Specific Spanish slang

[eruvande]

Maybe this is an inappropriate subject, but I find this kind of stuff really useful to know especially while travelling in a country.

So I guess my question is if any native Spanish speakers have really specific slang or swear words or whatever to their country? Something along the lines of like when my Mexican friend told me to hand him something and said something like "dame la pinche..." or Argentinians are always saying "che baludo"

[limon]

Oh yeah, definitely.

I don't know that it is unique, but in Spain we love the curse word "coño".

We use it so much, that I've been told the word is a nickname for Spaniards in some Latin American countries.

[MyDigitalpoint]

I have two useful resource sites for slang terms specific for two countries; Spain and Mexico.

For Spanish of Spain slang go here, http://www.humanities.uci.edu/spanish/spain-slang.htm

For Spanish of Mexico slang this is the link, http://slang.uoregon.edu/pub_socialsearch.lasso?&SocialGroupCode=9c9a45ab6a269f6a651bf8fb5f71cb27&Process=detailSG01

[sillylucy]

I think Mexican slang words area always funny. I am still laughing at the word "culero." My little cousin picked it up at school. I googled it and it means "A-hole." It just sounds uglier in spanish for some reason.

[MyDigitalpoint]

Culero is a slang word in Mexico where it is taken as a asshole in a vulgar and offensive connotation but widely used in colloquial language.

However in Spain culero, that is an adjective resulting from the noun "culo" (buttocks) is commonly used without being really a curse.

Yeah,  certainly Mexican slang is funny

[limon]

I think part of what makes some slang or curse words sound "dirtier" in a different country/dialect is that since they're new to you the connotations of the actual word are more obvious. I mean "asshole" is actually a pretty foul word if you stop to think about it, but it becomes commonplace and disappears into the associations you have from when you've heard and used it. A new word like "culero" makes you notice the root of it all anew.

[SpringBreeze]

I have a friend that is Colombian, and he is always saying things like oueputa and juvon. I'm not sure if I'm spelling that right. Growing up in Florida, I heard the word "cuño" said a lot by Cubans.

[nick87]

"Che" is kind of like "dude" in Argentina.

[sillylucy]

LOL Thanks for the help with "culero" guys. I lived with 2 Dominican roommates and they both loved saying "gilipolla." It pretty much means the same thing, but now I love using it because most Mexicans don't understand it. I probably just sound silly to them.

[LivetoErr]

Oooh, "culero" is a word I'll have to remember. I'm often muttering A-hole under my breath when driving. If I remember the Spanish version of the word I can say it a little louder and not get in trouble.

Thank you, MyDigitalpoint for the link. I think that will become very useful. 

Are there any other words one should learn? One of our newscasters said "Chingo de madre" on TV once. Was he actually saying something offensive?

[parcero]

I live in Colombia at the moment and there seems to be a whole load of slang expressions used here. Some of the greetings are quite strange, including saying '¿qué más?' to mean 'how are you?'. If you're interested there's quite a good summary of some of the main slang expressions on this site http://latintravelguide.com/colombia/how-to-speak-colombian-spanish

[Trellum]

LOL Thanks for the help with "culero" guys. I lived with 2 Dominican roommates and they both loved saying "gilipolla." It pretty much means the same thing, but now I love using it because most Mexicans don't understand it. I probably just sound silly to them.

Actually gilipollas has a more vulgar meaning, at least it does in Spain, where this slang hails from.  I don't dare to tell you guys what this word mean, but let's say gilli is a verb... and pollas is, erm... a word used to refer to the male organ. So technically it can be used as a very version of ''culero'', but with a waaaaay more vulgar connotation.

[limon]

Well, it does... but at least when I was little "gillipollas" was more or less equivalent to "asshole" or "jerk" in English.

Yeah the parts of it are a bit ruder, but then so technically is the word "dork" which is super inoffensive in its use, but is old Yiddish (?) slang for the male organ as well.

