RSSWhat Tourists Should Know About Spanish Slang
Aug 24
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Slang is non-standard speech used in informal situations. It is generally picked up from one’s peers or through popular culture rather than taught in the classroom. Slang use varies depending on age group, subculture or region. Slang words referring to taboo subjects such as sexual acts or body parts can be highly offensive if used in certain situations. Even everyday vocabulary words can take on vulgar connotations in Spanish slang.
Spanish has many words used as slurs and insults. Some, like ‘idiota’ or ‘bastardo’ are instantly recognisable to English speakers. Other, much more abusive, terms require a good knowledge of Spanish to appreciate. Learning slang terms can help you to know whether you’re being verbally attacked and to what extent.
It’s often easy to tell from the context whether a word is meant to be taken literally or being used as slang for something else. Take the noun ‘nena’ which appears on Spanish vocabulary lists with the meaning ‘female infant’. If someone shouts ‘Hola, nena!’ (‘Hey, baby!’) at a night club, they are most likely addressing an adult woman whom they find sexually attractive.
Students of Spanish are taught that the verb ‘entender’ means ‘to understand’. When travelling in Spain, it can be useful to also know its slang meaning, ‘to be gay’. Asked by a stranger at a bar, what might seem like a question about your Spanish comprehension could actually be an enquiry as to your sexual orientation.
Slang can be particular to a Spanish speaking country. Tourists in Argentina may find themselves regaled with laughter when attempting to order a popular beverage. There the word ‘cola’ is slang for a person’s rear end (though no more offensive than the American term ‘butt’).
The noun ‘madre’ means ‘mother’ in Spanish, but has certain insulting connotations in Mexico, where the informal word ‘mama’ is more commonly used. The phrase ‘Tu madre!’ in Mexico carries all the insinuations that ‘Yo mama!’ does in American street slang.
In order to avoid embarrassing misunderstandings, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with the slang of a region before practicing your Spanish there. Mainstream vocabulary words may have vulgar slang meanings and a word which is perfectly innocent in one Spanish-speaking country may be insulting in another.
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