Street Slang from Spain
Want to take your Spanish to the next level? Learn these street slang words and phrases from the streets of Spain, ranging from mild to explicit.
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PositivesNegatives/Insults in SpanishBody parts, bodily functions, sexGoing outMiscellaneous colloquialismsFillers and ExclamationsText talk¡Guay!So, you’ve got to grips with the basics of Spanish, and you’re ready to move it on to the next level. In this article, we go over some mild colloquialisms as well as some of the more vulgar slang words that you’ll hear on the streets of Spain.
Warning: This article contains EXPLICIT language, including that of a sexual nature. Please don’t read on if you are a minor.
Positives
- ¡Madrid mola!Madrid rocks!
- Nuestro nuevo profesor es la leche.Our new teacher is the best.
- Ponte las pilas. ¡Vamos a bailar!Get ready. We’re gonna dance!
Be careful with this one. As you’ll see later, calling someone ‘puto/a’ or ‘hijo de puta’ is rude. But if you say someone is ‘de puta madre,’ you’re saying that they’re pretty awesome.
- Esta comida es de puta madre.This food is awesome.
- ¿Ya terminaste la tarea? ¡Eres un crack!You finished the task already? You’re a star!
- —¿Estás seguro?
—Sip.“Are you sure?”
“Yep.”
Be careful, ’cos ‘chulo’ also means ‘pimp.’
- Me encanta tu nuevo reloj. ¡Qué guay/chulo!I love your new watch. How cool!
Negatives/Insults in Spanish
- No invites a Juan. Es aguafiestas.Don’t invite Juan. He’s a party pooper.
- ¡Oye, cuatrojos!Oi, four-eyes!
UK: dickhead/twat
- No entiendo por qué sigues saliendo con ese gilipollas.I don’t understand why you’re still going out with that jerk.
- Me engañaste, Gregor. ¡Eres cabrón!You cheated on me, Gregor. You’re a bastard!
Be careful if you use this one around a Chilean native, as they may take it to mean ‘c*nt.’
- —Esa chica es una zorra.
—No la juzgues.“That girl is a whore.”
“Don’t judge her.”
- Tu hermana es puta.Your sister’s a whore.
My observation from having lived in Spain is that political correctness still has a way to go. Because they use this kind of language more frequently than us, it means that it may not have quite as strong an offensive connotation as it does in English.
- ¿Por qué llevas una camisa rosa? ¡Maricón!Why are you wearing a pink shirt? Faggot!
- No te metas con él. Es un yonqui que necesita ayuda profesional.Don’t pick on him. He’s a junkie who needs professional help.
You can use ‘hijo’ or ‘hija’ depending on whether you’re insulting a male or female.
- Ben me robó el móvil. ¡Hijo de puta!Ben stole my cell. Son of a bitch!
- En lugares como Magaluf e Ibiza, los guiris suelen faltar al respeto a las normas culturales.In places like Magaluf and Ibiza, foreign tourists often lack respect for cultural norms.
- Me cago en la leche.To hell with it. (Literally: I shit in the milk.)
- Me cago en tus muertos.Fuck off/I don’t respect or like you. (Literally: I shit on your dead relatives.)
- —Tienes que estudiar para el examen.
—Me cago en el puto examen.“You have to study for the exam.”
“To hell with the fucking exam.” (Literally: “I shit on the fucking exam.”)
Another bit of homophobia entrenched in the Spanish language.
—Vete a tomar por culo, hijo de puta.
“Fuck off, you son of a bitch.”
- —Si no me mandas las fotos que te pido, revelo tu secreto.
—Que te jodan, cabrón.“If you don’t send me the photos I ask for, I’ll reveal your secret.”
“Fuck off, bastard.”
This can mean dirty in the physical sense, e.g. when your car gets dirty, but also in the dirty-minded sense.
- Qué hombre más guarro.What a filthy man.
- Mi coche está jodido.My car is fucked.
- Deja de darme la paliza, por favor.Stop pestering me, please.
- Luché con Lidia y me dio en las costillas.I fought with Lidia and she hit me in the ribs.
- —¿A qué hora empieza la peli?
—No tengo ni puta idea.“What time does the movie start?”
“I don’t have a bloody clue.”
- —¿Quieres más alcohol?
—Nop.“Do you want more alcohol?”
“Nope.”
- —Hermana, ¿me prestas tu nuevo coche?
—¡Ni de coña!“Sis, can you lend me your new car?”
“No fucking way!”
Body parts, bodily functions, sex
These can both be used in the literal sense, meaning testicles, or the more figurative sense, denoting bravery.
This refers to the actual body part. If you wanted to call someone a dick as an insult, you’d go for one of the insults above, like ‘gilipollas,’ which you’ll notice does contain the word ‘polla’!
