Spanish/Slang

From Wikibooks, open books for an open world
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Spanish slang is more localized than English slang and sometimes people from one Spanish-speaking country get confused talking to people from other Spanish-speaking countries.

Modismos (Slang)[edit | edit source]

Argentina[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal Translation
¿Qué onda? What´s up What is the vibe?
¿Como va? What´s up How's it going?
¡No hinches las bolas Don´t bother me! Don´t swell up the [my] balls!
¡No me rompas las pelotas! Don´t bother me! Don´t break my balls!
Piola adj. Cool people
pelotudo/topo. idiot/asshole big balled
boludo/a stupid big balled
escrachado/escrachar (verbo) ashamed
te quiero mucho I love you I want you a lot
Pibe n. Boy Boy
Chabón Guy/dude
Mina woman Mine
Nabo Stupid, Penis (Spain) turnip
Gil adj. Stupid
Tacho n. Taxi Trash bin
Bondi n. City bus
Pilcha n. Clothes
Garca adj. Cheater/dishonest (inverse of cagar: to shit/to screw up)
Langa adj. Cool person
¡Che! Idiomatic
Morfar v. To eat
Charlar v. To have a conversation, to chat
¡Ojo! Be careful! Look out! Eye!
Dar bola v. To pay attention To give ball
Rajar v. To go away/to escape To crack
¡Rajá! Go away! Crack!
Pirárselas v. To go away
Pirado adj. Crazy gone away
Verso n. a lie a verse
Falopa n. Drugs/marijuana
Botón n. Squealer/tattle-tale Button
la Cana n. The Police the white hair
Estar en cana To be imprisoned
Trolo adj./n. Homosexual (male)
Re...(prefix) Very
Torrar v. To sleep
Guita n. money
Guacho adj./n. Son of a bitch Orphan
Guarango adj. Obscene
1 Mango n. 1 Peso (currency unit)
Baranda n. Bad smell
Concha n Vagina Shell, Clam
Y la puta que te re parió (like) Go to hell! And the slut/bitch that gave birth to you
pajero masturbator, es mentiroso o exajerado en Honduran (watch out for the accent  )
puto fag homosexual/can be offensive
el colectivo n the bus
el subte the subway
una pavada something stupid or easy
una gata / un gato prostitute/slut a cat
un piropo a flirty comment
afanar v to steal/rob
una fiaca a laziness / lack of desire to do something
una luca 1000 pesos
laburo a job
chorro a thief
un quilombo a mess
¿Qué contás? What's up?
trucho/a fake
¡Qué ojete! How Lucky! What ass!

Chile[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal translation
Al tiro Quickly/Right away On the mark of
¿Cachai? Do you understand?/Do you follow me? You feel me?
Mino/a Cute guy/girl Mine
Pololo/a Boyfriend/girlfriend
¿Qué onda? What´s up? What is shaking?
Ya po/Ya pue/"Ya pues" alright then or let's go

Colombia[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal Translation
¿Qué más? What´s up? What else?
¿Qué hubo? (Quiubo) What´s up? What was there?
¡No me joda! Don´t bother me! Don´t fuck me!
¡No joda! Nuh-uh!/Get outta here! Don´t fuck
¡Ojo! Be careful! Watch out! Eye!
¡Pilas! Be careful! Batteries!
¡Qué mamera! That´s boring! What a bunch of sucking!
¡Qué boleta! How embarrassing! What a ticket!
Poner los cachos To cheat (relationships) Set the horns on
Ala "Jeez" Wing
Almacén Shop Warehouse
Andén Pavement, sidewalk Platform
Atorarse To choke To get stuck
Avión A clever person Airplane
Bacano Cool
Balaca Headband
Bareta Blunt, Joint, Weed etc.
Barra Peso (currency unit)