Translating literal meanings vs. colloquial ones is tricky. Like just try explaining to an English speaker that "I shit on G-d" and its variations is a commonly used expression of frustration and unlikely to raise an eyebrow!

It's all in the use, as it were.

[Cielosur]

My favorite Mexican slang word is "chingar".  It is so versatile. 

It can be a noun:  Pasame la chingadera esa.  Hand me that damn thing. 

It can be a verb:  Como chingas.  You bother me.

It can be a destination:  Vete a la chingada.  Go to hell.

It can mean a really good beating:  Me dieron una chinga. Te dieron una chinga.

It can mean getting screwed over by someone:  Me chingaron.  Te chingaron.

And of course there is the ultimate "chinga tu madre" which involves someone's mother. 

If James Lipton ever asks me what is my favorite cuss word, I will have no qualms answering that is hands down "chingar".

[Luna]

Are you looking for general slang or swear words? Here are some of the swear words most used in Puerto Rico.

- carajo - It's used sometimes like shit in English. Ex. "!Carajo! Me corté el deo." (Shit! I cut my finger). It's also used like hell when sending someone to it. Ex. "Vete pa'l carajo." (Go to hell.) it's very versatile.

- cabrón - Also very versatile. It mostly means "asshole". Depending on the tone it could be an insult or just a way that "cafres" call each other. Ex. "Te voy a matar cabrón" (I'm going to kill you, asshole), "Que' la que cabrón" (Whattup [dude, homie, etc]). Don't say this to older Puerto Ricans as before it was considered a much offensive word that meant your wife was screwing someone else.

- cafre - it means tacky or ghetto or something similar to trailer thrash. Being "cafre" doesn't mean being low class, it's a kind of behavior that not all low class people have, and some higher class people have it if they grew up with that culture around them. Usually people from "caserios" and "barriadas".

[Luna]

Oh I didn't realize this forum censored swear words. Anyway the censored word is supposed to be $h!t.

A couple of other ones are:

- puta - wh0r3, slut, b!tch

- pendejo - id!0t , dumbass, also used to refer to someone very naive

- caco - pretty much the same as a wanksta in America or chav in England. They only listen to reggaeton, always wear expensive sneakers (Puma and Nike Jordan are fav brands), tend to have tricked out Honda, wear gold chains...

- puñeta - in Puerto Rico is used similar to coño and carajo, as a curse word like the English $h!t or damn. I've heard it means masturbating in other places.

- coño - similar to f*k or dammit, used the same way as puñeta and carajo. Ex "Coño! Maldito carro se metio en el medio" (F*k. That damn car got in the way)

- guillao - someone full of themselves, thinks they are better than anyone, may or may not also be "cafre" or "come mierda"

- come mierda - literally means sh!t eater, in Puerto Rico it refers to a stuck up or pretensions person

- guaynabito - it's a rich "come mierda". It usually refers to young people from the town of Guaynabo or at least from the metro area that also tend to act very "white" American. The kind of teens that shot at Abercrombie or Aeropostale.

[Luna]

- bellaco/ bellaca (also bellako, beyako, beyaco)- means horny

- bellaquear / bellaquiar - depending on the context it means either to have sex or to bump and grind very sexually while out dancing

- perreo - a type of dance that goes with reggaeton music, that is practically doggy style with clothes on

- yal - it's a newer term, it's not new but it became common in the last couple of years. It's a "cafre" women. She wears a "dubi", big purse, high heels, shorts or short skirt, has long tacky nails, too much makeup, sometimes permanent makeup or eyebrows. She's like the female companion to the caco now, but before the female would just be called caca. I think the main difference between the caca and yal is that the yal is more feminine although both are slutty "cafres".

- dubi - a hair wrap, similar to one that Rihanna wore to the AMAs

[RealSugar]

Argentinian slang is so specific, that I'm always afraid to talk to people from other Spanish-speaking countries! Won't even know something is slang until they start looking at me funny. I think everyone who tries to learn Spanish should pick one country and stick with it. It's not possible to learn a "neutral" Spanish at all!

