To roll up one's sleeves, usually indicating readiness to work hard or face a difficult situation. It can be used both literally and metaphorically. Examples Spanish: Vamos a arremangar y limpiar toda la casa. English: Let's roll up our sleeves and clean the entire house.
arrocero
A person who announces events that are not going to happen. It is often used to refer to someone who makes promises they do not keep Examples Spanish: No confíes en él, es un arrocero que siempre promete cosas que nunca cumple. English: Don't trust him, he's an 'arrocero' who always promises things he never […]
asomado
In Spanish slang, 'asomado' is often used to describe someone who is nosy or always poking their nose into other people's business. Examples Spanish: No seas tan asomado, no tienes que saber todo lo que pasa en la vida de los demás. English: Don't be so nosy, you don't need to know everything that happens […]
atacar
In Spanish slang, 'atacar' is commonly used to refer to starting to eat with enthusiasm or voracity. It can also mean to start doing something with eagerness. Examples Spanish: Cuando llegamos a casa después de la escuela, atacamos la comida en la nevera. English: When we got home after school, we attacked the food in […]
atajaperro
A term used in Venezuela, it refers to an unpredictable or unusual shortcut or alternative route taken to reach a destination. Examples Spanish: Tomamos un atajaperro para evitar el tráfico en la autopista. English: We took a shortcut to avoid traffic on the highway.
atracador
A slang term commonly used in Spain to refer to a thief or a robber. It can also denote someone who violently steals from others. Examples Spanish: El atracador fue atrapado por la policía después de robar el banco. English: The robber was caught by the police after robbing the bank.
agarrando aunque sea fallo
The phrase 'agarrando aunque sea fallo' is a colloquial expression in Spanish which roughly translates to 'settling for less' or 'taking anything, even if it's a mistake'. It's used when someone accepts a situation, opportunity or deal that is less than ideal or not up to their standards. Examples Spanish: No me gusta este trabajo, […]
agarrar a alguien en la bajaíta
This phrase is used when someone is caught or discovered in a situation when they are unprepared or off-guard. It's often used in contexts where a person is surprised or caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing. Examples Spanish: Lo agarraron en la bajaíta intentando robar un banco. English: They caught him off-guard trying […]
agarrarla con alguien
It means to hold a grudge or have an outstanding issue with someone. Examples Spanish: No entiendo por qué María siempre la agarra conmigo cuando algo sale mal. English: I don't understand why Maria always has it in for me when something goes wrong.
agite
A term frequently used in Argentina, Uruguay, and some other South American countries. It generally refers to a commotion, disorder, tumult, or intense activity. It can also refer to a party or a big event. Examples Spanish: ¡Vamos al agite de la fiesta de Juan esta noche! English: Let's go to the hustle and bustle […]
aguachinado
A term primarily used in Mexico and Central America that refers to something diluted or watered down. It can be used literally, such as in the context of a beverage that has too much water, or metaphorically, to describe something that lacks intensity, quality or strength. Examples Spanish: No me gusta el café de esa […]
ahuevoneado
A Central American slang term, primarily used in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. It refers to a person who is lazy, lacks energy or motivation, or is slow to understand things. Examples Spanish: No seas tan ahuevoneado y ayuda en la casa. English: Don't be so lazy and help around the house.
alcayata
A colloquial term used in Spain for 'hook', often referring to a large, heavy-duty type of hook. Examples Spanish: Voy a necesitar una alcayata para colgar este cuadro pesado. English: I am going to need a hook to hang this heavy picture.
amanecido
A person who has stayed awake all night, typically from partying or doing some activity until dawn. Examples Spanish: Después de la fiesta anoche, estoy muy amanecido. English: After the party last night, I'm really tired from staying up all night.
ambilado
A Spanish slang term used in Venezuela, 'ambilado' refers to someone who is energetic, excited, or high-spirited. Examples Spanish: El chico está muy ambilado, no para de saltar y correr por todo el lugar. English: The boy is very energetic, he won't stop jumping and running all over the place.
