1.9K
Spanish is spoken around the globe, with dozens of dialects and regional varieties. If standard Spanish is the main course, slang is the seasoning that gives it a distinct characteristic or flavor. Slang words vary by Spanish dialect, region, generation, and group belonging.
In Argentina and surrounding countries, you’ll hear ¡che! (hey!) when someone wants your attention. If you’re making plans in Spain, the expressions ¿vale? (ok?) and ¡vale! (ok!) punctuate your conversation. And in Costa Rica, ¡Pura Vida! (pure life) works as a greeting, a goodbye, “you’re welcome,” and “no worries!”
Don’t feel you have to understand it all at once. Native speakers often find it amusing to compare slang words in Spanish, since there’s always something to learn. Whether you’re hoping to fit in at a new location or just love to learn Spanish, learning Spanish slang words is a fun way to connect with the language on a deeper level.
¿Qué onda? and other Spanish slang greetings
¿Qué onda? is a Spanish slang greeting common in Mexico. While hola (hi) and buenos días (hello/good morning) are used everywhere, some fun slang ways to greet your friends will vary around the world. Most of these can be translated as something similar to “what’s up?” or “how’s it going?”
| Spanish Slang | Where It’s Common |
| ¿Cómo va? | Argentina/Uruguay/Chile |
| ¿Qué bolá? | Cuba |
| ¿Qué es la que hay? | Puerto Rico |
| ¿Qué hubo? | Mexico |
| ¿Qué lo qué? (What that is what?) | Dominican Republic |
| ¿Qué onda? | Mexico |
| ¿Qué pasa? (What’s happening) | Various regions |
| ¿Qué tal? | Spain/various regions |
Compañero and other Spanish slang for friends
If you know someone well enough to use slang in Spanish, your vocabulary will go beyond amigo/amiga (friend). You could use compañero (Spanish slang for friend) for a guy, and compañera for a girl.
A few common Spanish slang words that might be along the lines of “buddy,” “mate,” or “girl” include:
- compadre/comadre (godparent)
- compañero/compañera/compa/compi (companion/mate)
- colega (colleague)
- compinche (sidekick/partner-in-crime)
Literal translations of slang in Spanish don’t have the same meaning or nuance. For example, in Spain, you’re likely to be called tío (uncle) or tía (aunt), but the slang meaning would be something more like “bro” or “dude.” Sometimes these same words are used more as fillers or exclamations, perhaps not directly referring to a person.
| Spanish Slang | Where It’s Common |
| Asere | Cuba (among men only) |
| Bro/Broder | Latin America |
| Chamo/Chama | Venezuela |
| Chero/chera | Honduras, El Salvador |
| Cuate | Various regions |
| Fren | Panamá |
| Güey | Mexico |
| Mae | Costa Rica |
| Pana | Puerto Rico |
| Tío/Tía | Spain |
La Plata and other Spanish slang words for money
La Plata is a common Spanish slang term for dinero (money). In much the same way the United States dollar becomes a “buck” in casual speech, and the British pound becomes a “quid,” many Spanish currencies have other names.
In much of Latin America, the general slang term for money is plata (silver). The term guita is also common. It can get more specific from there. For example, in Argentina, where the currency is officially called pesos, there’s specific slang in Spanish for the different quantities or denominations.
- una gamba = 100 pesos
- una luca = 1000 pesos (a “grand.”)
- un palo = 1 million pesos
You’ll often hear slang expressions for not having money. For example, estoy pelado/pelada (Literally, “I’m peeled”), is often pronounced ‘toy pela’o, and means “I’m broke.” In Spain, you’d be sin blanca, or sin un duro, and or arruinado/arruinada. In Mexico, one could say No tengo ni un cinco (I don’t even have a five), and in Argentina, one might say no tengo un mango.
| Spanish Slang | Where It’s Common |
| el chavo | Puerto Rico |
| la guita | Latin America |
| la lana (wool) | Mexico |
| los mangos (mangos) | Argentina |
| la pasta (pasta) | Spain |
| el pisto (dough) | Central America |
| la plata (silver) | Latin America |
| los varos | Mexico |
Chévere and other Spanish slang for cool
Chévere is one of dozens of Spanish slang words that mean “cool!” If you want to go beyond translations of “very good,” such as rebueno or buenísimo, here are some of the most popular ways to say that something is really great.