A cheerleading squad

Bar
Baúl Boot, trunk (of an automobile) Chest (furniture)
Birra Beer Italian for "beer"
Bomba Balloon; also fuel pump Bomb
Buzo Turtleneck sweater Diver
Café Brown (colour) Coffee
Camello Job, (heavy) work Camel
Cana Gaol, jail White hair
Caneca Trash basket
Cantaleta Repetitive scolding
Caña Bluff, bragging; also rum Fishing rod
Capar To play truant To castrate
Carpeta Doily Folder
Catorce Favour Fourteen
Chino Kid, boy Chinese
Chupa Police officer Sucker
Colorete Rouge Lipstick
Cotejo Soccer match Comparison
Culebra Debt Snake
Duro Skilful Hard
Embarrarla To make a grave mistake To cover with mud
Esfero Pen Sphere (masculine form)
Filo Hunger Edge
Gonorrea Vile/ Disgusting person or thing Gonorrhea
Guayabo Hangover Guava tree
Güevón Dude, bro, Lazy Mispronunciation of "huevón"
Hacerse el gringo To feign ignorance To play the Yank
Hueco Pothole; also gaol, jail, also a derogatory word for homosexual Hole (in general)
Huevón Dude, bro Sluggish or idiot
Jurgo Plethora, lot
Levantar To seduce / To beat, thrash To raise
Listo All right Ready
Llave Friend Key
Lobo Bad taste Wolf
Luca A thousand Colombian pesos
Mamar To bore To suck
Man Guy Man (English loanword)
Mano Bro (Brother) Hand
Mañé Ridiculous, un-cool
Marica Dude, bro Queer
Marimba Marijuana Marimba
Mijo/Mija buddy, pal short for Mi Hijo/Hija, my son/ my daughter
Mono Blond(e), fair-haired Monkey
Mosca (estar mosca) Be clever for a while; also annoyed fly (as an adjective, "be fly")
Olla Place where drugs are sold Cooking pot
Estar en la olla to be in a bad situation to be in the pot
Paja Lie, falsehood; also masturbation Hay
Parar bolas To pay attention To stand balls
Parche Band Patch
Pata Marijuana roach Leg
Pedo Big problem Fart
Piedra Anger Stone
Pilo Smart Battery (masculine form)
Poner bolas To pay attention To put balls
Poner los cachos To cheat (relationships) Set the horns
emputar to get enraged be prostituted
Rascado Drunk Scratched
Sapo Meddler Toad
Storbar To disturb To handle, touch
Tinto Black coffee Red wine
Tomba The police
Tombo Police officer
Vaina Thing Scabbard

Cuba[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal Translation
¿Que vola aceré? What’s up my friend?
¡pinga! Fuck!
mono cute/pretty monkey
chavos cents / dollar / money

Guatemala[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal Translation
¿Qué onda! (Quionda) What´s up What vibe?
¡No jodás Don´t bother! Don´t screw!
¡No me jodás! Don´t bother me! Don´t screw me!
Calidá Cool Quality (Calidad)
Cerote/Pizado Dude/Idiot Big Cero/Stepped-Squished
Mula Dum Mule
Chiveado Blushed "To Goat"/"Goated"
Te quiero mucho I love you lots I want you a lot
Wirito/Güirito Boy
Chavo Guy Guy
Chava Teen Girl Adolescent Girl
Verga Shit/Cock
Que chilero! Cool!

México[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal Translation
¿Qué onda? What's up? What's the wave?
¿Qué huele? What's up? What smells?
¡No manches! Get outta here! Don´t stain!
¡No mames! Get outta here! Don't suck!
Fresa Preppy, snobby Strawberry
naco tacky, unrefined bad taste
O sea As if / you wish. That is.
Nada que ver irrelevant, topics not related Nothing to see
Equis Used to describe something boring or uninteresting. Letter X
Prima/ Primo Buddy Cousin
Comprate una vida Get a life Buy a life.
¿Qué pedo? What's up? What farts?
Mariposo Homosexual Butterfly
Sangrón Stuck up person A lot of blood
Aguas Watch out! Waters
Órale All right All right
Ándale Come on Walk/move it (imperative)
Chido Cool
Qué padre That's tight How father
Güey dude (sometimes used as an insult) Ox
Sale Alright or go (used at the end of a thought) Go (imperative)
¡Nombre! No way! contraction of "¡No, hombre!" (no, man!)
Mande What did you say? / Pardon me What is your command?
¡Vete al infierno! Go to hell!
¡carajo! jerk! Or damn (as an expression)
¡Vete a chingar! Go fuck yourself!
¡Chale! Give me a break!
Maricón Crybaby, Wuss, Homosexual Crybaby, whiny, coward.

