Slang it is an informal word or expression, generally used among members of a certain social group. In Spanish, slang is said shit. However, there are those who use the English word slang.
Through the frequency of use, this word or expression can become commonly used by a larger number of speakers of the language.
O All Matter prepared a selection with the main Spanish slang spoken in Spain and Latin America.
Shall we check them out?
List of Spanish Slang
Below is a table with Spanish words and expressions, with explanations, translations and examples of use.
| Slang | Translation | Example | Observation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Come on! | Speaks seriously! |
Come on! It is not possible! (Speaks seriously! It's not possible!) |
Indicates surprise, disbelief. |
| Wear an eye on the face. | Cost your face eyes. |
My computer has an eye on her face. (My computer cost my eyes of the face.) |
Indicates that the price of something is too high. It's a synonym for cstar a kidney. |
| Cost a kidney. | Cost your face eyes. |
These shoes wear a kidney. (These shoes cost an arm and a leg.) |
Indicates that the price of something is too high. It is a synonym for costar a look on your face. |
| Cure | Trapping; work |
This weekend we won't be curing. (This weekend we're not going to work.) |
Used to speak of the act of engaging in any paid activity or profession. |
| Guay | Nice |
What guay! (Great!) |
It refers to something you like. |
| OK! | OK; yea |
“¿Quiers un té?” “OK!” (“Do you want some tea?” “Yes.”) |
Indicates an affirmative answer to something, to show that you agree with a suggestion or accept it. |
| Uncle | dude, guy |
You can't trust that guy. (You can't trust that guy.) |
Indicates that the sender of the message is intimate enough to speak more informally with the receiver. Aunt is the female form of uncle, and can be translated as "woman". |
List of Latin American Slang
Below you will find a table with words and expressions in Latin American Spanish. See also the respective explanations and translations, as well as usage examples.
| Slang | Translation | Example | Observation | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waters! | Watch out! |
Water with the coach (Be careful with the car!) |
Slang used to alert someone to something. | Mexico |
| Boludo | Idiot |
You're such a boludo that I'm not surprised that in the past, the exam. (You're such an idiot, I'm not surprised you didn't pass the test.) |
Someone who has done something stupid, stupid and/or meaningless. ATTENTION: word of pejorative use; used as an insult. |
Argentina and Dominican Republic |
| ¿Cachái? | Do you understand?; Understood? |
¿Cachai what you say friend? (Did you understand what your friend said?) |
Used synonymously with "understand", "understand". | Chile |
| ¡Chévere! | Ball show, excellent |
“How did the film look like?” “¡Muy chévere!” (“What did you think of the movie?” “Ball show.”) |
Indicates something excellent, very pleasant and/or very interesting. | Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Peru |
| ¡Dale! | OK; yea |
"Are we going to visit Ana manana?" "Dale!" ("Are we going to visit Ana tomorrow?" "Let's go!") |
Indicates an affirmative answer to something, to show that you agree with a suggestion or accept it. | Panama, Argentina, Nicaragua and Paraguay |
| pilo | smart, smart |
Pablo is muy pilo. I have drawn the best note of its class. (Pablo is very smart. He got the best grade in the class.) |
Form of compliment to someone smart, smart. The feminine form of the word is dick. |
Colombia |
| pololo | Boyfriend |
I didn't know she had ya un polo. (I didn't know she already had a boyfriend.) |
Person you are dating. the female form is polola. | Chile |
| Bring on | Person for whom you feel unrequited love. |
Bring Selena es Juan. (Selena is in love with Juan, but her love is unrequited.) |
Person someone is in love with without being reciprocated. | Colombia |
other slang
Now that you've learned the main Spanish variant slang, how about knowing some slang common to different Spanish language variants?
Interested in expanding your knowledge of the Spanish language? Be sure to consult the texts below!
- 10 Spanish expressions you need to know
- 20 most used verbs in Spanish
- False cognates in Spanish: complete list with translation
- Weekdays in Spanish: origin, pronunciation and examples
- Numbers in Spanish: cardinal, ordinal, fractional and multiplicative
- Spanish nouns: complete grammar
- Months of the year in Spanish: origin, examples and commemorative dates
