Spanish Street Talk
January 2nd, 2010 | 
Author: Many of us are learning to speak Spanish correctly (slowly but surely) but it is often good to be able to speak to your Spanish friends informally too. So here is a small list of some commonly used Spanish words and phrases that are a little out of the ordinary. You may also find these useful Spanish phrases a benefit also.
Beber como una esponja. To drink like a sponge. To drink a lot.
Botellón. Outdoor drinking party or gathering in a square, street, park, or other public place with alcohol purchased cheaply at supermarkets or corner shops.
Buenas. A greeting used at any time of the day. Similar to Hello / Hola, but more informal.
Cabezota. Stubborn, when used as an adjective, and a stubborn person, when used as a noun.
¡Caray! God, oh my God, darn, darn it!
Casero. Landlord.
Chalado. Crazy or barmy
Chapuza. Shoddy work.
Chaval / chavala. Lad or girl – much like the English “chav”
Chorrada. Nonsense or rubbish.
Chulo - When used as an adjective, chulo can mean: 1) nice, cool, cute, good-looking, arrogant, insolent, or cocky. When used as a noun, chulo means pimp.
¡Coño! The C word – not as offensive is in the UK and Ireland… but only to be used with GOOD friends.
Currar. To work . Your workplace or job is your curro.
De puta madre. Truly awesome, really something.
¡Ella tiene un magnífico culo! She has a great backside.
Enchufe A connection, or contact, someone in the know who can make things happen for you
Entender. To be gay. However, the primary definition of the Spanish word entender is to understand, so keep in mind that if someone asks you “¿Entiendes?” it may be a question of your Spanish language skills OR whether you like men or women.
Finde = Weekend. Shortened version of fin de semana.
Friki. Nerd, or geek
Guarro. Filthy, disgusting.
Guiri. Foreigner in Spain, especially an Anglo-Saxon or northern European foreigner. This word can be as friendly or offensive as the speaker intends.
¿Hay algo para picar? Is there anything to snack/munch on?
Hortera. Tacky, in bad taste.
Ligar. To pick someone up.
Marcha. Nightlife. Salir de marcha = To go out, to go party.
¡Menuda resaca tengo! I’ve got such a hangover!
Mileurista. Someone who earns approximately 1,000 euros per month. This relatively recent social phenomenon is a person in Spain who is often imagined as a twentysomething or thirtysomething with a low-paying job, who may or may not live with their parents, may or may not have a university degree, but has low prospects for improving their economic outlook.
Mono. Cute, when used as an adjective. ¡Qué mono! = How cute! Used as a noun, mono means monkey.
Nene / nena. Baby / baby, chick, as in, “Hey, baby!”
Okupa. Squatter, a person who lives in a formerly abandoned or unoccupied building. The okupa movement is rather political in Spain, and some casas okupadas are organized as cultural centers for the surrounding community.
Pijo. Upper class conservative, when used as a noun, and yuppy, preppy, posh, stuck up, snooty, and snobbish, when used as an adjective.
Puente. Long weekend due to a bank holiday.
¡Que bárbaro! That’s awesome!
¡Qué fuerte! or ¡Qué pasada! Wow!These show great surprise or amazement.
¡Qué guay! = How cool is that!
¡Que pasa! What’s happening?
Siniestro. Goth, gothic.
Tener un rollo To have a fling or a casual sex partner.
Tío bueno / tía buena A hot guy / hot girl.
Tipo. Guy, especially a stranger.
Topmanta. Illegal street vendor who displays his wares (often pirated or counterfeited goods) on a small square of cloth – a manta / blanket, if you will – that is handily bundled up at a moment’s notice by the vendor, who often flees when the police appear.
Ya echó la pota dos veces. He’s already been sick twice.
