“SPANISH” SPANISH:
Spaniards are famous for using slang. The following are just a few colloquial
phrases and vocabulary words which you may find useful to understand.
Caña = draft beer
Carnet = I.D. card
Chisme = gossip
Chorizo = a thief
Chorradas or tonterías = silly things
Chuletas = cheat-sheet
Chungo = uncool
Chupito = a shot (of whiskey, etc.)
Coche = car
Cojonudo = excellent
Coñazo = hassle
Conducir = to drive (vs. manejar in Latin America)
Crío = Chaval = small child
De la hostia = for emphasis like "really" (really awesome
or really bad...), Hostia= a hit, punch
De puta madre = really cool
Empollón(a) = nerd
Enchufe = personal contacts, connections. Literal
meaning: electrical outlet
Escaquearse = to leave a place
Estar cachondo = to be horny, compare to:
Ser cachondo = to be funny
Estar de marcha = to go out; La marcha = night, social
life
Estar hasta las narices = to be fed up
Estar hecho(a) polvo = to be extremely tired
Esto es un rollo = this sucks; what a pain
Gilipollas = jerk or idiot
Guay = cool
Güiri = US or other English speaking person
Haber quedado = To have arranged to meet.
(e.g. “He quedado con Javi en el parque” means that Javi
and I have arranged to meet at the park.)
Hortero (a) = tacky
Ir al grano = to get to the point
Joder = literally, to f- - - .
Commonly used for emphasis
with varying meanings depending on intonation: geez, damn,
omigod…
Jo = less vulgar abbreviated form of joder; Other
substitutes for joder include "joper" or “jolin” (like saying
"shoot").
Estar Jodido = to be pissed off, to be sick of something
Juerga, marcha, cachondeo = party time
Las pelas o La pasta = money
Ligar = to pick someone up or to hook up
Lío = a mess; an affair
Mala leche = De mala hostia = to have a bad temper
Maleducado = Not having good manners
Mangar = to steal
Mili = Military service
Ordenador = computer (vs computadora in L. America)
Pasar de algo = to be completely indifferent about
something, to do nothing about a situation
Pijo = spoiled rich kid or jerk
Pillar = to get caught
Piropo = a compliment, flattery given by someone of the
opposite sex
Piso = apartment (like saying "a flat")
Poli = a cop; the police
Te invito = You are my guest (i.e. the person is offering
to treat you to a meal or drink)
Tertulia =
circle of friends, typically men, who meet
regularly in the same place, usually in a bar
¿Tienes fuego? = Do you have a light?
Tía = girl
Tío = guy, dude
Vale = okay, alright
Vosotros = familiar form of 2nd person plural, somewhat
similar to the Southern y'all, commonly used in Spain
among peers. In more formal situations ustedes is used.
Zumo = juice, (vs. jugo in Latin America) zumo de
naranja, zumo de piña