In the Dominican Republic, a person from the countryside, sometimes dismissively suggesting that they are unsophisticated.
Examples
El vale llegó del campo con una carga de yuca.
The countryman arrived from the countryside with a load of cassava.
No lo llames vale con ese tono, porque suena despectivo.
Do not call him a country bumpkin in that tone, because it sounds insulting.
Ella se describe con orgullo como una vale trabajadora.
She proudly describes herself as a hardworking countrywoman.
En la comedia, el vale conoce mejor la tierra que todos los demás.
In the comedy, the countryman knows the land better than anyone else.
Algunos usan vale para burlarse de quien viene de una zona rural.
Some use country bumpkin to mock someone from a rural area.
Similar words
campesino
guajiro
paleto
palurdo
garrulo
Etymology
The agreement use is a lexicalized form of the imperative of Spanish valer, “to be worth or valid.” The voucher noun comes from vale, the third-person singular present form of the same verb. The old farewell comes from Latin vale, “be well.”
FAQ
What does vale mean in everyday conversation?
In Spain, vale commonly means okay, all right, or got it.
Is vale used throughout the Spanish-speaking world?
The agreement sense is especially associated with Spain. Other regions often prefer dale, sale, ya, or okey.
What is the plural of the noun vale?
The plural is vales, as in dos vales de regalo.
Is the noun vale masculine or feminine?
The voucher and card-game senses are masculine. The regional person senses can vary, and the Dominican sense can be masculine or feminine.
Does vale also mean “is worth”?
That is an ordinary conjugated use of valer, not a separate lexical sense of this headword.
Can vale mean “friend”?
Yes. In northern Colombia and Venezuela, vale can be an informal, affectionate word for a friend or companion.
Can vale sound insulting?
The Dominican rural-person sense can sound dismissive, especially when it suggests that someone is unsophisticated.
How is vale pronounced?
Vale is pronounced /ˈbale/, with the same Spanish phoneme used for written b and v.
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