Most traditional Spanish courses won’t teach you much slang (a.k.a. argot or jerga ). But it’s hard to fit in with native speakers without it!
We’re big believers in going off the beaten path with language learning. That’s why our team of Spanish students and native speakers have compiled this mega-list of Spanish slang from around the world.
In this post, you’ll learn slang words along with their literal meanings, explanations and cultural notes. That way, when it’s time for you have a Spanish conversation with native speakers, you’ll fit right in!
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Spanish Slang for Girl
How do you refer to a girl using slangy language? Use one of the following options! Be forewarned, though: These are generally not the most respectful ways to address a lady.
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Spanish Slang for Money
Got the cash? Here’s how different Spanish-speaking countries refer to money informally.
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Spanish Slang for Beautiful
The word for “beautiful” in Spanish is hermoso , but there are many other casual ways to say beautiful, depending on where you are and what (or who) you’re talking about.
Love is in the air! El Amor is the dictionary word for “love.” Here are some slang terms for love and a few terms of endearment from around the Spanish-speaking world.
These Spanish slang insults are funny ways to poke fun at your friends. But be careful not to use them with the wrong people, because they’re really not nice things to say. These are just for fun!
Even though it definitely sounds like it, this phrase isn’t for calling someone fat! Me cae gordomeans that you don’t like someone or they rub you the wrong way.
You usually use this phrase when it’s a first impression or a gut feeling.
In Spain, it’s common to use the word chulo (neat, lovely) in place of bonito (pretty). It can also be used to say that something’s “cool.”
On the other hand, if you use chulo to refer to a person in Spain, it can have a negative connotation. You’re basically saying that the person’s conceited.
In Latin America, chulo takes on a slightly different meaning as it usually refers to an attractive man.
This term is useful for moments when either you or someone you know makes a silly mistake. It teases, lightens a situation and generally makes people smile.
While we don’t have a phrase exactly like this in English, you can probably guess its meaning. It’s the equivalent of IDGAF: You don’t really care, or it isn’t worth your time or effort.
If you want to change it up a little, pimiento is commonly exchanged with pepino (cucumber),comino (cumin) and rábano (radish)!
You know how people carry around a rabbit’s foot for good luck? If you have a bad paw, you’re carrying around bad luck instead of good luck—like a rabbit’s foot!
Young people in Spain sometimes refer to their parents as los viejos (the elderly) in the presence of friends. Some might even use it to directly address their parents, though this is dependent on their familial dynamics.
In these cases, it’s more like saying “my old man” in an affectionate and playful way.
This refers to someone who is gossiping or someone who needs to know everyone’s business. This person is adept at poking into things that aren’t any of their concern.
If someone decides to ir a su bola, it means that they’re going to do their own thing.
There’s a slight negative connotation associated with this phrase, as if the person is going against logic or not being considerate when they’re trying to ir a subola.
This one can be used for quite a few situations. It can be used when you’re in a hurry to say “let’s go.” It can also be used to agree with something or express your surprise.
According to RAE, this word originated from ahora le (meaning “now”)—where le is simply added to further emphasize the interjection.
This is yet another way to say “cool,” and is most common in Venezuela and Colombia.
Its actual etymology is uncertain, but the most accepted theory is that it comes from the Kalabari language in Nigeria, where chebere means “wonderful” or “excellent.”
Puerto Rican slang is vivid and often descriptive, but one of its simplest words is nena (girl). This can refer to any female, from toddler age up to adulthood.
However, using this for a woman of advanced age, like someone’s mother or grandmother, would be disrespectful.
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Dominican slang terms—also known as dominicanismos—are among the funniest and most creative you’ll find in the Spanish language. In this post, you’ll find 31 cool…
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Mexican slang is both important to sound local and fun to use. This post will show you over 90 of the most common Mexican slang terms and how they are used. We will also…
Learning Nicaraguan slang is key if you’re visiting the country or want to connect with Nicaraguans. Check out these 21 common slang words and phrases used by Nicaraguans…
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Paraguayan slang is a unique blend of Spanish and the indigenous language, Guaraní. While enjoying terere with chipa, use these 13 Paraguayan slang terms to communicate…
Peruvian slang is a must-know if you visit the country. Understanding colloquialisms that the Peruvian people use can make the difference between making a real connection…
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How to Practice Spanish Slang
The best way to pick up slang is by listening to native speakers and how they use slang themselves.
Slang is pretty easy to find in authentic Spanish media, especially in movies, TV shows and web videos, which are all accessible online. There’s also the authentic video library on the language learning program FluentU.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
I also recommend downloading a language exchange app. You can make friends with Spanish speakers from the specific country you want, allowing you to easily and quickly learn that country’s slang.
Finally, using a modern dictionary app like SpanishDictwill show you the colloquial version of words you look up (if there is one) and where each term is from. This lets you learn slang even when you aren’t trying to!
Spanish Slang Dictionaries
Here are some great Spanish slang dictionaries that will teach you more colloquial language you might not learn in Spanish class.
This convenient pocket guide offers over 3,000 slang terms including words, phrases, idioms and other sayings. It focuses on Mexican culture and slang.
The book will help to fill the gaps by teaching you things you didn’t learn in school and explaining wordplay and/or double meanings.
Sections are grouped thematically and entries are organized alphabetically within these sections. There are even helpful symbols to indicate the level of vulgarity.
This useful dictionary features over 5,000 slang terms and idioms coveringall Spanish-speaking countries.
Each entry contains the Spanish term, its meaning, whether or not it’s vulgar, an example of how it’s used and information on where it’s used.
In the thesaurus section, words are grouped thematically in categories like “expressions of anger.” This book also offers illustrations, quizzes, examples and cultural information.
This book includes a Spanish-English dictionary and an English-Spanish dictionary. It offers 5,000 entries featuring slang and idioms from all Spanish-speaking regions.
The Spanish-English entries feature the word or phrase, a literal translation and the actual definition.
The entries also show countries where the expression is used, say whether it’s vulgar and include a usage example.
This book features nearly 4,500 slang words and phrases along with colloquial expressions and vulgar words and phrases from all Spanish-speaking regions.
It specifically targets speakers who are at or above an intermediate-level proficiency.
Each entry contains the Spanish word or phrase, its English meaning, an example of how it’s used and information on where it’s used.
This book focuses exclusively on Mexican expressions. It also explains terms found in graffiti.
The book offers both “translated Americanisms” and “major Mexicanisms.” This means you can look up an English phrase to find the Mexican equivalent or look up a Mexican phrase to find its meaning.
There are also thematically grouped sections like “party time” for easy perusing. The book does contain quite a few vulgar terms, so be careful where you use them!
This book includes slang, insults, sexual terms and curse words, making it best for adult learners.
It focuses primarily on slang that’s used across regions, but some regional slang is also included. It does assume you know at least some Spanish, so it isn’t for early beginners.
The book is grouped thematically for easy perusal, with categories like “angry Spanish,” to give you a clear idea of what sorts of situations you might use the words or phrases in.
If you prefer your slang dictionary in app form and have an iOS device, this is a good option for easy look-ups on the go.
It includes over 21,000 entries and covers American, British, Latin American and Spanish slang. Vulgar words are also included.
Each entry contains a definition of the word, its translation (including translations that also use slang) and several synonyms. Each entry is also marked with the region of the slang.
With these Spanish slang words, you’ll sound like a native in no time.
So get out there and practice in the real world—whether it be with your Spanish-speaking family, in-person friends or online friends.
And One More Thing…
If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.
Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.
