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159 interesting Spanish slang words from all over the world

February 07, 2022

Author
Marco Monroy

So, you’re well on your way in your Spanish learning journey and started
feeling proud of your progress in class. Then, suddenly, you try to have a
conversation with someone whose first language is Spanish - and your
pride is shattered. What did they just say?

If this has happened to you before, don’t worry! It probably means that you need to
learn some Spanish slang to understand informal Spanish vocabulary. Spanish is
spoken natively in over 20 countries and even has more first language speakers than
English,
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Let us walk you through some of the most popular Spanish slang words and
phrases throughout Latin America and Europe. We’ll cover popular Spanish slang for
‘friend’, Spanish slang for ‘cool’, Spanish slang for texting, and more. We will also
break down some of the most popular slang per country so that you know what to
say next time you visit.

With this nifty guide, you’ll soon be able to navigate casual conversations like a local!

Why you need to know Spanish slang

There are over 20 Spanish-speaking countries worldwide. Just as English-speaking
countries like the USA, the UK, and Australia have unique slang, different countries
in Latin America and Europe will have different Spanish slang words.

Learning a wide variety of Spanish slang phrases will allow you to:

Travel throughout Latin America and Spain with ease.

 Spare yourself some embarrassing situations where you don’t know the local
Spanish slang.

Communicate more effectively and naturally with locals.

Sound more like a fluent speaker.

Understand local memes and internet jokes!

Watch YouTube videos, TV shows, and other slang-heavy digital media from
different countries.

Although learning Spanish slang can seem daunting, it’s also a fun experience that
will open many doors in your Spanish-learning journey.

Download our free guide to Spanish slang!

Spanish slang
Now that you’re excited to learn Spanish slang, let’s get into it. We'll cover the most
popular Spanish slang words and phrases and provide their English translation as
well as Spanish pronunciation for English speakers. Essentially, we’ll recreate the
sounds with English words, so that you know how to say each word without having to
mimic a native speaker!

Keep in mind that Spanish slang is pronounced differently in each country. For
example, Spaniards generally pronounce the letter c as a th while Mexicans
pronounce it as an s. The Spanish pronunciation column in the tables below will
reflect the local pronunciation for the respective country for accuracy.

Spanish slang words

Spanish is a highly regionalized language, so most countries will have their own
slang. Some slang words may even mean completely different things in different
countries.

Before we get into country-specific slang, here are some Spanish slang words that
are pretty universal.

Spanish slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

Chamba chahm-bah Work

Buenazo bweh-nah-zoh Really good

Plata plah-tah Money

Vaina vy-nah A thing

Ojo oh-ho Watch out

Mande mahn-deh What? / Come again?

General Spanish slang phrases

Spanish slang phrases are also highly dependent on the country. Many nationals will
have slightly (or highly!) different ways of saying things. Here are some common
slang phrases that can be pretty well understood in almost any Spanish-speaking
country.
 Spanish slang phrase Spanish pronunciation English meaning

Ponerse las pilas Poh-nehr-seh las pee-las To step it up

Hablar por los codos Ah-blahr pour los coh-dos To be very chatty

Echar una mano Eh-chahr oo-nah mah-no To help someone

Dejar plantado Deh-har plahn-tah-doh To stand someone up

Caer gordo Kah-ehr gor-doh To dislike someone

Mala pata Mah-la Pah-tah Bad luck

Spanish slang for friend

If you’re studying Spanish, you probably know that amigo is the word for ‘friend.’
However, did you know there are dozens of other ways you can refer to your friends?
Below are some of the most common Spanish slang for ‘friend,’ including the
country where each word is used.

Spanish slang for Spanish Country where it’s used

friend pronunciation

Parce Par-say Colombia.

Llave Ya-veh Chile and Colombia

Compa Come-pah Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua,

Costa Rica, and Argentina.

Cuate Kwah-teh Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Bolivia.

Alero Ah-leh-ro Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Pana Pah-nah Panama, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela,

and more.

Hermano Er-mah-no Virtually all of Latin America.

Pata Pah-ta Cuba, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.

Carnal Car-nal Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela,

and Argentina.
 Bróder Bro-dehr Most of Latin America.

Tío tee-oh Spain.

Spanish slang for cool

One of the first things you will notice about Spanish slang words is that most
countries have different ways of saying “cool.” Our table below will prepare you with
the Spanish slang for cool you will need to survive anywhere.

Spanish slang for cool Spanish pronunciation Country where it’s used

Bakan Bah-ca Chile.

Bárbaro Bar-bah-row Argentina and Uruguay.

Buena onda Boo-eh-nah On-da Chile, Mexico, and Argentina.

Cachete Cah-che-teh Chile and Costa Rica.

Chévere Che-veh-reh Most of Latin America.

Chido Chee-doh Mexico.

Chivo Chee-vo El Salvador.

Guay Goo-I Spain and parts of Mexico.

Padre Pah-dre Mexico.

