Spanish slang by country: guay, chido, bacán, chévere
One idea, six countries · pick what you want to say
All mean “great, cool”. Chévere is understood almost everywhere in Latin America.
Short answer: slang is where Spanish differs most between countries. “Cool” is guay in Spain, chido in Mexico, chévere in Colombia and Venezuela, bacán in Chile and Peru, copado in Argentina. Learn the slang of the country you live in or talk to most, and recognise the rest. Slang is informal register: use it with friends, not at work or with strangers.
Spain
Mola, flipar, currar
Spanish slang from Madrid and the big cities, used across the country. Many words come from Caló (the language of Spanish Roma) or from shortening ordinary words.
molait’s cool
Estathiscanciónsongmolais-coolmazo.loads
ES-tah kan-THYON MOH-lah MAH-thoh · “This song is really cool.”
fliparto be amazed
¡EstoyI-amflipando!flipping
es-TOY flee-PAN-doh · “I can’t believe it!”
currarto work
MañanatomorrowcurroI-worka las siete.at seven
mah-NYAH-nah KOO-rroh ah lahs SYEH-teh · “I’m working at seven tomorrow.”
un guiria foreign tourist
La playathe beachestáisllena defull ofguiris.tourists
lah PLAH-yah es-TAH YEH-nah deh GEE-rees · “The beach is full of tourists.”
estar de coñato be joking
¿Estásare-youde coña?of joke
es-TAHS deh KOH-nyah · “Are you kidding?”
ser la lecheto be amazing (or awful)
Este sitiothis placeesisla leche.the milk
ES-teh SEE-tyoh es lah LEH-cheh · “This place is incredible.”
Mexico
¿Qué onda?, no manches, chamba
Mexican slang is the most widely heard in the Americas, through film, music and the sheer number of speakers. Güey (often written wey) is everywhere among friends.
¿qué onda?what’s up?
¿Qué onda,what wavegüey?dude
keh ON-dah, GWAY · “What’s up, dude?”
no manchesno way
¡No manches,don’t stainqué caro!how expensive
noh MAN-ches, keh KAH-roh · “No way, that’s so expensive!”
padregreat
¡Quéhowpadrefathertu coche!your car
keh PAH-dreh too KOH-cheh · “Your car is great!”
la chambawork
TengoI-havemuchamuchchamba.work
TEN-goh MOO-chah CHAM-bah · “I’ve got loads of work.”
ahoritaright now (or later)
Ahoritain-a-bitvoy.I-go
ah-oh-REE-tah BOY · “I’ll be there in a bit.”
¡aguas!watch out!
¡Aguaswatersconwithel perro!the dog
AH-gwahs kon el PEH-rroh · “Watch out for the dog!”
Argentina and Uruguay
Che, laburo, quilombo
The Río de la Plata has its own slang, lunfardo, full of Italian words from 19th-century immigration. It also uses vos instead of tú: vos sabés, “you know”.
chehey, mate
Che,hey¿vosyouvenís?come
cheh, bohs beh-NEES · “Hey, are you coming?”
el laburowork
Me voyI’m-goingalto-thelaburo.work
meh BOY al lah-BOO-roh · “I’m off to work.”
re-very
Estáit-isreverybueno.good
es-TAH rreh BWEH-noh · “It’s really good.”
un quilomboa mess
¡Quéwhatquilombo!mess
keh kee-LOM-boh · “What a mess!”
morfarto eat
¿Vamos ashall-wemorfar?eat
BAH-mohs ah mor-FAR · “Shall we go and eat?”
minagirl, woman
Esshe-isunaaminagirlgenial.great
es OO-nah MEE-nah heh-NYAL · “She’s a great girl.”
Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru
Chévere, parce, bacán
Each Andean and Caribbean country has its own words, but a few travel across borders: chévere is understood from the Caribbean to Peru.
chéveregreat (CO, VE)
La fiestathe partyestuvowaschévere.great
lah FYES-tah es-TOO-boh CHEH-beh-reh · “The party was great.”
parcemate (CO)
¿Qué más,what moreparce?mate
keh MAHS, PAR-seh · “How’s it going, mate?”
bacáncool (CL, PE)
¡Quéhowbacán!cool
keh bah-KAN · “How cool!”
¿cachai?get it? (CL)
Esit’sfácil,easy¿cachai?you-catch
es FAH-theel, kah-CHAI · “It’s easy, get it?”
panafriend (VE)
Eshe-ismimypana.friend
es mee PAH-nah · “He’s my mate.”
la jatohome (PE)
Vamoslet’s-goatomimyjato.house
BAH-mohs ah mee HAH-toh · “Let’s go to my place.”
Intensifiers
Mazo, re, súper, cantidad: saying “really”
Young speakers replace muy (very) with a slang intensifier. Each one is tied to a place. Tap to hear it.
Words that travel badly
Same word, different meaning by country
A handful of everyday words are innocent in one country and slang, or rude, in another. Know which is which before you travel. The safe alternative is in the last column.