Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): El mesero grosero no saludó a mi mamá.

It means “waiter.” Mesero is standard in much of Latin America (e.g., Mexico, Colombia, Central America). Elsewhere you’ll hear mozo (Argentina, Chile, Peru, parts of Bolivia) and camarero (Spain and the Caribbean). All are understood, but mesero fits a pan–Latin American context well.

Why is the adjective after the noun in mesero grosero?

In Spanish, descriptive adjectives usually go after the noun: mesero grosero = “rude waiter.” Putting it before (grosero mesero) is possible but adds a subjective, emphatic, or stylistic tone; the post-noun position is the neutral default.

Does grosero mean “gross” in English?

No—false friend. Grosero means “rude,” “ill-mannered,” or “coarse.” If you want “disgusting/gross,” you’d use words like asqueroso or repugnante, depending on context.

Why does saludó have an accent?

The accent marks the past tense (preterite) and the stress: saludó = “he/she greeted.” Without the accent, saludo can be a noun (“greeting”) or the present tense “I greet.” Compare: saludo (I greet), saludó (he/she greeted).

Why is there an a before mi mamá?

That’s the personal a, used before a direct object that’s a person or pet: saludar a alguien. English has no equivalent preposition here, but in Spanish it’s required: No saludó a mi mamá.

Can I replace a mi mamá with a pronoun?

Yes: No la saludó (“He didn’t greet her”). Place the direct object pronoun (lo/la/los/las) before the conjugated verb. With an infinitive/gerund/affirmative command, it can attach: no quiso saludarla, estaba saludándola, salúdala.

Why not use le (No le saludó)?

Because saludar takes a direct object, and in Latin America the direct object pronoun for a woman is la (for a man, lo). Le is for indirect objects. In parts of Spain, leísmo may make le common for masculine people, but it’s not standard in Latin America.

Should this be reflexive, like se saludó?

No. Saludar is reflexive only for reciprocal actions: Ellos se saludaron (“They greeted each other”). Here, one subject greeted another specific person, so plain saludó is correct.

Does saludar mean “to greet” or “to say hello,” and can it mean “to wave”?

It primarily means “to greet” or “to say hello.” It can imply waving if that’s how the greeting is done (e.g., saludó con la mano = “he/she waved hello”), but saludar by itself is just “to greet.”

Why El and not Un?

El points to a specific waiter already known in the conversation or context (“the rude waiter”). Un would introduce a new, unspecified waiter (“a rude waiter”). Choose based on whether the person is identifiable.

Is mamá the same as madre?

Both mean “mother,” but mamá is more colloquial/affectionate (“mom”), while madre is more formal or neutral. In everyday Latin American speech, mi mamá is very common.

Why does mamá have an accent, and what happens if I drop it?

The accent marks stress on the last syllable: ma‑MÁ. Without it, mama can mean “breast” (the anatomical noun, la mama) or “he/she suckles” (from mamar). Always write mamá for “mom.”

Why the preterite saludó and not the imperfect saludaba?

Use preterite (saludó) for a single, completed action in the past. Use imperfect (saludaba) for habitual/repeated or ongoing actions: No saludaba a mi mamá = “He wouldn’t greet/my mom (used to not greet her).”

Can I front the object for emphasis?

Yes, with clitic doubling: A mi mamá no la saludó el mesero grosero. This is common when the person-object comes first; keep the matching pronoun (la) in the clause.

What if the waiter is a woman?

Make everything feminine where needed: La mesera grosera no saludó a mi mamá. (Adjectives and articles agree in gender and number.)

Where does no go, and are double negatives okay?

No precedes the verb: no saludó. Spanish allows “double negatives”: El mesero grosero no saludó a nadie (“didn’t greet anyone”) is correct and natural.