¡”Vaya” lío con la “valla”!

If you are a student of Spanish, you may have already realised that our language is something like an amusement park without a map: lots of twists and turns, similar words and, from time to time, a roller coaster called “homophones”. Today we are going to ride one of those: “vaya”, “valla” and “¡vaya!”

VAYA: the travelling verb

Let’s start with “vaya”, which sounds the same as the others but comes from the verb ir (to go). It is the subjunctive form of “ir”, as in “Espero que te vaya bien” (I hope it goes well for you) or “Cuando él vaya a la fiesta, dile que guarde tortilla para mí” (When he goes to the party, tell him to save some tortilla for me).

But “vaya” can also be an interjection. What a word, right? We mean that it is a word used to express surprise, disappointment or admiration. For example:

• ¡Vaya!, no me esperaba verte aquí con ese sombrero de flamenco. / Wow! I didn’t expect to see you here wearing that flamenco hat.
• ¡Vaya coche te has comprado! Parece una nave espacial. / Wow! What a car you’ve bought! It looks like a spaceship.

In short, “vaya” can mean both “someone going somewhere” and an equivalent of “caramba” or “anda”.

And yes, when pronounced with a foreign accent, it can sound even more charming: that enthusiastic Italian or British-style “¡Vaya!” usually elicits an instant smile from any Spaniard.

VALLA: the barrier with a desire to be the centre of attention

Now we move on to “valla”, with a double “l”. This word does not travel or exclaim: it stays still, delimiting things. It is a feminine noun that means “fence, railing or advertising panel”.

Examples:

• El perro no puede saltar la valla del jardín, pero lo intenta cada mañana. / The dog cannot jump over the garden fence, but he tries every morning.
• Han puesto una valla enorme con el anuncio de un perfume que promete éxito instantáneo (pero seguro que huele a marketing). / They have put up a huge advertising panel of a perfume that promises instant success (but surely smells like marketing).

In other words, “valla” is something you can see and touch, while “vaya” is something you say or wish for.

“¡Vaya valla!” or the ultimate mess

And of course, when the two come together, phrases appear that make students sweat:

• ¡Vaya valla han puesto en el estadio! / What a fence they’ve put up at the stadium!

Here, “vaya” expresses surprise, and “valla” is the physical structure. In other words: “¡Guau, qué pedazo de cerca!” (Wow, what a huge fence!).

Another funny example:

• Espero que Pedro vaya a ver la valla nueva, ¡vaya trabajo que ha costado! / I hope Pedro goes to see the new fence, what a job it was to put it up!

Yes, three “vayas/vallas” in one sentence… because Spanish, when it gets creative, knows no bounds.

A trick to remember the difference

Imagine that a “valla” stops you and the expression “vaya” makes you move or react. If it carries emotion, it’s probably “¡vaya!”. If you can bump into it, we’re talking about a fence.

And if someone says “que te vaya bien” to you, don’t run away: it doesn’t mean they’re going to push you into anything, but that they wish you luck.

So before you despair, take a breath and repeat:

“Si la salto, es una valla. Si me sorprende, digo ¡vaya!.Y si me muevo, voy adonde vaya“.

Mastering these little big traps in Spanish is a matter of practice (and laughing a little at your mistakes).

If you want to dive into the world of homophones, discover the difference between “haya”, “halla” and “allá” or the meaning of “hay”, “ahí” and “¡ay!”.

Finally, if you need more examples and conversation, stop by El Rincón del Tándem, where learning Spanish is almost as much fun as saying “vaya valla vaya” three times in a row without making a mistake.

See you next time!