Slang in Spanish (like slang in any language in the world) is crucial for us to achieve a good level of communication, especially when we are in relaxed environments.
Tell me the truth, do you really want to travel the world, right? In these travel environments, in relaxed moments and in the search for friendships, it’s impossible not to come across slang, expressions, and even swear words!
In most courses, it’s quite challenging to have lessons that focus on this type of content, although it’s extremely necessary! But don’t worry, here in this article, I want to keep updating it frequently whenever I discover new slang (because if there’s something new in Portuguese, imagine in Spanish, which has many different countries! There will always be something new).
So let’s get started. I separated the list of the main slang expressions in Spanish by country to make it easier.
And a final message: We live in a globalized world. Today, there are Portuguese children using our Brazilian slang. So, we may find many of these slangs being used in several other countries. Don’t limit yourselves to nationality; learn and keep an eye out for where you’ll encounter them!
Argentinian Slang
| Slang | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Banca | To endure, support something or someone, pay expenses | Tanquilo, yo te banco. (Don’t worry, I got your back.) |
| Dando bola | Doesn’t care | La verdad es que no le estoy dando bolas. (The truth is, I don’t care.) |
| Basta, cortala ya | Enough, stop it | No le estoy dando bolas a tus críticas, así que basta, cortala ya con esos comentarios negativos. (I don’t care about your criticisms, so enough, stop it with those negative comments.) |
| Boludo | 2 meanings: Similar to “arrombado,” but if it’s “che, boludo,” it means friend, buddy. | Che boludo, ¿cómo estás? (Hey buddy, how are you?) Ese tipo se cree muy inteligente, pero en realidad es un boludo. (That guy thinks he’s smart, but he’s actually an idiot.) |
| Buena onda | Good-natured, friendly | Qué tipo buena onda. (What a good-natured guy.) |
| En bolas | To be naked | Estoy en bolas. (I’m naked.) |
| Bueno | Has various uses, but basically used to agree with what someone is saying or to indicate understanding. | ¿Te parece? Bueno. (What do you think? Ok.) |
| Canchero | A knowledgeable person, someone smart | Es re canchero al volante, pero a veces da miedo. (He’s really smart behind the wheel, but sometimes it’s scary.) |
| Chamuyero | A gossip | Ese tipo es un chamuyero nato. (That guy is a born gossip.) |
| Che | Similar to the Brazilian “tchê”; commonly used to address people, like friends or a waiter. | Che, ¿vamos a tomar algo después del laburo? (Hey, let’s grab a drink after work?) |
| Copado | Very cool | Anoche la fiesta estuvo re copada, la pasamos genial. (Last night the party was really cool, we had a great time.) |
| Dale | Ok | Dale, nos encontramos en el centro a las 8. (Ok, we’ll meet in the center at 8.) |
| E | Hey, or eh. An expression to get someone’s attention. | E, no te hagas el distraído. (Hey, don’t act like you’re not paying attention.) |
| En la loma del orto | Where Judas lost his boots | Vivo en la loma del orto. (I live in the middle of nowhere.) |
| Es una nena | Child, teenager, young girl | ¡Creció, ahora no es solo una nena! (She grew up, she’s not just a little girl anymore.) |
| Escuchame | Expression to get attention | Escuchame, no te olvides de comprar pan. (Listen, don’t forget to buy bread.) |
| Guita | Money | Estoy corto de guita este mes. (I’m short on money this month.) |
| Me chupa un huevo | I don’t care (very vulgar) | Me chupa un huevo lo que piense la gente. (I don’t care what people think.) |
| Me mataste | You got me, or as an expression of surprise | ¡Me mataste, no me lo esperaba para nada! (You got me, I wasn’t expecting that at all!) |
| Forro | Idiot, mean person | ¡Ese tipo es un forro! (That guy is an idiot.) |
| Mala leche | Bad luck, something bad | ¡Pura mala leche! (Just bad luck!) |
| No lo puedo creer | I can’t believe it | ¡No lo puedo creer, es un sueño! (I can’t believe it, it’s a dream!) |
| Ojo | Attention | Ojo con ese tipo. (Watch out for that guy.) |