Pichudo Pee-choo-doh Costa Rica.

Piola Pee-oh-la Argentina and Chile.

Suave Swa-veh Mexico.

Topísimo Toh-pee-see-mo Chile.

Tuanis Too-ah-knees Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.

Free downloadable guide to Spanish slang

We've created a list of popular slang words and phrases so you can start sounding
like, and connect with Spanish locals. This guide to slang will take your Spanish
learning to the next level.

Other country-specific Spanish slang

Mexican slang

Mexican slang word Pronunciation English meaning

Chela Che-la Beer

Fresa Fray-sa Preppy

Aguas Ah-goo-as Watch out

Crudo Croo-doh Hungover

¡A huevo! Ah weh-voh Hell yeah!

Chilango Chee-lan-go Someone from Mexico City

Metiche Muh-tee-che Nosey

No manches No man-chess No way

Güey/Wey Goo-ay / woo-ay Dude

Neta Neh-tah Really? / The truth

Ahorita Ah-oh-ree-tah Right this moment

Sale Sah-leh Ok, sure

​Colombian slang

Colombian slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

El parche Elle par-che A group of friends

Polas Poh-lahs Some beers

Rumbiar Room-bee-are To party

Changó Chan-goh To go dancing

 Guayabo Goo-ah-ya-boh Hungover

Los tombos Los tom-bohs The police

Entucar In-too-car To kiss

¡Paila! Pie-la Too bad!

Un catorce Oon kah-tor-se A favor

Chiviado Chee-vee-ah-doh Fake

Chino Chee-noh A child

Tinto Teen-toh Black coffee

Cuban slang

Cuban slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

Yuma Yoo-ma A foreigner not from Latin America.

Un mate Oon ma-teh A french kiss.

¡Nos pillamos! No-s pee-ya-mos See you soon!

Jamar Ha-mar To eat

Camello Kah-meh-yo Bus

¡Tu maletín! Too mah-leh-teen That’s your problem!

Me resbala Meh Res-bah-la I don’t care

¡Chao pescao! Cha-oh pis-kah-oh Goodbye!

Me piro Meh pee-ro I’m leaving

Chivo Chee-vo Bicycle

Peruvian slang

Peruvian slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

Al toque Al toh-keh Very quickly

 Asado Ah-sah-doh Angry

Bamba Bahm-bah Fake

Florear Flo-re-are To lie

Grifo Gree-foh Gas station

Huevear Weh-veh-are To actively do nothing

Jama Ha-ma Food

Piña Pee-n-yah Someone with bad luck

Pituco Pee-too-koh A rich person

Roche Roh-che Embarrassing

Argentinian slang

Argentinian slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

Che Che Hey

Boludo Bow-loo-doh Jerk

Pibe / Piba Pee-beh / Pee-bah Guy / Girl

Wacho Wah-cho Rascal

Groso Grow-so The best

Tener paja Ten-air pah-ha To feel lazy

Tener mala leche Ten-air mal-ah lay-che Having bad luck

Forro Fo-row Idiot

Laburo Lah-boo-row Job

Volá Vo-lah Leave!

Chilean slang

Chilean slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

 Caña Kah-n-ya Hangover

Carretear Car-ray-teh-are To party

Pololo / Polola Poh-low-low / Pow-low-la Boyfriend / Girlfriend

Jote Ho-teh Player

Mina Mee-nah Young woman

Taco Tah-kow Traffic jam

Harto Are-toh Many

Luca Loo-kah 1,000 pesos

Filo Fee-lo Alright

Buenmoso Boo-en-mo-so Beautiful

Venezuelan slang

Venezuelan slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

Chamo Cha-mo Dude

Dale Da-lay Of course!

Chimbo Cheem-bo Cheap or low-quality.

Burda Boor-da A lot / really.

Coroto Ko-ro-to Thing

Ladilla La-dee-ya Annoying

Mamarracho Ma-ma-ra-cho A ridiculous thing or person

¡Taima! Tie-ma Stop!

Choro Cho-row A thief or criminal

Ratón Ra-ton Hangover

Quedao Kay-da-oh A slow person (mentally)

 Ladillado La-dee-ya-doh Being annoyed

Spanish slang in Spain

Spanish slang word Spanish pronunciation English meaning

Vale Vah-lay Sure

Flipar Flee-par To go crazy

Majo Mah-ho Cute

¡Hostia! Us-tee-ah Damn!

¡Venga! Venn-gah Let’s go!

Chaval Cha-vah-l A kid

Empanado Em-pa-nah-doh Someone slow (mentally)

¡Joder! Ho-der Damn it!

Cabrearse Kah-breh-are-seh To get pissed off

Cutre Koo-treh Opposite of cute

Los viejos Los Vee-eh-hos My parents

Puente Poo-en-teh A long weekend

Other Spanish slang from places not mentioned above

Spanish slang Spanish English meaning Country where it’s

word pronunciation used

Mae May Dude Costa Rica

Tico / Tica Tee-co / Tee-ca A Costa Rican person. Costa Rica

¡Diay! Dee-ay An exclamation word that Costa Rica

expresses confusion.

