Spanglish Words: The Best of the Worst

Spanglish has really invaded the Spanish language in basically every Spanish speaking country. While some cross-over is only natural, sometimes the words that pop up in the Spanish vocabulary are just down-right comical. Here’s my personal collection of some of the worst Spanglish words in use.

 

Technology Spanglish Words

In the case of gaming and technical language, I can understand the crossover a little more, so let’s take a look at some of those first.

1. Linkear – To link (as in hyperlinks).
Spanish alternative: hacer un enlace

2. Updatear or opdeitear - To update
Spanish alternative: actualizar

3. Releasear -To release (used in techie language, as in, to release a new version of something)
Spanish alternative: lanzar, publicar, divulgar

4. Levelear- To level up (gaming language)
Spanish alternative: nivelar

5. Googlear or gugulear- to Google
Spanish alternative: buscar en Google

6. Clickear – To click
Spanish alternative: hacer clic, pinchar, apretar

7. El mouse – computer mouse
Spanish alternative: el ratón

8. Taguear – to tag (as in coding or technical language, not as in playing tag)
Spanish alternative: etiquetear

9. Mandar un mail – To send an email
Spanish alternative: mandar un correo, mandar un correo electrónico

 

Other Spanglish Words

With some of these others though, I’m not sure there is a good excuse for such terrible Spanglish!

1. Machar or machear – to match
Spanish alternative: combinar

2. Janguear – to hang out
Spanish alternative: pasar el rato

3. El parking- parking lot
Spanish alternative: el estacionamiento

4. Parquear – To park
Spanish alternative: estacionar

5. ¿Estás ready?- Are you ready?
Spanish alternative: ¿Estás listo?

6. Chequear – To check
Spanish alternative: comprobar, revisar, verificar

7. Roofo or rufo – Roof
Spanish alternative: techo, tejado

8. Creepear or cripi- To creep on someone (often used when talking about looking over someone’s Facebook page)
Spanish alternative: horripilante

9. A full – to be done with great intensity, for example, trabajando a full means “working really hard”
Spanish alternative: al máximo

10. El top – This is used to mean the best of something.
Spanish alternative: lo mejor

11. Heavy – heavy, as in food or a situation.
Spanish alternative: fuerte, pesado

12. El shopping – The mall
Spanish alternative: el centro comercial, las tiendas

13. Frizz or frizar – Frizz or to get frizzy
Spanish alternative: encrespar

14. Frizar – To freeze (in the freezer)
Spanish alternative: congelar

15. El locker – locker
Spanish alternative: el casillero

16. Ver un show – To see a show, such as a play or a concert
Spanish alternative: ver un espectáculo, ver un concierto, ver una obra, ver un recital

18. El ticket – A ticket, though only some places will understand this, which makes it tricky when you need to travel in places that use the proper words, entrada (for a show/event) and boleto (for travel)
Spanish alternative: el boleto, la entrada

19. Jamberger – Hamburger
Spanish alternative: hamburguesa

20. Mandar un inbox – To send a Facebook message
Spanish alternative: mandar un mensaje

These are all pretty sorry excuses for “Spanish” that certainly fall under the Best of the Worst Spanglish category, but this is far from all the English/Spanish hybrid words that have leaked into the Spanish language. Can you think of any more?

More on Spanglish»

For more about Spanglish, check out these additional articles:

• Spanglish: Language Pollution or Language Evolution?

• Espanglish: The Official Definition of Spanglish by the RAE

• A Playlist of 13 Popular Spanglish Songs

• Spanglish photos on Pinterest

Photos from Pinterest board Spanglish