Des termes d'argot pour impressionner les locuteurs natifs

One of the most common questions I’m asked as a Spanish teacher is, “When are we going to learn the s'amuser 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.”

Garde à l'esprit que les termes d'argot et les expressions familières varient d'un pays à l'autre et d'une région à l'autre, ce qui signifie que les termes argotiques d'une région sont complètement différents de ceux d'un autre endroit. L'espagnol s'est développé et s'est transformé en différents dialectes 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.

Expressions générales

Read moreVidéo : Faux amis espagnol-anglais

Certains termes d'argot sont communs à tous les pays hispanophones, nous commencerons donc par ceux-là. Pour la plupart, ces mots sont couramment utilisés et compris. Cela en fait d'excellents mots à ajouter à ton vocabulaire :

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.

Termes d'argot spécifiques à un pays

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.