| Fiaca | Laziness | Hoy tengo fiaca. (Today I’m feeling lazy.) |
| Que cagada | What a mess, what a bummer | ¡Qué cagada, voy a tener que empezar de nuevo! (What a mess, I’ll have to start over!) |
| Lio | Mess or confusion | Me metí en un lio en el trabajo. (I got into a mess at work.) |
| Tranqui | Calm or easygoing | Va a ser un día tranqui. (It’s going to be a calm day.) |
| Ya Fué | Forget it, it’s done, there’s nothing more to do | Intenté arreglar la computadora, pero no hay caso. Ya fue, voy a llevarla al técnico. (I tried to fix the computer, but it’s no use. Forget it, I’ll take it to the technician.) |
| Zarpado | Cool, awesome | La fiesta de anoche estuvo zarpada. (Last night’s party was awesome.) |
| Laburar | To work | Mañana tengo que laburar temprano. (Tomorrow, I have to work early.) |
| Ni en pedo | No way (very vulgar) | No trabajo mañana ni en pedo. (I’m not working tomorrow, no way.) |
| Chamuyar | To flirt, to chat someone up | Estuvo toda la noche chamuyando con esa chica. (He spent the whole night flirting with that girl.) |
| Laburar a dos manos | To work a lot | Con este proyecto, estamos laburando a dos manos. (With this project, we’re working a lot.) |
| Morfar | To eat | Después del gimnasio, siempre me gusta morfar algo saludable. (After the gym, I always like to eat something healthy.) |
| Laburar a full | To work at maximum level | Estoy laburando a full para terminar este informe. (I’m working at full capacity to finish this report.) |
| Pibe/piba | Young person, boy/girl | Voy a salir con unos pibes esta noche. (I’m going out with some guys tonight.) |
| Laburar en negro | Informal work | Antes laburaba en negro, ahora tengo trabajo formal. (I used to work informally, now I have a formal job.) |
| Ponerse las pilas | To pay attention, to get energized | Mañana hay examen, tenés que ponerte las pilas y estudiar. (There’s a test tomorrow, you have to pay attention and study.) |
| Pedir birra | To ask for beer | Después del partido, vamos a la barra y pedimos birra. (After the game, we go to the bar and ask for beer.) |
| Hacer quilombo | To make trouble, to cause a scene | Después de la fiesta, algunos hicieron quilombo en la calle. (After the party, some people caused a scene on the street.) |
| Ponerle onda | To put energy (positive), to be lively | En el trabajo, siempre le pone onda a todo. (At work, he always puts energy into everything.) |
Exemple:
For those who love football, this channel will have a lot of slang!
Spanish Slang
| Spanish Slang | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| (H)ostia | Surprise, disgust, or admiration, depending on the context. | ¡Qué (h)ostia, no me lo esperaba! (Surprise) |
| ¡Cómo mola! | That’s cool, it’s really cool! | ¡Cómo mola este lugar, es genial! (Compliment) |
| ¡Qué chorrada! | What nonsense! | No me cuentes esa chorrada. (Dismissing a silly story) |
| ¡Qué va! | No way! | Me dijeron que ganamos la lotería. ¡Qué va! (Disbelief) |
| ¡Se te va la olla! | You’re going crazy! | Ayer te vi bailando en la calle. ¡Se te va la olla! (Amazement) |
| ¡Vale! | Very commonly used, means “okay.” | Nos vemos a las 8, ¿vale? (Confirmation) |
| Chaval | Kid, young guy, can even refer to a child. | Mira ese chaval jugando al fútbol. (Referring to a boy) |
| Curro | Work | Estoy buscando curro, necesito trabajar. (Job search) |
| De coña | Similar to “kidding.” | Me dijeron que ganamos un millón. – ¿De coña? (Incredulity) |
| Estar hasta los huevos | To be fed up. | Estoy hasta los huevos de este trabajo. (Frustration with work) |
| Estoy sin perras | I have no money. | No puedo salir, estoy sin perras. (Lack of money) |
| Estar cabreado | Means the person is angry. | Está cabreado porque le rompieron el móvil. (Angry) |
| Flipar | To be amazed or thrilled. | Con ese concierto, vas a flipar. (Positive surprise) |
| Hasta ahora | See you in a little while. | Hasta ahora, no sabía que estabas aquí. (Surprise) |
| Hortera | Tacky. | Ese vestido es demasiado hortera. (Aesthetic disapproval) |
| Me piro | I’m leaving. | Me aburro aquí, me piro. (Leaving a place) |
| Meter la pata | To make a mistake. | Sin querer, metí la pata y le conté todo. (Making a mistake) |
