Common Spanish Slang Expressions

This is a usual favorite. Folks are always looking for common Spanish slang expressions - either to use in their next meeting or to understand what someone said during the previous one. Here's a nice listing of Spanish slang expressions for your enjoyment:

Spanish Slang Expression		Definition
Agarrar volados		Get tips, learn the ropes
Cambiarle el agua al pajarito		To pee
Colgar las tenis		Kick the bucket, pass away, die
Con los pelos en el alambre		Just barely, to barely achieve something, barely made it
Dar vuelta		To be unfaithful
Dejar plantado		To stand someone up, not show up
Dolor de jupa		Headache
Estar en la limpidia		To have no money
Estar hasta el rabo		To be drunk - wasted
Estar panzona		To be pregnant
Fijate que…		Imagine that… used to begin a story or gossip.
Güila *		Young child (in Costa Rica), slut (in Mexico)
Importar un pito		To not care about something
Lo duda		You bet! I second that!
Meter la pata		To screw up
Mita y mita		Half and half
Mosca muerta		Someone who appears to be calm, quiet, but is actually not
Mover el esqueleto		To dance
Patear el balde		Kick the bucket, pass away, die (see "colgar las tenis")
Reventar de la risa		To crack up, laugh
Sacar el jugo		To take full advantage of something
Salirse con la suya		To get away with something
Ser chambón		To be careless
Tener las pilas puestas		To be on the ball
Volar plomo		To shot a gun

Spanish Slang Words

Piggybacking on the common Spanish slang expressions above, here comes a list of Spanish slang words that should come in handy. What's the difference? These make sense all by themselves!

Spanish Slang Word		Definition
Bateador		Someone who's guessing - doesn't know what he/she is talking about
Chiripa		Luck
Chunche		Thing
Corrongo		Cute
Guaro		Hard liquor, a drink
Güevazo		A hard smack
Joder		To bother, to mess with
Jumarse		To get drunk
Jupa		Head
Lechero		Someone who is very lucky
Majadero		Someone who's a pest
Maje		Dude, man
Mejenga		A pick-up game - as in football
Metiche		Someone who's always getting into others' business
Ojalá		Hopefully or I hope
Pachuco		Someone who is not well spoken - rude, grotesque
Paja		Baloney, lies
Panza		Belly
Panzón		Someone who has a big belly
Pesado		Rude
Polo		Someone who's not in the "in" crowd, outcast
Rajón		Someone who's always boasting
Salado		Unlucky
Sapo		Tattletale
Semillazo		Hard smack (see güevazo)
Sorompo		Not very smart
Tacaño		Frugal
Tuanis		Cool, alright
Vacilón		Funny, enjoyable, a hoot
Vago		Lazy
Yeguada		Used to refer to something very stupid someone says
Yodo		Coffee
Zaguate		A mutt
Zarpe		The last drink of the evening

Spanish Slang Dictionary

If you liked the previous list of common Spanish slang expressions, you may like the Spanish slang dictionary! Here at Conversa we're constantly working on developing materials for our students. ConversaConmigo (Conversa's online Spanish portal - for online students and immersion program alumni) hosts Conversa's Spanish slang dictionary. Click here for more information on ConversaConmigo...

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Common Spanish Slang Expressions