Tiguere Tee-guh-reh A street smart person. Dominican

Republic

Colmado Kohl-ma-doh A corner store Dominican

 Republic

Chercha Cher-cha A party Dominican

Republic

¡Chendo! Chen-doh Just kidding! Ecuador

Lámpara Lam-pah-ra Sketchy Ecuador

Caleta Cal-seh-ta House or home Ecuador

Chucho Choo-cho Dog El Salvador

¡Puchica! Poo-chee-ca Damn! El Salvador

Chero / Chera Che-ro / Che-ra Guy / girl El Salvador

Offi Oh-fee Okay Panama

¿Qué sopa? Kay So-pah What’s up? Panama

Chupata Choo-pah-ta A party Panama

Spanish slang FAQs

What is some Spanish texting slang?

Just as English speakers use LOL, TTYL, and ILY when texting, Spanish speakers use
a lot of slang when messaging each other. Here are some of the most common
Spanish texting slang acronyms you should know.

Spanish texting slang Spanish meaning English meaning

X Por By / why

TQM / TKM Te quiero mucho I like you a lot (amicably)

K Que That

KYT Cállate Shut up

Grax Gracias Thanks

TB Ta bien / todo bien That’s okay / all good

What is some Spanish slang for money?

There are many different Spanish slang words for money, as you can imagine. Here
are some of the most common ones so that you’re never caught off guard when it
comes to money:

Baro

Lana

Billete

Cobre

Morralla

Oaoa

Bolas

Feria

What is Spanish slang for girlfriend?

Calling your girlfriend by a cutesy slang name is very common across Latin America.
If you’re trying to impress your Latin American girlfriend, try calling her one of the
following Spanish slang words for girlfriend:

Mi vida

Mi princesa

Mi chica

La dueña de mis quincenas

Mi polola
When is it appropriate to use Spanish slang?

Spanish slang should be strictly limited to casual and informal conversations. You
should never use slang in a formal setting, such as in school, work, or any formal
environment. Always try to limit the amount of slang you use when you first meet
someone of higher authority than you, like your boss, your spouse’s parents, or
officials.

Check out our post on formal and informal greetings in Spanish here, if you're
looking for expert guidance.

Tips for learning Spanish slang

Learning Spanish slang is one of the few things that you most likely won’t be able to
accomplish in a classroom. No matter how advanced your Spanish classes are, you
probably won’t spend a lot of time learning Spanish slang as you focus on grammar
structures and vocabulary instead.

Here are some great tips to improve your knowledge of Spanish slang so that you
can become more like a native speaker.

Make Spanish-speaking friends

The best way to learn Spanish slang is through practice. Making Spanish-speaking
friends and communicating with them constantly is the best way to improve your
understanding of Spanish slang.

Will you struggle to understand slang as it naturally appears in conversation? Sure.

Might you feel embarrassed if you misuse slang? It happens! But the best way to
learn slang is by trial and error. Just keep talking with your Spanish-speaking
friends, and you will soon pick up and master every slang word they use.

Immerse yourself in the language

Full language immersion is an excellent way to improve your language skills all
around. If you’re trying to grow your Spanish slang vocabulary, there is no better way
than exposing yourself to everyday conversations where slang is most likely to come
up naturally.

If total physical immersion isn’t possible due to work or family responsibilities, then
you can try your best to turn your life into a Spanish-speaking environment.

You can do this by:

Listening to Spanish music.

Watching Spanish TV shows.

Listening to Spanish podcasts.

Reading Spanish books, especially novels.

Watching YouTube videos from Spanish creators.

All of these are excellent ways to increase the amount of Spanish slang you are
exposed to regularly.

Read informal online forums

One of the problems with reading books to increase your exposure to Spanish slang
is that they tend to be highly edited and written with plain Spanish. An excellent way
to circumvent this is to read what native speakers write and publish online without
filtering. Online forums are an ideal place for this.

If you have any hobbies or passions, the chances are that there are plenty of
Spanish-speaking online forums that you will find interesting. Google some of your
interests in Spanish plus the word “fórum” and you are sure to find an exciting
website with plenty of native content for you to consume!

Some final key takeaways

Learning Spanish slang words can take your language skills to the next level. Just
knowing how to put sentences together and use textbook vocabulary will not be
enough to navigate daily life in Spain, Latin America or other dominant Spanish-
speaking regions.
Luckily, learning Spanish slang is now easier than ever, thanks to the internet and
how you can mimic immersion from your own home.

We hope you have found this guide with Spanish slang phrases constructive and
enjoyable. If you are traveling to any of the countries listed in our guide, we strongly
encourage you to memorize every slang word for the respective country before you
visit - and bookmark this page and regularly come back to it!

Expand your knowledge of Spanish

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