If you’ve ever told someone to “get down from the car” or asked them to “make the line” at Publix and they looked at you funny, congrats. You speak Miami English.

It’s not exactly Spanglish. Linguists describe it as English that borrows Spanish expressions and directly translates them, keeping Spanish grammar intact. These are called calques, and Miami is full of them.

Locals will say things like “get down from the car” instead of “get out,” “make the line” instead of “get in line,” or “put me the light” instead of “turn on the light.” It sounds normal here and very confusing everywhere else.

Researchers at Florida International University have been studying this dialect for over a decade. According to linguistics professor Phillip M. Carter, this way of speaking is common among people born in South Florida, even those who only speak English.

Miami English reflects the city itself. Decades of immigration from Spanish speaking countries, especially after Cuba’s revolution in 1959, shaped how the city talks. And while it feels uniquely Miami, English has always evolved this way. Even the word dandelion comes from a French phrase meaning lion’s tooth.

More Miami classics include saying “married with,” “make a party,” ordering a “meat empanada,” or even saying “thanks God.”

It might sound strange to outsiders, but to us, it’s just how Miami talks.