# Quechua: niñachay



## Chevere33

OK, what the heck does this mean?  I can't find a definition anywhere on the internet. I bought a CD on my way out of Peru, and apparently the cut "Niñachay" is quite popular.  But what does it mean?   I took the CD to my class of Mexican students, and they surmised that it might be "niña fresa", which is like a priss, an uppity girl, a "bourgeois" sort.  Now that you have a few English things to compare . . .
 
Entos, que, mis chocheras, que significa?  Pos, me da roche q no entiendo!


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## Chaska Ñawi

It's a Quechua word.  My area of expertise is in Bolivian Quechua, which is somewhat different than Peruvian - but in Bolivian Quechua it would mean "that girl".

Hope that this gets you started.


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## Kevyn_Arnold

Chaska Ñawi said:
			
		

> It's a Quechua word. My area of expertise is in Bolivian Quechua, which is somewhat different than Peruvian - but in Bolivian Quechua it would mean "that girl".
> 
> Hope that this gets you started.


Same in Peru


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## fsabroso

Hi,


> niñachay


Esa niña, that girl


> Entos, que, mis chocheras, que significa?  Pos, me da roche q no entiendo!


Entos???, I think this is misspelled.

"chocheras", "friends", amigos.

"roche", "embarrassment" or "shyness", depends of the context. "verguenza", "timidez"

"Pos me da roche que no entiendo" means "pues, me da verguenza que no entiendo",


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## Chevere33

Thank you all for the quick and expert answers.  Should've guessed it was Quechua.  Great song, BTW.

And LOL, fsabroso---the last blurb wasn't a request for a translation, but a comment, Peruvian style.  "Entos" is entonces.  Sometimes young people just say "tos", with a sort of schwa sound instead of the long O.  Kind of like "pos" instead of pues.


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## fsabroso

Chevere33 said:
			
		

> Thank you all for the quick and expert answers.  Should've guessed it was Quechua.  Great song, BTW.
> 
> And LOL, fsabroso---the last blurb wasn't a request for a translation, but a comment, Peruvian style. "Entos" is entonces. Sometimes young people just say "tos", with a sort of schwa sound instead of the long O. Kind of like "pos" instead of pues.



Oh yeah, our "entonces" sounds "tons" (en*ton*ce*s*), ja, ja, ja, I didn't realize it.


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## Alea

Aunque este post es un poco "antigüito", tengo algo que agregar... "niñachay" vendría a ser "niñita". El sufijo "-Chay" es para nombrar algo con cariño, o en chiquito.

Por ejemplo: para llamar a "Margarita" diríamos de cariño "Margaracha", y así "Manuelcha" para Manuel de cariño, o "apurachay" para "rapidito", "apúrate rapidito".

Cabe decir que el quechua es un idioma muy cariñoso, por lo que es muy común el uso de este sufijo.

Hope it helps you to understand it.


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## Chaska Ñawi

Ah, bueno .... y entonces "chay" en lugar de "cha" seria _mi _niñita, asi que "y" es posesivo.

Ahora, entiendo .... muchas gracias.


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## chacaloman

Hola, Tambien tengo algo que agregar, si bienes cierto que la palabra "Niña Chay" significa nña pequeña o niñita, hay que tener en cuenta el ambito en la que se da, es decir en este caso que se trata de una cancion, la palabra significaria "Niñita" o de cariño  "*Muñequita*" , por la connotacion romantica y musical


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## Manuel Guerrero

Niñachay niña chay tambien significa niña niñita niña pequeña o pequeñita niña hermosa es diminutivo y se usa para cosas y personas mesita puertita  pero se  usa de una forma amable y cortes niñachay


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