Términos del argot para impresionar a los hablantes nativos

One of the most common questions I’m asked as a Spanish teacher is, “When are we going to learn the divertido words?” I almost always answer with, “All of them are fun!” but it’s very clear what they want to learn. Generally speaking, most people learning a language want to be able to speak it like a native, and part of that means learning slang terms, or “fun words.”

Ten en cuenta que los términos del argot y las expresiones coloquiales varían de país a país y de región a región, lo que significa que los términos del argot de una zona son completamente diferentes de los de otro lugar. El español ha crecido y se ha transformado en diferentes dialectos over time, and different slang terms have developed. Here, we’ll show you some terms to impress your native speaker friends, and we’ll tell you where these words are said.

Expresiones generales

Read moreVídeo: Falsos amigos español-inglés

Algunos términos del argot son comunes en todos los países hispanohablantes, así que empezaremos por ellos primero. En su mayor parte, estas palabras se usan y se entienden habitualmente. Esto las convierte en grandes palabras nuevas para añadir a tu vocabulario:

1. La plata– “Plata” literally translates to “silver”, but this is a common way to refer to money.
2. La vaina– If you’re trying to say “thing”, you might already know the word “la cosa,” which is the common term in dictionaries and Spanish classes. However, “la vaina” is a more casual way to say “thing.”
3. ¡Ojo!- Yes, an “ojo” is an eye, but if you hear someone say this expression, they’re trying to tell you “Watch Out!” or “Careful!”
4. Ponerse las pilas- This is a common phrase to say to someone that needs to get moving. If someone tells you “¡Ponte las pilas!” they’re telling you to literally “put in your batteries” or to hurry up.

Términos de argot específicos de cada país

1. ¡Qué padre! (Mexico)- Although it looks like “How Dad!”, it’s actually an expression that roughly translates to “Cool!” in English. This is very common in Mexico, so you’re very likely to hear it.
2. Tío/Tía (Spain)- Meaning “uncle” or “aunt”, this is actually the most common way to refer to someone in Spain!
3. Tener mala leche (Argentina)- You might hear this in other countries as well, but it’s most common in Argentina. This expression, meaning “to have bad milk” is one way to say “to have bad luck.”

If you’re interested, there are many more where these came from. Once you’ve mastered these and shown your friends, we encourage you to learn more local words.