is "criada". There, that didn't hurt so much, did it?

[Jeanne B]

I also prefer to use housekeeper. Maid sounds too pretentious to me. She comes to my home one day a week for three hours to clean my house. To that's not a maid.

[willieboy]

Cristina, thank you for being polite and not using language that is obviously offensive. We don't need to learn the bad words.

Absolutely wrong. You do need to learn the "bad" words so you understand them when they're being directed at you.

[BillClarke]

The word is "criada".

Interestingly, Google merely translates this word as "maid". I suspect they are underinformed - what is offensive about the word?

[lobita]

Wayyyy down the list of 'alternate translations' in google you get 'skivvy' and 'bint', which are both offensive British slang.

[AlanMexicali]

Interestingly, Google merely translates this word as "maid". I suspect they are underinformed - what is offensive about the word?

Bill. I got carried away with this and "molested" my wife at work with one of my rare phone calls; this being a non emergency I will be cooking a special dinner tonight for sure. She thinks it is in regards to an old Mexican soap opera [novela] with La Criada and so and so in the title which she said portrays maids as sort of India Maria type characters; don't ask me what this is all about. Alan

[Travis]

The only time I ever hear "maid" is when it's written on this webboard and every time I see it I cringe.

I asked my Spanish teacher specifically if there was an equivalent to housekeeper and he said not really. So we use the "The lady who helps us..." / "La senora que nos ayuda..." structure.

[More Liana]

Well, I think this is childish. The word is "criada". There, that didn't hurt so much, did it?

Sorry, willieboy, that's not the word.