| Montar el pollo | To cause a scene or make a fuss. | Siempre monta el pollo en la fiesta. (Creating a disturbance) |
| Ser la leche | To be very funny or cool. | Ese chiste es la leche. (Very funny) |
| Ser pesado | An annoying person. | Siempre estás pesado con tus bromas. (Annoying) |
| ¡Qué guay! | How cool! | ¡Qué guay tu nueva casa! (Expressing enthusiasm) |
| ¡Qué morro! | What cheek! | Le dije que no podía y fue igual, ¡qué morro! (Admiration/negativity) |
| Colega | Friend, buddy. | Vamos a quedar con unos colegas después del trabajo. (Friends) |
| Pijo | Wealthy or snobbish person. | Ese tipo es un pijo, siempre viste con ropa de marca. (Disapproval) |
| Guiri | Foreigner, tourist. | En la playa hay muchos guiris buscando el sol. (Tourists) |
| Tío/Tía | Man/Woman, also used to refer to a person in general. | Ese tío es muy gracioso. (Man) |
| Dar caña | To give trouble or bother. | Este trabajo me está dando caña, no sé si lo terminaré. (Difficulty) |
| Hacer el pino | Doing a handstand. | Me desafiaron a hacer el pino y lo logré. (Performing an acrobatics) |
| Estar en las nubes | To be daydreaming or distracted. | Le pregunté por la tarea y estaba en las nubes, ni se enteró. (Distracted) |
| Ser un empollón | To be a studious person. | Siempre saca buenas notas, es un empollón. (Studious) |
| Estar en pelotas | To be naked. | Después de la playa, estuvimos en pelotas en la piscina. (Naked) |
| Acojonado | Scared or frightened. | No quiero ir solo al bosque, me da acojone. (Fear) |
| Ponerse las botas | To eat a lot, satisfy hunger. | En la barbacoa me puse las botas, estaba todo delicioso. (Eating a lot) |
| Ligar | To flirt, try to attract romantically. | En la fiesta intenté ligar con esa chica, pero no tuve suerte. (Flirting) |
| Hacer puente | To take a day off between two holidays for a longer weekend. | Este mes hay un festivo el viernes, así que haré puente y me tomaré el lunes libre. (Taking days off) |
| Me importa un pimiento | I don’t care at all. | Su opinión sobre la película me importa un pimiento. (I don’t care) |
| Molar | To like, be cool. | La película moló mucho, la recomiendo. (To like) |
| Flipar en colores | To be extremely amazed or surprised. | Cuando le contaron la noticia, flipó en colores. (Being astonished) |
| Ir a su bola | To do what one wants, not follow established rules. | Siempre va a su bola, no le importa lo que piensen los demás. (Being independent) |
| Rayarse | To worry or become obsessed with something. | No te rayes por eso, todo saldrá bien. (Worrying) |
This series here is very good for practicing Spanish slang:
Mexican slang
| Mexican Spanish Slang | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Ni modo | No way, no way around it. | Perdí el autobús, ni modo, caminaré. (Acceptance of a situation) |
| Ándale | Means “let’s go” or “come on.” | Ándale, que ya se hace tarde. (Hurry up) |
| A poco | “Are you serious?” or “Look at that…” | A poco crees que voy a olvidar tu cumpleaños. (Expression of surprise) |
| La neta | Similar to “it’s true” or “seriously.” | La neta, no me gustó la película. (Expression of sincerity) |
| Un chingo de… | A lot of… | Hay un chingo de gente en la fiesta. (Many people) |
| Qué chingón | How cool, awesome. | ¡Qué chingón estuvo el concierto! (Expression of admiration) |
| Qué chingada/qué chingadera | Can mean “what bad luck” or “what a mess.” | ¡Qué chingada, perdí mi celular! (Expression of frustration) |
| ¿Qué onda? | “What’s up?” or “How are you?” | ¿Qué onda, cómo te fue en el trabajo? (Informal greeting) |
| Ahorita | “In a little while,” doesn’t necessarily mean quickly, it could take several minutes or hours. | Llego ahíta. (Expression of vague temporal reference) |
| Ahoritita | This does mean “in a little while” for real. | Voy a llegar ahoritita. (Expression of a short time) |
| A chico rato | Can mean a few minutes ago, a few days ago, a few years ago… | Nos vimos a chico rato. (Expression of a short time) |
| Chavo/chava | Boy/girl. Remember “El Chavo del 8”? In Spanish, the show’s name is “El chavo del 8” (The boy from 8). | El chavo es muy gracioso. (Referring to a child) |
| Cuate | Companion, close friend. | Él es mi cuate de toda la vida. (Referring to a close friend) |