[Trellum]

I think Mexican slang words area always funny. I am still laughing at the word "culero." My little cousin picked it up at school. I googled it and it means "A-hole." It just sounds uglier in spanish for some reason.

My mom totally hates that word, but sometimes uses it when she is really mad at something, specially lately.  As for me?  Well, I dislike how most youngsters call each other ''guey'', I don't like that one bit and never participate in that. I tried once, but it was with a friend I hadn't seen for a while and I did it because she communicated in that level as well. I didn't like it tho, I thought it was a very shallow communication level, so ever since I dropped it and never tried again.

[fuumarumota_espanol]

Haha, I had a lot of fun with this thread.

In latin-america people tend to use the word "madre" (mother) in countless derogatory ways, and I think this is one of the most difficult uses of slang to understand in Spanish. It's a cultural "feature" of the region.

Example:

Vale Madre! (MEX) - It can be used as "I'm screwed" or also to state that something is not important, among other uses.

I don't know if it's appropriate to continue giving examples of these (lol).

Cheers!

[prmurphy]

I have been living in Mexico. They have so many slang words here it is really hard to keep up with them all. My favorite is how often they use the word "pedo" which means "fart" in English. For example "Que pedo?" means "Whats up?" but the literal translation would be like "Whats farting?" Other examples:

"Que bien pedo!" - "How cool!"

"Que mal pedo!" - "Not cool!"

I was really confused when I first heard people using "pedo" like this! Of course "pedo" can also be used to mean "fart".

[Elimination]

21 hours ago, prmurphy said:

I have been living in Mexico. They have so many slang words here it is really hard to keep up with them all. My favorite is how often they use the word "pedo" which means "fart" in English. For example "Que pedo?" means "Whats up?" but the literal translation would be like "Whats farting?" Other examples:

"Que bien pedo!" - "How cool!"

"Que mal pedo!" - "Not cool!"

I was really confused when I first heard people using "pedo" like this! Of course "pedo" can also be used to mean "fart".

To add to this, "estar pedo" or "ponerse pedo" is "being drunk" or "getting drunk." 
Can also refer to getting in trouble or looking for trouble (as in, starting a fight): "¿Quieres pedos, cabrón?" or "Cuidado, que te vas a meter en un pedo."
It can also be an adjective, in the higher classes or among preppy people it usually refers to something fancy like in "esta pedero tu reloj."

[sillylucy]

Culero is such and ugly word. So is culo. They just sound gross and guttural. I think they are so much more offensive than A-hole. Spanish slang like cono is something that you really hear and see on the east coast. You don't really hear it on the west coast. I think it is more of a Spanish and Puerto Rican thing. 

[MyNameIsFermin]

There's so many specific slang words out here, I live in Venezuela and it become so obvious when meeting people from Argentina, Ecuador, even Colombia that is a neighbor country has plenty of different words and it is not only slang. There is a ridiculous amount of Spanish words some countries use and others doesn't, so is the case of people i have meet that learned Argentinian Spanish and then they realize that it's only gonna work over there because its 90% slang.

[lauraxoxo]

In Mexico, we have a lot of lingo.

For example, the word "verga" means penis, but in a more offensive manner. Here are how we use them:

"Está de la verga" -- "It's horrible" or "It's shit"

"Eres una verga" -- "You're the shit" (a compliment)

"Te pasaste de verga" -- "You crossed the line"

 

Also, the word "mamar" which means, essentially, sucking

"Te mamaste" -- "You crossed the line"

"Vamos a mamar" -- "We're gonna drink"

"Me la mamas" -- Basically "suck my d*ck"

"No mames" -- "No way"

 

The word "pelar" which means peeling

"No me pelas" -- you don't pay attention to me

"Pélame" -- pay attention to me

"Me la pelas" -- suck my d*ck

 

weird weird language, I know