España[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal Translation
¡No me toques los cojones! Don´t bother me! Don´t touch my balls!
¿Qué pasa? What´s up! What´s going on?
¡Que te den! Fuck you! May they give it to you!
Ojete Anus Little eye/tgrommet
¡Ni de coña! No way! Not even if you're joking
Molar To be cool
¡Comemierdas! Asshole! Shit-eater!
¡Que te calles! Shut up! May you shut up!
¡Que te pires! Fuck off! Do go away!
¡Coño! Shit! Cunt!
¡Gilipollas! Asshole! Asshole! (Gili = idiot, Polla = Penis vulg.)
¡Mierda! Shit! Shit!
¡Cabrón! Bastard! Billy goat!
Polla Dick/cock (penis) Female chick
Zorra Bitch Female fox
Hasta los cojones Fed up Up to the balls
Soplapollas Idiot Dick-blower
Perra Bitch Female dog
Guarra Bitch Female pig
¡Me cago en la puta! Dammit! I shit on the bitch!
¡Me cago en la leche! Dammit! I shit on the milk!
De puta madre Really cool Of fucking mother
Mamón/Mamonazo Bastard Sucker/Big sucker
(algo) de tres pares de cojones (something) really big/important (something) of three pairs of balls
Poner los cojones encima de la mesa To show serious initiative To put the balls on the table
(algo) que te cagas (something) really important/heavy (something) that you shit all down
Acojonante Impressive, gorgeous That puts pressure on your balls
Acojonado Scared With your balls under pressure
Cojonudo Really good With big balls
Pichabrava Stud, womanizer Brave-dick
Pichafloja Weak, shy Slack-dick
Cierva Nice girl Doe (Female deer)
Guiri Tourist from North Europe
Camello Drug trader Camel
Tocapelotas Person that bothers others Balls-toucher
Berzas Boobs Cabbage(s)
Bufas Boobs You snort
Peras Boobs Pears
Brevas Boobs Early figs
Quinqui/Kinki Delinquent, pretty thief
Pedo Drunkenness Fart
Tío / Tía Dude Uncle / Aunt

Perú[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal Translation
asu! damn (when in a state of amazement)
la firme true the solid
achorado defiant
los vidrios see you we vidriate us
buitrear to vomit
chamba work
Pata bro, dude paw
asado(a) fed up, angry
florear to lie, weave tales to flower
roche embarrassed, or shame, same as "vergüenza"
chompa jacket
jerga slang syringe
chape kiss on the mouth catching
paso verbal text a pass
plagia copy
amiguero friendly friender
huachafo bad taste
conchudo brazenly bold, as in gall shelled
atorrante someone who does wrong things intentionally, see huachafo
chaufa bye (from chau, itself from the Italian ciao) chaufa Sino-Peruvian fried rice dish,
choro thief, robber, crook
chévere cool
bácan cool
palta embarrassing
bicicleta diarrhea bicycle
supitero someone who farts a lot
causa friend reason/cause
que weno great, awesome, how good (que bueno)
figureti show off
resaca hungover undertow
¿Qué cuentas? what's up? what do you say?
¿Manyas? get it?
bravazo awesome really wild
meter la pata to mess something up put in the foot
churro(a) handsome guy/ pretty girl type of food
viejo(a) father/ mother old man/ old woman
Vaina thing
Parar bolas To pay attention
Cantaleta scolding

Venezuela[edit | edit source]

Slang Meaning Literal translation
¡Arrecochínense! squeeze/group together! pig-pen yourselves!
¡Avíspate! Come on!
Caucho fat belly Rubber Tire
Bala fría Junk food/quick lunch Cold Bullet
Candela Awesome Fire
Chamo dude, guy el joey es mooday joey es mooday
Chévere Cool, nice Vete a la mierda Fuck off!
Cuaima Jealous/ill-tempered woman Viper
Perico Country's traditional method of scrambled egg Green parakeet
Ratón Hangover Mouse
Echar los perros To court someone Throw the dogs
Lata French kiss Tin Can
Zancudo mosquito Stiltwalker