amorochado
A term used in some Latin American countries to describe someone who is head over heels in love or infatuated. It can also refer to someone who is confused or disoriented, typically because of love. Examples Spanish: Desde que conoció a María, Juan está todo amorochado. English: Since he met Maria, Juan has been head […]
amotinarse
To rebel or rise up against authority. It's often used to describe a group that's becoming unruly or hard to control. Examples Spanish: Los prisioneros comenzaron a amotinarse contra los guardias. English: The prisoners began to rebel against the guards.
anda a bañarte con cariaquito morado
This expression is used in Venezuela and it literally translates to 'go bathe yourself with purple marigold.' It is typically used to tell someone to cleanse themselves from bad energy or bad luck. Examples Spanish: Has tenido una racha de mala suerte, deberías ir a bañarte con cariaquito morado. English: You've been having a string […]
¡qué ladilla!
A Venezuelan slang term used to express annoyance or boredom. It can be used to describe a person, situation, or task that is annoying or tedious. Examples Spanish: ¡Ugh, qué ladilla este trabajo! English: Ugh, this job is so tedious!
¡qué molleja!
An expression of surprise or astonishment. It's equivalent to 'Oh my goodness!' or 'Wow!' in English. Examples Spanish: '¡Qué molleja! No me esperaba esa noticia'. English: 'Oh my goodness! I did not expect that news.'
¡qué nota!
A colloquial phrase used in various Latin American countries, often meaning 'what a blast!' or 'how cool!', depending on the context. Can also be used negatively to mean 'what a nuisance' or 'how annoying'. Examples Spanish: ¡Esta fiesta está buenísima, qué nota! English: This party is awesome, what a blast!
¡qué raya!
A slang phrase primarily used in Venezuela, it expresses annoyance, frustration, or exasperation. It's similar to saying 'what a drag!' or 'how annoying!' in English. Examples Spanish: ¡Qué raya! Olvidé mi cartera en casa. English: What a drag! I left my wallet at home.
¡va sié carajo!
An expression of frustration or disbelief, similar to 'No way!' or 'You're kidding!' in English. Can be used in a variety of contexts. Examples Spanish: '¡¿Cien dólares por una hamburguesa?! ¡Va sié carajo!' English: 'A hundred dollars for a burger?! No way!'
¡zape gato!
An expression used in Mexico to claim dibs or first rights on something. It's the equivalent to saying 'shotgun!' in English. Examples Spanish: Voy a conducir el auto nuevo, ¡zape gato! English: I'm going to drive the new car, shotgun!
¿cómo está la vaina?
A Colombian slang phrase which is used to ask how things are going, similar to 'what's up?' or 'how's it going?' in English. Examples Spanish: Hola Juan, ¿cómo está la vaina? English: Hi Juan, how's it going?
¿qué animal es este gato?
This phrase is not a slang term, but a literal question that translates as 'What animal is this cat?'. It seems nonsensical because a cat is a known animal. It could potentially be used in a humorous or sarcastic context to emphasize the odd or surprising behavior of a cat. Examples Spanish: Mi gato acaba […]
a juro
A Venezuelan slang term that means 'for sure' or 'definitely'. It is used to emphasize the certainty of a statement. Examples Spanish: A juro tengo que estudiar para el examen mañana. English: I definitely have to study for the exam tomorrow.
a los coñazos
This Spanish slang term is often used in Venezuela and it's used to express doing something in a hard or difficult way, often with struggle or difficulty. Examples Spanish: Tuve que aprender a los coñazos a hacerlo. English: I had to learn the hard way to do it.
a pata de mingo
A phrase primarily used in Spain that describes an unstable situation or something that is unbalanced. It can also refer to something or someone that is unreliable or inconsistent. Examples Spanish: Este plan está a pata de mingo, no creo que funcione. English: This plan is like a flamingo's leg, I don't think it will […]
abre cancha
A colloquial phrase used primarily in Venezuela, which literally translates to 'open field'. It is used to tell someone to make way, give space or move out of the way. Examples Spanish: ¡Abre cancha! Necesito pasar con estas cajas. English: Make way! I need to pass with these boxes.