| Güey/Wey | Very commonly used, similar to our “dude” or “man.” | ¿Qué onda, güey? (Informal expression to refer to someone) |
| Te hagas el güey | Pretend to be naive or unaware. | Te haces el güey, sabes que no me gusta eso. (Expression of disapproval) |
| No mames | “Don’t lie to me” or “Are you kidding me?” | No mames, no puedo creer que hiciste eso. (Expression of disbelief) |
| No manches | Has the same meaning as “no mames,” but is considered more polite. | No manches, ¿en serio ganaste la lotería? (Expression of surprise) |
| Chido | Cool, nice. | ¡Qué chido está tu nuevo coche! (Expression of approval) |
| Padre | Very cool. | El concierto estuvo padre, bailamos toda la noche. (Expression of approval) |
| Padrísimo | Very, very cool. | ¡El regalo que me diste está padrísimo! (Expression of great approval) |
| Está de poca madre | “It’s very good,” “it’s great,” or “it’s awesome.” | La comida está de poca madre. (Expression of approval) |
| Desmadre | It’s a mess. | La fiesta se convirtió en un desmadre. (Chaotic situation at a party) |
| Fresa | Playboy or someone behaving like one. | Ese tipo es bien fresa, siempre viste con marcas caras. (Person behaving like a playboy) |
| Naco | Someone without manners, uncultured. | Ese tipo es bien naco, no tiene modales. (Person without manners) |
| Híjole | Interjection of surprise or amazement. | ¡Híjole, no sabía que ibas a venir! (Expression of surprise) |
| Chale | Expression of disappointment or discontent. | Me cancelaron el plan, ¡chale! (Expression of discontent) |
| Chamba | Work or job. | Estoy buscando chamba, necesito dinero. (Job search) |
| Carnal | Brother or close friend. | ¿Qué onda, carnal? (Informal greeting to a close friend) |
| Jefa/Jefe | Mother/Father or also used for boss at work. | Voy a visitar a mi jefa este fin de semana. (Referring to one’s mother) |
| Chismear | To gossip or talk about others. | Siempre están chismeando en la oficina. (Talking about others) |
| Cotorrear | To chat, talk, spend time chatting. | Vamos a cotorrear un rato en el café. (Casual conversation) |
| Mande | Polite way of saying “What?” or “What did you say?” | No entendí bien, ¿puedes repetirlo? – Mande. (Asking someone to repeat) |
| Choro | Talking a lot without saying anything meaningful. | Deja de echar choro y ve al grano. (Stop talking nonsense) |
| Chingo | A lot or an exaggerated amount. | Hay un chingo de trabajo pendiente. (A large amount of work) |
| Ranchero | Person from a rural or provincial origin. | Se mudó a la ciudad, pero sigue siendo bien ranchero. (Person from a rural origin) |
| Cruda | Hangover after drinking alcohol. | Tuve una cruda terrible esta mañana. (Hangover) |
| Chela | Beer. | Vamos por unas chelas después del trabajo. (Let’s go for some beers) |
| Bronca | Problem or conflict. | Hubo una bronca en la reunión de ayer. (Problem or conflict) |
| Chiflar | To whistle, make a sound with the lips. | Los fans empezaron a chiflar cuando el equipo perdió. (Whistling as a sign of disapproval) |
| Comper | Contraction of “compadre,” used to refer to someone. | ¿Qué onda, comper? (Informal way of referring to someone) |
| Neta | Truth, sincerity. | Esa película estuvo buena, ¿en serio? – Sí, neta. (Confirmation of sincerity) |
| Pistear | To drink alcohol, especially tequila. | Nos vamos a pistear esta noche. (Going out to drink) |
| Rola | Song or musical piece. | Pon la rola de moda, quiero bailar. (Referring to a song) |
| Rola (as a verb) | To share or play a song. | Rola esa canción que te gusta. (Sharing a song) |
| Apapachar | To express affection or love through gestures or words. | Te voy a apapachar para animarte. (Showing affection) |
Chilean slang
| Chilean Spanish Slang | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Altiro | Right now! | Llego altiro, no te preocupes. (I’ll be there right away, don’t worry) |
| Andar a pata | To walk on foot | Me quedé sin bencina, así que voy a andar a pata. (I ran out of gas, so I’m going to walk) |
| Bacán | Cool, awesome | ¡Qué bacán estuvo el concierto! (The concert was awesome!) |
| Barsa | Annoying person | Ese tipo es muy barsa, siempre está molestando. (That guy is so annoying, he’s always bothering.) |
