We might not know where you're from, but we assume that when you were a kid, you enjoyed short stories about animals impersonating people and all the wacky adventures they'd have along the way.
Uncle Rabbit, or “Tío Conejo” is one of those stories, only now they're not only limited to books and nighttime stories. You can watch the adventures of Tio Conejo and his friends at Lingopie and practice your Spanish while having fun and being reminded of those sweet childhood memories.
A Costa Rican Writer Created Infinite Adventures For Everyone In The World
If you've ever heard of Uncle Rabbit’s Adventures, we're sure you loved them as a kid, but did you know it’s originally a story from Costa Rica?
Back in 1920, Carmen Lyra, a prolific children’s author, wrote these adventures to teach children important values and how to handle unfair life situations.
They were mostly fables but written in such a captivating way that no kid would get bored or complain about it being too complicated. Soon enough, those stories traveled the world, and Tio Conejo, with many different names, accompanied kids everywhere.
Now that these stories were made into an animated show, we believe it's worth remembering good childhood times through reliving Tio Conejo’s adventures.
This animation style is very organic, meaning it has a lot of pastel colors and thick lines to resemble children’s drawings, but without becoming confusing or childish. It’s truly a visual masterpiece.
Every episode tells a short story related to human values, self-acceptance, friendship, and world peace.
Within 5 minutes - the length of each episode - you can have a little check in with yourself: Do you relate to any character? If so, why? Were you a naughty kid back then or were you more of the shy guy type?
With whatever answers pop into your head, you'll be also catch onto new interesting Spanish words and expressions without even noticing.
How Can Tio Conejo Teach You Spanish?
Maybe you already know this, but it’s worth clarifying: Spanish is one language, but it is spoken differently in almost every Spanish native country.
Since this show was made in Costa Rica and is based on the original adventures of Tio Conejo, you will notice that some expressions don’t correspond to the Spanish you are probably used to, which is Spain’s Spanish.
For example, the word “tío” means “uncle”, but in Spain, when you call someone “tío” it often means “dude”. And yes, “Rabbit Dude” may be catchy nowadays, but back then it would have been inappropriate.
You will also notice that during the show the characters say “usted” quite often, which is a noun that denotes a respect for elders, superiors, or people you don’t know. The problem is that the English translation for that word is simply “you”.
That’s because in English, the respect we treat our elders or superiors with is explicit, and there’s no need for a word to highlight it. But in many Latin American cultures, particularly Costa Rica, Perú, and Colombia, people are very polite and use “usted” to talk to pretty much anyone they are not intimately related to.
Too much information? Don’t panic! Lingopie has got you covered.
When you start watching "Las Aventuras de Tío Conejo" you'll have English and Spanish subtitles simultaneously.
You can also slow down the audio’s speed to better comprehend how some words are pronounced. And if you don't understand a word or sentence, simply click it and a text box will show its translation.
After watching each episode you'll have access to those translated words. You can review them again whenever you like, and there’s a lesson quiz waiting there as well to check how much you learned from each episode.
Learn more about LingoPie tools here. Spoiler alert: it’s way too easy to use.
Don’t Leave Your Carrots Alone!
Tío Conejo may come at night to steal them! For real, that happened in one of the funniest episodes of this show.
We made this show part of our catalog because we know that for Spanish beginners it’s easier to catch certain words and expressions when they come from children's shows. Since these shows have to be naturally simple for kids, there's an advantage that can be used for adults learning a new language.
This show has a lot of lessons about bullying and conflict resolution but expresses them in such an entertaining way that you will laugh with Tío Conejo’s pranks and crazy ideas. It’s a window to remember the coolest part of your childhood and learn Spanish at the same time.
And since each episode is only 3-5 minutes, it’s a great show to practice Spanish with after work, in between classes, or without much effort over the weekend.
Watch "Las Aventuras de Tío Conejo" at LingoPie and improve your language skills today!