Ya es hora de papear algo. It’s about time we got some grub/food.
| ¡Cabrón! |
| ¡Comemierdas! |
| ¡Coño! |
| ¡Ella tiene un magnífico culo! She has a great ass. |
| ¡Gilipollas! |
| ¡Menuda resaca tengo! Fue el puto vino de ayer – I’ve got such a hangover! It was that fucking wine I had yesterday. |
| ¡Mierda! |
| ¡No me toques los cojones! |
| ¡Que bárbaro! That’s awesome! |
| ¡Qué fuerte! or ¡Qué pasada! = (kay f-where-tay / kay pah-saa-dah) Wow! In other words, these expressions indicate great surprise or amazement, which can have positive or negative connotations, depending on the context. |
| ¡Que pasa! |
| ¡Que te calles! |
| ¡Que te den! |
| ¡Que te pires! |
| ¿Hay algo para picar? Is there anything to snack on? |
| ¿Te apetece ir esta noche de tapeo? Do you feel like going out for tapas tonight? |
| Beber como una esponja [Familiar] Lit. To drink like a sponge. To drink a lot. |
| Botellón = (bo-tay-YOWN) Outdoor drinking party or gathering in a square, street, park, or other public place with alcohol purchased cheaply at supermarkets or corner shops. |
| Buenas = (buey-NAS) A greeting used at any time of the day. Similar to Hello / Hola, but more informal. |
| Cabezota = (ka-bay-though-ta) Stubborn, when used as an adjective, and a stubborn person, when used as a noun. |
| Caray = (KA-wry) God, oh my God, darn, darn it! |
| Casero = (ka-sayr-Oh) Landlord. Note: Casera, apart from a female landlord, is a soda that, mixed into red wine, makes tinto de verano, a light summer drink. And as an adjective, casero means home-made. |
| Chalado = (cha-la-doe) Crazy or nuts. Estar chalado = To be crazy or nuts. |
| Chapuza = (cha-poo-the) Shoddy work. |
| Chaval / chavala = (cha-ball / cha-ball-ah) Guy, boy, kid, lad / girl. |
| Chino = (chi-no) Corner shop, convenience store. When all the other supermarkets and stores in Spain are closed, you can usually find a chino open. Chino also refers to the Chinese language, a Chinese person, and a Chinese restaurant. |
| Chiringuito = (chi-riin-gEE-to) Beach bar or seaside restaurant. |
| Chorrada = (cho-rA-da) Nonsense. ¡Qué chorrada! = What a bit of nonsense! |
| Chulo = (chew-low) When used as an adjective, chulo can mean: 1) nice, cool, etc. 2) cute, good-looking, 3) arrogant, insolent, cocky. ¡Qué chulo! = How cute! How cool! However, used as a noun, chulo means a pimp. |
| Currar = (coo-rAr) To work (a verb). Your workplace or job is your curro. |
| Cutre = (coo-tray) Cheap, seedy, shabby, tacky, kitschy, cheesy. |
| De puta madre = (day poo-ta ma-dray) Bloody awesome, really kickass. |
| Drink |
| El examen estaba mamado. The exam was very easy. |
| Enchufe = (en-choo-fay) A connection, a contact, someone who has some kind of power or influence and can help you. An enchufe could get you a job interview, for example. Enchufe literally means a plug or a socket though. |
| Entender = (en-ten-dare) To be gay. However, the primary definition of the Spanish word entender is to understand, so keep in mind that if someone at a bar asks you “¿Entiendes?” it could just as likely be a reflection on your Spanish skills as an attempt to find out your sexual preferences. |
| Estar como una cabra = (es-tar ko-mo Oon-a ka-bra) To be completely crazy, nuts, bonkers. |
| Example: ¡Hay que ver lo buenísimo que está Enrique![Familiar] Enrique is really hot! |
| Example: A estas horas ya estará en el bar empinando el codo [Familiar] At this time he’ll already be at the bar having a few drinks. |
| Example: Manolo tiene un pedo de mucho cuidado [Very Familiar] Manolo’s really drunk. |
| Finde = Weekend. Shortened version of fin de semana. |
| Friki = (free-key) Nerd, geek, freak. For example, a friki de ordenadores is a computer nerd and a friki de ciencia ficción is a sci-fi geek. |
| Guarro = (gwa-Ro) Filthy, disgusting. |
| Guay = (gwhy) Cool. ¡Qué guay! = How cool! How cool is that! |
| Guiri = (gEE-ree) Foreigner in Spain, especially an Anglo-Saxon or northern European foreigner. This word can be as affectionate or as disparaging as the speaker intends to make it. |
| Heavy = Fan of heavy metal music, metalhead. |