| Cachai? | Do you understand? | Estuve toda la tarde estudiando, ¿cachai? (I’ve been studying all day, got it?) |
| Carrete | Party | Este sábado hay un carrete en mi casa. (There’s a party at my house this Saturday.) |
| Chela | Beer | Vamos a comprar chelas para la carrete. (Let’s buy beers for the party.) |
| Copete | Alcoholic drink | Compramos copete para la fiesta. (We bought alcoholic drinks for the party.) |
| Cuático | Surprising, strange | Ese salto en paracaídas fue cuático. (That parachute jump was surprising.) |
| Filete | Nice, cool | Tu nuevo auto está filete. (Your new car is cool.) |
| Filo | Doesn’t matter | No puedo ir, filo. (I can’t go, it doesn’t matter.) |
| Fome | Boring | Ese profesor es muy fome, siempre habla de lo mismo. (That teacher is so boring, always talking about the same thing.) |
| Harto | A lot | Comí harto en la parrillada. (I ate a lot at the barbecue.) |
| Mano de guagua | Stingy | No quiso pagar la cuenta, es bien mano de guagua. (He didn’t want to pay the bill, he’s really stingy.) |
| Pelolais | Spoiled girl | Esa niña siempre está comprando ropa cara, es muy pelolais. (That girl is always buying expensive clothes, she’s very spoiled.) |
| Piola | Calm, easygoing | No te preocupes, todo está piola. (Don’t worry, everything is calm.) |
| Plata | Money | No tengo plata para salir hoy. (I don’t have money to go out today.) |
| Porfa | Please | Pásame la sal, porfa. (Pass me the salt, please.) |
| Tuto | Sleepiness | Trabajé todo el día, estoy con tuto. (I worked all day, I’m sleepy.) |
| Vale | Okay | Vale, nos vemos a las 8. (Okay, see you at 8.) |
| Weón/weona | Dude | ¡Qué onda, weón! (What’s up, dude!) |
| Ya | Okay | Nos encontramos en el café, ya. (We’ll meet at the cafe, okay.) |
| Buena onda | Cool, good | Ese amigo siempre es buena onda. (That friend is always cool.) |
| Mala onda | Bad, unpleasant | Esa profesora es mala onda, siempre está regañando. (That teacher is unpleasant, always scolding.) |
| Quiltro | Stray dog | Adopté un quiltro que encontré en la calle. (I adopted a stray dog I found on the street.) |
| Tomado, puesto, curado, ébrio, borracho | Drunk | Ayer me puse tomado en la fiesta. (Yesterday I got drunk at the party.) |
| Raja de curado | Very drunk | Después de la carrete, estaba raja de curado. (After the party, I was very drunk.) |
| Po | Filler word | Vamos al cine, po. (Let’s go to the movies, po.) |
| Pololo | Boyfriend | Mi pololo y yo vamos al cine esta noche. (My boyfriend and I are going to the movies tonight.) |
| Achuntar | To hit the mark | ¡Achuntaste con la respuesta correcta! (You hit the mark with the correct answer!) |
| Cachureo | Junk, old things | Limpiando el sótano, encontré un montón de cachureos. (Cleaning the basement, I found a bunch of old things.) |
| Chamullar | To talk a lot to convince or flirt | No le creas, solo está chamullando. (Don’t believe him, he’s just talking a lot.) |
| Choreza | Attitude of trying to take advantage or deceive | Su choreza no tiene límites, siempre trata de ganar. (His deceitfulness has no limits, he always tries to win.) |
| Dar jugo | To fool around, to act inappropriately | Deja de dar jugo y ponte a trabajar. (Stop fooling around and get to work.) |
| Flaite | Vulgar person | No me gusta ir a esa disco, siempre está llena de gente flaite. (I don’t like going to that club, it’s always full of vulgar people.) |
| Gamba | A thousand Chilean pesos | Eso cuesta 5 gambas. (That costs 5 thousand pesos.) |
| Jote | Person who tries to conquer or flirt | Siempre hay un jote en las fiestas. (There’s always someone trying to flirt at parties.) |
| Pega | Job, employment | Estoy buscando una buena pega. (I’m looking for a good job.) |
| Pilucho | Underwear | No olvides llevar piluchos de repuesto. (Don’t forget to bring spare underwear.) |
| Pololear | To be in a relationship | Llevamos pololeando un año. (We’ve been in a relationship for a year.) |
| Tomar once | To have a light snack or dinner, especially with tea or coffee | Vamos a tomar once en mi casa. (Let’s have a light snack at my house.) |
Colombian slang
| Chilean Spanish Slang | Meaning | Exemple Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Bacano | Something or someone nice, great. | ¡Esa película estuvo bacana! (That movie was great!) |