- Mi novio fue a ver al médico porque tiene un problemilla con su polla.My boyfriend went to see the doctor because he has a little problem with his dick.
- —Enséñame las tetas, rubia.
—Vete a tomar por culo.“Show me your tits, blondie.”
“Fuck off.”
This isn’t vulgar slang, this is kinda cute, and can be used with kids.
- Cariño, ¿tienes que hacer pipí antes de que nos vayamos?Sweetie, do you need to have a wee wee before we go?
Another cutesy way to talk about toilet business.
- Mamá, tengo que hacer caca.Mommy, I have to poop.
- Tengo que mear.I have to take a piss.
- Deja de hacerme reír, ¡que me meo!Stop making me laugh, I’m gonna piss myself!
- Aquí los perros cagan donde sea, y los dueños no hacen nada.Here the dogs shit wherever, and the owners do nothing.
A cruder version of friends with benefits. The word ‘follamigo/a’ comes from mixing ‘follar’ (to fuck) with ‘amigo/a’ (friend).
- —¿Te acuerdas de Carlos, mi follamigo?
—Sip.
—Creo que me estoy enamorando de él.“Do you remember Carlos, my fuck buddy?”
“Yep.”
“I think I’m falling in love with him.”
- Fui a la casa de mi ex para recoger mi ropa pero acabamos follando.I went to my ex’s house to pick up my clothes but we ended up fucking.
- Estoy muy cachonda, tengo que echar un polvo ya.I’m so horny, I need to get laid already.
- Quiero ligar con alguien esta noche.I want to get with someone tonight.
- Mira cómo perrea ese tío.Look at that guy grinding.
- Voy a entrenar duro en el gimnasio para tener tableta de chocolate para la playa.I’m going to train hard at the gym to get a six pack for the beach.
- Estoy triste porque mi novia me puso los cuernos.I’m feeling sad because my girlfriend cheated on me.
Going out
- ¿Quieres echar un trago después de currar?Do you want to grab a drink after work?
- ¿Quieres una copa?Do you want a drink?
- Tengo que comprar una nueva falda, que mañana las chicas y yo nos vamos de juerga.I have to buy a new skirt cause tomorrow the girls and I are going out.
- La familia entera se va de borrachera.The whole family is gonna get wasted.
- Espera aquí. Voy a dar una putivuelta.Wait here. I’m gonna check out the talent.
- No puedo conducir ahora. Estoy pedo.I can’t drive now. I’m drunk.
- —¿Qué quieres de comer?
—Tengo ganas de tapear.“What do you want to eat?”
“I feel like getting tapas.”
Short for ‘tranquilo/a’ (calm).
—¡Tranqui!
“Relax!”
Miscellaneous colloquialisms
- [Al entrar en casa]: ¿Y Papá?[On entering the house]: Is Dad not here?
This can be used in Spain like a colloquial ‘excuse me.’
- Oye, ¿qué coño haces?Hey, what the fuck are you doing?
A cute version of ‘por favor.’
- Mamá, ¿me compras este juguete, porfis?Mommy, will you buy me this toy, pretty please?
- Mira a ese tipo.Look at that guy.
- Vino un fulano buscándote.Some guy came looking for you.
‘Tío’ and ‘tía’ also mean uncle and aunt.
- ¿Qué tal, tío?How’s it going, buddy?
This is an alternate meaning to the standard translation of ‘colleague.’
- Voy a la fiesta con mi colega.I’m going to the party with my buddy.
- Los chavales del cole están acosando a mi hijo.The kids from the school are bullying my son.
- Este es mi cómic favorito. ¡Soy bastante friki!This is my favorite comic. I’m quite a nerd!
Literally, this means ‘half orange.’
- No te preocupes, ya encontrarás tu media naranja.Don’t worry, you’ll find your soulmate.
- La poli
Cops
Short for ‘policía’ (‘police’).
- ¡Corre! ¡Viene la poli!Run! The cops are coming!
- Tengo algo gracioso que contarte. Vas a flipar.I have something funny to tell you. You’re gonna flip out.
Use with a verb.
- María me gusta mazo.I like María a lot.
- Mi padrastro compró un mogollón de cerveza.My stepdad bought a shitload of beer.
Fillers and Exclamations
You’ll hear lots of fillers, e.g. ‘ehhhh’ (pronounced like a nasal version of the vowel in ‘aaaanyway’) on the Spanish streets.
There are also loads of swear words used as interjections and exclamations. A list of Spanish exclamations can be found on our blog.
Text talk
To finish off, don’t forget that language is adapting for the modern age. Click here to find out how to use text slang in Spanish!
¡Guay!
This article has hopefully given you some fun bits of slang to throw into your Spanish speaking, to make you sound more like a native. Just be careful where and when you use it (don’t go swearing around your boss!)