| Hortera = (or-ter-ah) Tacky, in bad taste. |
| Ir a su bola = (ear ah sue bowl-a) To do one’s own thing. For example, “No asistí a la fiesta, fui a mi bola” means “I didn’t go to the party, I did my own thing.” |
| Ligar = (lee-gar) To pull or to pick someone up. |
| Locutorio = (low-coo-tore-e-yo) Internet café where you can also make telephone calls (especially long-distance ones) in private booths, top up your mobile phone credit, buy phone cards, send faxes, etc. Locutorios largely cater to the non-Spanish market and can be found anywhere there’s a significant immigrant population in Spain. |
| Marcha = (mar-chuh) Nightlife. Salir de marcha = To go out, to go party. |
| Mileurista = (mill-lure-ista) Someone who earns approximately 1,000 euros per month. This relatively recent social phenomenon is a person in Spain who is often imagined as a twentysomething or thirtysomething with a low-paying job, who may or may not live with their parents, may or may not have a university degree, but has low prospects for improving their economic outlook. |
| Molar |
| Mono = (mo-no) Cute, when used as an adjective. ¡Qué mono! = How cute! Used as a noun, mono means monkey. |
| Nene / nena = (nay-nay / nay-nah) Baby / baby, chick, as in, “Hey, baby!” (Hola, nene [for a male] or Hola, nena [for a female]) or “I like that chick!” / “A mí me gusta esa nena.” |
| Ni de coña! |
| Okupa = (oh-coo-pah) Squatter, a person who lives in a formerly abandoned or unoccupied building. The okupa movement is rather political in Spain, and some casas okupadas are organized as cultural centers for the surrounding community. |
| Operación bikini = (oh-per-ah-the-own be-key-knee) The pre-summer custom many people have of exercising, going on a diet, joining a gym, and other activities associated with wanting to look good in a bikini or swimsuit. |
| Operación salida = (oh-per-ah-the-own sa-lee-dah) Mass exodus and the resulting traffic on Spanish roads and highways at the beginning and end of the summer holiday season and various long weekends and holidays throughout the year. |
| Pasar de = (pah-saar day) To care less (about someone or something). |
| Pijo = (pee-ho) Upper class conservative, when used as a noun, and yuppy, preppy, posh, stuck up, snooty, and snobbish, when used as an adjective. |
| Polla |
| Puente = (pwen-tay) Long weekend due to a bank holiday. |
| Ser la leche = (sayr la lay-chay) To be amazing (in a positive or negative sense). |
| Siniestro = (see-knee-yestro) Goth, gothic. |
| Slang words are largely the province of informal situations.” |
| Tener buen rollo / tener mal rollo = (ten-air bwen Roy-yo / ten-air mAll Roy-yo) To have good vibes, to have good chemistry. / To have bad vibes, to have bad chemistry. For example, “Mis compañeros de piso y yo tenemos buen rollo” means “My flatmates and I get on very well.” |
| Tener un rollo = (ten-air Oon Roy-yo) To have a fling or a casual sex partner. |
| Terraza = (teR-a-zah) Sidewalk café, bar, restaurant, or seating area. Many cafes and restaurants in Spain expand their seating area by setting up tables and chairs outdoors – most often during the summertime, but some terrazas are year-round. |
| Tío / tía = (tea-yo / tea-ya) Guy or girl. This word is used in Spain more often than its English definition reveals, however, and is frequently heard in informal speech and/or among friends. For example, “Tía, ¿qué haces?” / “What are you doing?” (said to a woman friend). |
| Tío bueno / tía buena = (tea-yo bwen-oh / tea-ya bwen-ah) A hot guy / hot girl. Or a hunk / hottie. |
| Tipo = (tea-poh) Guy, especially a stranger. For example, “Did you see that guy?” / “¿Has visto a ese tipo?” |
| Topmanta = (topp-mahn-tah) Illegal street vendor who displays his wares (often pirated or counterfeited goods) on a small square of cloth – a manta / blanket, if you will – that is handily bundled up at a moment’s notice by the vendor, who often flees when the police appear. |
| Ya echó la pota dos veces [Very Familiar] He’s already been sick / thrown up twice. |
| Ya es hora de papear algo [Familiar] It’s about time we got some grub. |
Posted in speaking spanish