| Chimba | Something excellent, extraordinary. | ¡El concierto estuvo chimba! (The concert was incredible!) |
| Chévere | Something good, pleasant. | La fiesta estuvo chévere. (The party was nice.) |
| Parcero | Friend, companion. | Vamos, parcero, no te preocupes. (Let’s go, buddy, don’t worry.) |
| Parche | Group of friends or gathering. | Estamos organizando un parche este fin de semana. (We’re organizing a gathering this weekend.) |
| Vaina | Thing, matter, or situation. | No entiendo esta vaina. (I don’t understand this thing.) |
| ¡Qué nota! | How cool! How good! | ¡Ganaste el concurso! ¡Qué nota! (You won the contest! How cool!) |
| Rumbear | To go out partying or to have fun. | Este sábado vamos a rumbear. (This Saturday we’re going to party.) |
| Chismoso | Person who likes gossip or rumors. | No seas tan chismoso, respeta la privacidad. (Don’t be such a gossip, respect privacy.) |
| Parchar | To spend time with friends. | Este fin de semana voy a parchar con mis amigos. (This weekend I’m going to hang out with my friends.) |
| Berraquera | Courage, determination. | Esa tarea requiere mucha berraquera. (That task requires a lot of courage.) |
| Chéchere | Lively party or gathering. | La boda estuvo llena de chéchere. (The wedding was full of life.) |
| Mono(a) | Person with blonde or light hair. | Mi amigo es mono y siempre destaca. (My friend is blonde and always stands out.) |
| Estar en las nubes | To be distracted or daydreaming. | ¿Hola? ¿Estás en las nubes? (Hello? Are you daydreaming?) |
| Farrear | To go out partying and have fun. | Los viernes siempre salimos a farrear. (We always go out partying on Fridays.) |
| Serrucho | To try to flirt or pick up someone. | Ese chico está echando serrucho. (That guy is trying to pick up someone.) |
| Guayabo | Hangover after a night of partying. | Tengo un guayabo terrible. (I have a terrible hangover.) |
| Jincho(a) | Drunk or intoxicated. | Después de la celebración, terminé jincho. (After the celebration, I ended up drunk.) |
| Pelar el cobre | To show true intentions or reveal something. | No te dejes engañar, está pelando el cobre. (Don’t be fooled, he’s revealing his true colors.) |
| Fresco(a) | Easygoing or relaxed person. | Él siempre está fresco, nada lo altera. (He’s always easygoing, nothing bothers him.) |
Cuban slang
| Cuban Spanish Slang | Meaning | Exemple Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| A lo cubano | In the Cuban manner or style. | Vamos a bailar salsa a lo cubano. (Let’s dance salsa in the Cuban style.) |
| Chavito(a) | Young person or kid. | Ese chavito es muy simpático. (That kid is very friendly.) |
| Coger lucha | Make the necessary effort to achieve something. | Voy a coger lucha y terminar este proyecto. (I’m going to make an effort and finish this project.) |
| Comemierda | Person who talks nonsense or does senseless things. | Ese tipo siempre está diciendo comemierdas. (That guy is always talking nonsense.) |
| Enfogonao(a) | Angry, upset. | Está enfogonao porque perdió el juego. (He’s upset because he lost the game.) |
| Fula | Ugly, unattractive. | No seas fula y arréglate para la fiesta. (Don’t be ugly, get ready for the party.) |
| Jaba | Plastic bag. | Necesito una jaba para llevar las compras. (I need a plastic bag to carry the groceries.) |
| Jamar | To eat. | Vamos a jamar algo en el restaurante. (Let’s eat something at the restaurant.) |
| Machucho(a) | Injured or sore. | Después de correr tanto, estoy machucho. (After running so much, I’m sore.) |
| Pingüino | Clumsy or awkward person. | Mira cómo camina ese pingüino. (Look at how that penguin walks.) |
| Resolviendo | In the process of solving or resolving something. | Estamos resolviendo el problema. (We are solving the problem.) |
| Rolando | Roaming or hanging around a place. | Ando rolándola por el barrio. (I’m roaming around the neighborhood.) |
| Se formó el paseo | The commotion or problem has started. | Se formó el paseo cuando empezaron a discutir. (The commotion started when they began to argue.) |
| Sobao(a) | Conceited or snobbish person. | Esa chica siempre está soba, no le gusta mezclarse con los demás. (That girl is always conceited, she doesn’t like to mingle with others.) |
