Learn Latin American and Spanish Slang with Whee Institute

Spanish is spoken by approximately 500 million people (with that number growing every second) including native and non-native speakers; it also gives you access to over 20 amazing countries and cultures, as well as other nations like the United States that have something like 33 million Spanish speakers nowadays. So, it’s safe to say that learning Spanish it’s a major plus and it’s also tons of fun!

While textbooks are always useful, it is by interacting with locals and knowing the slang that you truly understand a language, its variations, its dialects, and its people.  In the Spanish universe, slang is a very important part to express (in fact, knowing slang is essential to become fluent in pretty much any language). People may tend to think that Spanish is hard, but more than its difficulty, the challenge lies in the fact that it has numerous variations between every country where it’s spoken. In the case of Latin American and Spanish slang, you’ll find how fluid, diverse, and fun our language is because the same word can have different pronunciations and meanings depending on the country. In addition, learning the slang will also help you learn about local history, create a sense of belonging, and evoke emotions (which is something Spanish is also known for).

In no particular order, we have selected some of the most frequently-used slang words and expressions of the countries where Spanish is spoken. We made a comparison between their literal meaning (some of them don’t mean anything literally) and their slang meaning so you can understand better how slang changes a language to make it more understandable, emphatic, and fun.

So, buckle your seat belt, we are about to embark on Whee Institute’s dictionary of Latin American and Spanish slang!

Argentina

Argentinians have a big European influence, specifically Italian, which is different from most Latin American countries that have a strong Spanish influence. Therefore, their words, expressions, and slang are greatly based on Lunfardo – an Argentinian dialect created as a mix of Italian and Spanish. Beware, they talk fast!

Bolivia

Bolivians, just as Peruvians, have a strong influence from Incas (who spoke Quechua and Spanish), so it’s normal to find words, expressions, and slang that have these mixed roots. Bolivians talk rather slowly compared to Argentinians or Chileans, which makes them easier to understand.

Chile

Chilean Spanish is considered one of the hardest ones to grasp, even for Latin Americans; they talk super fast and have a lot of contractions and regionalisms, for example, they don’t usually pronounce the “s”. Hopefully, their slang will help you understand them better, as well as their amazing culture!

Colombia

In contrast, Colombian Spanish, especially the one from the Capital, it’s considered one of the easiest to understand and learn. Colombians have a fairly neutral accent, they talk slow and usually pronounce every single letter in a word; also, they are super nice, so they’ll probably help you out with your Spanish.

Costa Rica

Costa Ricans are super friendly and welcoming and their Spanish is not difficult to understand. Their accent is somehow similar to their neighboring countries like Nicaragua and it’s considered a “Caribbean Spanish”; many Costa Ricans speak English too, so they will be able to help you out with your slang.

Cuba

Cuban accent is very distinct among the Caribbean Spanish. In general, they don’t pronounce the consonants that much; just as Puerto Ricans, they turn the “R”s into “L”s, and like Chileans, they tend to not pronounce the “S”s. Many of these traits are actually similar to those in the Canary Islands or Andalucía.

Dominican Republic

Dominican Spanish is a great and clear mix of European Spanish and indigenous languages. Their accent is full of “Dominicanismos” that you’ll only understand if you interact with locals and native speakers. The slang is commonly used among conversations and they also talk very fast, so keep your ear active!

Ecuador

Although the slang and accent can differ from region to region (like most countries in this world), the Ecuadorian Spanish is a blend of Kiwicha (the national indigenous language), Spanish, and other foreign words. Good thing, they don’t talk as fast as Chileans or Dominicans, so you can relax a bit your ear and understand words easier.

El Salvador

Another “Central American accent” that’s fun to learn and even has its own name: Caliche (a mix of Spanish and Salvadoran slang). As Argentinians, they use “vos” for verb conjugation instead of “tú” and they also fusion words. Salvadoran Spanish and slang also have an important roof on indigenous languages, mostly Nahuatl (known as Aztec).