| Spanish Slang | Where It’s Common |
| ¡Bacán! ¡Bacano! | Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic |
| ¡Chévere! | Much of Latin America |
| ¡Chido! | Mexico |
| ¡Copado! | Argentina |
| ¡Genial! | Various regions |
| ¡Guay! | Spain |
| ¡Padre! | Mexico |
| ¡Tuanis! | Costa Rica |
In Spain, the verb molar is common. Instead of saying that you like a song very much, you could say, ¡Esta canción mola!, which is a way of saying that the song is very cool.
Chismosa and other Spanish slang to describe people
The slang term chismosa refers to a girl or woman who loves to gossip. It comes from the word chisme (piece of gossip). The adjective chismoso is the way to describe a gossipy man or boy, in order to follow Spanish grammar rules. Here are some other Spanish slang words for people.
| Spanish Slang Term | Meaning |
| boricua | This term is used for someone from Puerto Rico. It can be used as an adjective or a noun. |
| un chacho/una chacha | A colloquial way to say “kid” in Mexico and some of Central America. |
| una fresa | Literally “a strawberry” in standard Spanish; in Mexico it can be used to refer to someone who is stuck up. |
| el jevo/la jeva | In Caribbean Spanish, this can refer to your boyfriend/girlfriend or love interest. In other regions and contexts, it might be offensive. |
| la llave | Meaning “the key,” it could refer to a close friend in Colombia. |
| majo/maja | Used in Spain to describe someone who is nice, friendly, or pleasant. |
| metiche | In much of Latin America, this means a nosy person who meddles in other people’s business. If they then turn around and tell others about it, they’d be chismoso/chismosa. |
| pijo/pija | Used in Spain to describe someone who acts rich, snobby, or posh. |
Currar and other Spanish slang verbs
Many common verbs have slang counterparts. Some of them come from “Spanglish,” the interaction of Spanish and English, such as the verb janguear (to hang out) in Puerto Rico. Others don’t seem to have any connection to the original verb, such as currar (to work) in Spain. Here are some other common slang verbs in Spanish.
| Spanish Slang Verb | Meaning |
| chimbear | In Colombia, it means “to bother” |
| currar | Slang for trabajar (to work) in Spain |
| janguear | “To hang out with friends” in Puerto Rico |
| papear | Slang for comer (to eat) in Argentina and Spain |
| parar bola | In Colombia, it means “to pay attention” |
| rumbiar | Used in parts of South America, it means “to party” |
>>Just getting started? Our guide on how to learn Spanish can point you in the right direction.
Chulo and why to use caution with Spanish slang words
Spanish slang meanings depend on the context. For example, the word chulo/chula would be used in Spain to describe an object as “cute” or “cool,” but in reference to a person it might mean that they are “cocky.” In Mexico and Guatemala, it’s a colloquial way of saying someone is good looking, but in Chile it means “tacky,” “trashy,” or something more vulgar.
Spanish speakers in Venezuela, Cuba, and other locations translate it to “pimp.” This can be overwhelming when you’re just starting to learn Spanish, so when in doubt, go with something more neutral like bonito/bonita (cute/good-looking).
In general, many slang terms wouldn’t be appropriate in every situation, so try them out with someone you know well or consult a Spanish dictionary for the colloquial use of specific words. Avoid slang altogether in situations that call for a higher level of formality. Spanish slang that works in one region might be offensive in another, so observe carefully, and speak Spanish confidently.
Learn Spanish slang words to improve your conversation
Most casual conversations around the world will contain a variety of slang or colloquial language. You’ll never be bored, since there’s such a wide variety of Spanish slang to spice up your learning. Recognizing the meaning of slang can also help you understand Spanish television and songs so you can enjoy Spanish in real life.
If you’re a good observer, you can incorporate slang into your conversations with Spanish-speaking friends. Rosetta Stone’s tutors can help you decipher the meaning of slang words in context, can teach you the terms that are common in their region, and help you avoid saying something too offensive.