| Tener lata | To be bored or discouraged. | Hoy tengo lata, no quiero hacer nada. (Today I’m bored, I don’t want to do anything.) |
| Yuma | Foreign person, especially from the United States. | Llegaron unos yumas al hotel. (Some foreigners arrived at the hotel.) |
| Bembé | Party or celebration. | Este fin de semana hay un bembé en la playa. (This weekend there is a party at the beach.) |
| Bola | To understand or comprehend. | No le di bola a lo que estaba diciendo. (I didn’t pay attention to what he was saying.) |
| Chape | To passionately kiss. | Los vi chapeando en la esquina. (I saw them passionately kissing on the corner.) |
| Embullarse | To get motivated or decide to do something. | ¡Embúllate y ven con nosotros! (Get motivated and come with us!) |
| Tener chispa | To be witty or charismatic. | Ese comediante tiene chispa, siempre hace reír a la gente. (That comedian is witty, always making people laugh.) |
Peruvian slang
| Peruvian Spanish Slang | Meaning | Exemple Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Chévere | Something good or pleasant. | Vamos a pasarla chévere este fin de semana. (Let’s have a good time this weekend.) |
| Pata | Friend or companion. | Voy a salir con mis patas al cine. (I’m going out to the movies with my friends.) |
| Chamba | Job or employment. | Estoy buscando chamba en el centro. (I’m looking for a job downtown.) |
| Laburar | To work. | Mañana tengo que laburar todo el día. (Tomorrow I have to work all day.) |
| Jato | House or home. | Vamos a jato de Juan para ver la película. (We’re going to Juan’s place to watch the movie.) |
| Chévere | Something good or pleasant. | Esa fiesta estuvo bien chévere. (That party was really good.) |
| Chévere | Something good or pleasant. | ¡Qué chévere verte después de tanto tiempo! (How nice to see you after so long!) |
| Chamba | Job or employment. | Conseguí chamba en una empresa de tecnología. (I got a job at a technology company.) |
| Chévere | Something good or pleasant. | Comimos en un restaurante chévere en el centro. (We ate at a nice restaurant downtown.) |
| Chévere | Something good or pleasant. | ¿Cómo estuvo la película? – Fue chévere, la recomiendo. (How was the movie? – It was good, I recommend it.) |
| Caleta | Many, in large quantity. | Había caleta de gente en la fiesta. (There were a lot of people at the party.) |
| Jato | House or home. | Nos vemos en mi jato más tarde. (See you at my place later.) |
| Chamba | Job or employment. | Esta chamba está muy difícil, pero la voy a lograr. (This job is very challenging, but I’ll make it.) |
| Pata | Friend or companion. | Vamos a la playa con mis patas este fin de semana. (Let’s go to the beach with my friends this weekend.) |
| Pata | Friend or companion. | Ese tipo es mi pata desde la infancia. (That guy is my friend from childhood.) |
| Caleta | Many, in large quantity. | Hay caleta de opciones para elegir. (There are a lot of options to choose from.) |
| Laburar | To work. | Empecé a laburar en una nueva empresa. (I started working at a new company.) |
| Jato | House or home. | Nos juntamos en el jato de Ana para estudiar. (We’re meeting at Ana’s place to study.) |
| Caleta | Many, in large quantity. | Llegaron caleta de personas a la manifestación. (A lot of people showed up to the protest.) |
| Pata | Friend or companion. | Salimos a tomar unas chelas con mis patas. (We went out for some beers with my friends.) |
| Chamba | Job or employment. | La chamba en el proyecto está avanzando bien. (The job on the project is progressing well.) |
Venezuelan slang
| Venezuelan Spanish Slang | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Arrecho | Angry or irritated. | Estoy arrecho porque perdí el autobús. (I’m angry because I missed the bus.) |
| Chamo(a) | Young person or youngster. | Ese chamo es muy inteligente. (That young person is very smart.) |
| Pana | Friend or companion. | Vamos a la playa con mis panas. (Let’s go to the beach with my friends.) |
| Guachimán | Watchman or security guard. | El guachimán nos pidió identificación para entrar. (The security guard asked us for identification to enter.) |