Guatemala

Guatemalans don’t speak that fast, they speak clearly and their accent is similar to Mexican in vocabulary and intonation. They have words and expressions that come from the Mayan or other native dialects and that are still popular nowadays. Guatemalans use “vos” and “usted” a lot, not so much “tú” which is also important when learning the slang.

Honduras

Honduran slang is also called Caliche, like in El Salvador, and even their accent and expressions are somewhat similar. They also drop the “S”s at the end of words and speak rather fast. Whenever talking to an Honduran person, you do have to listen carefully to fully understand what they mean, even if it’s slang.

Mexico

Mexican is perhaps the most recognized Spanish accent in the world, as well as their slang, which is commonly portrayed in movies, books and series. However, you’ll only truly learn their most popular words and expressions if you immerse in the culture and talk with locals and natives. Mexicans speak like Colombians, rather slow and with a clear pronunciation.

Nicaragua

Nicaraguans speak as if they are singing and they use slang all the time (they swear quite a lot as well haha). Their Spanish is often referred to as Nicañol and they also have their own form of English called Creole English. As other Central American countries, they cut off word endings that have an “S”, so keep your ear active, more sowith slang.

Panamá

Panamanians speak “Caribbean Spanish, as spoken in the north part of Colombia and Venezuela, so they share some words and linguistic expressions that are written the same way but could actually mean a very different thing in slang terms. Thanks to the Panama Canal, which is one of the biggest ports in the region, the Panamanian Spanish also has an English influence.

Paraguay

Paraguayans are bilingual because they speak Spanish and Guaraní, which is the official indigenous language. As some countries in Central America, the mix of the two dialects is called Jopará and it’s used in everyday conversations. Paraguayans also use the “vos” instead of “tú” and speak rather fast as Argentinians or Uruguayans.

Peru

Peruvian Spanish has an important influence on Quechua and European Spanish, just as Bolivia. In addition, like in Colombia or Ecuador, they use “ustedes” instead of “vosotros” and speak more clearly and slower, with a rather “neutral” accent (although this can be questioned by some). Peruvians are super nice people and they’ll help you with your slang!

Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans are super festive people and this is expressed through the slang. Remember that they are still a U.S. territory, so they have both English and Spanish as official languages; therefore, their words and expressions are a mix between Anglicisms and Spanish words (Spanglish). Puerto Ricans speak fast, don’t pronounce the “S”s and replace the R”s with “L”s.

Spain

The “original Spanish”, often referred to as Castilian Spanish, is very different from the one spoken across Latin America; even if they understand each other, their accent, pronunciation and expressions are quite different. You’ll have tons of fun learning their slang and keep in mind that this is the land of “vosotros”, so don’t use “ustedes”.

Uruguay

Uruguayan Spanish, also known as Rioplatense Spanish, is somewhat similar to Argentinians in the way they speak and express, although the majority of their slang is specifically  of the country itself.  They also use “vos” and pronounce the “LL” or “Y” harder, which ends up sounding like “sh”.

Venezuela

Venezuelans have a distinctive accent and some of their slang is also spoken by Colombians. They talk faster, but not as fast as Chileans or Domincians, so you’’ll be ok understanding a conversation between locals. As most of Latin Americans, Venezuelans are masters of expressing feelings and emotions with different levels of intensity, which is one of the reasons why slang is so useful.

We hope you enjoy learning and knowing about Latin American and Spanish slang and that you are ready to use it whenever you visit these amazing countries, interact with natives, and even in your Spanish online lessons. Remember that if you want to remain current and communicate throughout different regions in a particular country, slang will help you to understand the variations and dialects. And, in a huge and diverse region like Latin America + Spain, it will definitely be a huge plus!

If you want to learn more about slang, check our article Colombian Slang: Fun Words and Expressions. If you are interested to know more about our Spanish lessons, don’t forget to visit our website www.wheeinsitute.com.