| Joder | To bother or annoy. | Deja de joder con eso. (Stop bothering with that.) |
| Echar broma | To make a joke or jest. | Siempre le gusta echar broma a sus amigos. (He always likes to joke with his friends.) |
| Vaina | Thing, matter, or situation. | No entiendo esta vaina. (I don’t understand this thing/matter/situation.) |
| Carro | Automobile or car. | Voy a lavar el carro este fin de semana. (I’m going to wash the car this weekend.) |
| Colita | Line or waiting line. | Hacemos una colita para comprar entradas. (We’re waiting in line to buy tickets.) |
| Maracucho(a) | Person from the Zulia state. | Mi amigo es maracucho de pura cepa. (My friend is a true Maracucho.) |
| Chévere | Something good or pleasant. | La película estuvo chévere. (The movie was really good.) |
| Pote | Plastic container or bottle. | Lléname el pote de agua, por favor. (Fill up the water bottle for me, please.) |
| Pelar el cobre | To show true intentions or reveal something. | No te dejes engañar, está pelando el cobre. (Don’t be fooled, he’s showing his true colors.) |
| Chisme | To gossip or talk negatively about someone. | Siempre anda chismeando de los demás. (He’s always gossiping about others.) |
| Echar paja | To talk a lot without saying anything important. | Deja de echar paja y vayamos al grano. (Stop talking nonsense, and let’s get to the point.) |
| Cogérsela suave | To take things easy or relax. | No te preocupes, cógela suave, todo va a estar bien. (Don’t worry, take it easy, everything will be fine.) |
| Jumo | State of drunkenness or intoxication. | Anoche me agarró el jumo en la fiesta. (Last night, I got drunk at the party.) |
| Rayar | To exaggerate or go too far. | Siempre raya contando historias increíbles. (He always exaggerates when telling incredible stories.) |
| Cachapa | Corn cake, typical of Venezuelan cuisine. | Vamos a comer cachapas en el desayuno. (Let’s eat cachapas for breakfast.) |
| Puyero | Place where informal food or snacks are sold. | Fuimos a un puyero a comer arepas. (We went to a place to eat arepas.) |
How to learn all these slang expressions in Spanish?
Getting the hang of Spanish slang is one of those things that probably won’t happen in the classroom. No matter how advanced your Spanish classes are, the chance to delve into slang during lessons is quite small. You need to expose yourself to authentic materials that go beyond the songs you sing.
Here are some cool tips to boost your mastery of the main Spanish slang and have some fun with it.
Making friends who speak Spanish
The idea is clear: the best way to learn slang is through practice. Chatting with friends who are also studying Spanish or with native speakers and exchanging ideas with them is the coolest way to understand Spanish slang.
Is it challenging to understand slang in the flow of conversation? Yes. Will there be some awkward situations if you mess up with slang? Definitely! But the key is to dive in and learn through practice. Keep chatting with your friends, and soon you’ll catch the hang of all the slang they use.
Immerse yourself in the language
Diving headfirst into the language is the right move to improve your skills. If the goal is to enhance your Spanish slang vocabulary, there’s no better way than immersing yourself in everyday conversations where slang naturally emerges.
If a complete immersion isn’t possible due to work or family, you can make an effort to turn your routine into a Spanish-speaking environment.
How?
- Create a playlist with songs full of slang.
- Watch movies in Spanish.
- Listen to plenty of podcasts in Spanish.
- Read books in Spanish.
- Watch YouTube videos.
For each of these tips, we have a different article to help you! I’ve left the links so you can click and put them into practice!
I found a page that promises to be a dictionary of Hispanic slang that can help, but in this case, it’s more for you to search for a word you’ve already heard. If you’re still getting to know slang, keep following our list here or leave your questions in our comments.
Did you enjoy learning some Spanish slang?! If you liked it, comment below so we can write more about this topic!
Also, share any slang that we haven’t covered here. If you know any, let us know!
