In Spanish slang, 'guiñar' means to wink, that is, to close one eye briefly as a signal or hint. Examples Spanish: Ella le guiñó el ojo para indicarle que estaba bromeando. English: She winked at him to indicate she was joking.
embadurnar
To smear, to slather or to spread something excessively or messily over a surface. Usually used informally. Examples Spanish: El niño se embadurnó de chocolate al comer el pastel. English: The child smeared himself with chocolate while eating the cake.
embarrar
To mess up, to ruin something, or to smear or spread Examples Spanish: No quiero embarrar las cosas entre tú y tu novio. English: I don't want to mess things up between you and your boyfriend.
echar tierra en los ojos
To deceive or mislead someone by hiding the truth Examples Spanish: No dejes que te echen tierra en los ojos, investiga por tu cuenta. English: Don't let them pull the wool over your eyes, investigate on your own.
echar la patita
A colloquial phrase in Spanish, which literally translates to 'throw the little leg'. It is used to refer to going out to dance or to a party. Examples Spanish: Hoy es viernes, vamos a echar la patita en el club. English: Today is Friday, let's go out dancing at the club.
poca porquería / mucha porquería
siempre habla el que menos puede
beber ron sin bañarse
This phrase is not widely recognized as a standard Spanish slang term, but when translated literally, it means 'to drink rum without taking a bath.' It could be used to describe someone who is indulging in alcohol without taking care of their personal hygiene or responsibilities, or it could be used figuratively to describe someone […]
mama bicho
An offensive term in Puerto Rican Spanish slang used to insult someone. It is vulgar and translates to a sexually explicit insult. Examples Spanish: No me hables más, eres un mama bicho. English: Don't talk to me anymore, you're a jerk.
canina
In Spanish slang, 'canina' is often used to refer to a strong desire or craving for something. It's colloquially used to express a strong hunger or thirst. Examples Spanish: Tengo una canina de comer pizza que no puedes ni imaginar. English: I have a craving for pizza that you can't even imagine.
clase de
In Spanish slang, 'clase de' is used to emphasize or exaggerate the quality or size of something. It is similar to the English expression 'kind of' or 'sort of'. Examples Spanish: ¡Esa fiesta fue una clase de locura! English: That party was a kind of madness!
bótate
A colloquial term that is used in some Latin American countries, specifically Chile, which means 'leave' or 'get out'. It is often used to tell someone to leave a place or situation. Examples Spanish: ¡Bótate de aquí, no te queremos! English: Get out of here, we don't want you!
tanto nadar para morir en la orilla
This phrase is used to express the frustration or disappointment that comes from working hard towards a goal, but failing just when success seemed within reach. The literal translation is 'so much swimming only to die at the shore'. Examples Spanish: Después de tanto estudiar para el examen, lo reprobé por un punto. Tanto nadar […]
tripear en ketchup
jabao, jabá
A term primarily used in the Dominican Republic to refer to a person with light skin and African features or someone who is of mixed-race. It is often used colloquially and can be seen as offensive. Examples Spanish: Ese jabao tiene una familia muy hermosa. English: That light-skinned man with African features has a very […]
mulato
In Spanish slang, 'mulato' is a term used to describe a person of mixed race, specifically having one white parent and one black parent. However, it's important to note that this term can be considered offensive and outdated in some regions. Examples Spanish: Su amigo es mulato, su padre es blanco y su madre es […]
mestizo
Not exactly a slang term, 'mestizo' is a word used in Spanish-speaking countries to refer to a person of mixed race, particularly a blend of indigenous and European heritage. Examples Spanish: En América Latina, muchas personas se identifican como mestizos. English: In Latin America, many people identify themselves as mestizo.
habichuelas tiernas
A colloquial term used in some regions of Spain and Latin America to refer to green beans. Examples Spanish: Vamos a cocinar habichuelas tiernas para la cena. English: We are going to cook green beans for dinner.
darle tres patadas
This phrase is used to express doing something badly or in an incorrect way. It literally translates to 'give it three kicks', but is used metaphorically. Examples Spanish: Juan no sabe cocinar, le da tres patadas a la paella. English: Juan cannot cook, he makes a mess of the paella.
me voy de culo
A Spanish slang phrase used to express that something is going downhill or going very wrong. It can also mean that someone is losing control over a situation. Examples Spanish: Con tantos problemas en el trabajo, me voy de culo. English: With so many problems at work, everything is going downhill.
le comieron la lengua los ratones
This phrase is used when someone is silent or doesn't speak when expected to. It literally translates to 'the mice ate his/her tongue'. Examples Spanish: ¿Por qué no has dicho nada en toda la reunión? ¿Te comieron la lengua los ratones? English: Why haven't you said anything during the entire meeting? Cat got your tongue?
mala fe
The phrase 'mala fe' literally translates to 'bad faith'. In Spanish slang, it's used to describe a person who has malicious intent or is acting deceitfully. Examples Spanish: No confío en él, siempre actúa con mala fe. English: I don't trust him, he always acts in bad faith.
nido de perro
A messy, disorganized place. Literally translates to 'dog's nest'. Examples Spanish: No puedo encontrar mis llaves, esta habitación es un nido de perro. English: I can't find my keys, this room is a dog's nest.
de una [sola] sentá
It's a colloquial phrase used in some Latin American countries that means 'all at once' or 'in one go'. It's often used to describe a task or action that's completed quickly and efficiently. Examples Spanish: Terminé todo el trabajo de una sola sentá. English: I finished all the work in one go.
padrejón
A term used predominantly in Mexico, 'padrejón' is a slang term used to refer to someone's father in an affectionate, respectful, and informal way. It is also used to describe someone who behaves or looks like an old man. Examples Spanish: Mi padrejón siempre me cuenta historias de su juventud. English: My old man always […]
celaje
In Central American slang, 'celaje' is used to refer to the cloudy and colorful sky, especially during the sunset or sunrise. It is also used to describe a situation or mood that is not clear or certain. Examples Spanish: 1. El celaje de esta tarde está hermoso. 2. Hay un celaje en la situación, no […]
ahorcar
In slang context, 'ahorcar' is often used to refer to procrastinating or delaying something. It's not a term used in all Spanish-speaking regions, but it is quite common in some areas. Examples Spanish: Tengo que estudiar para el examen, pero me estoy ahorcando. English: I have to study for the exam, but I'm procrastinating.
capicú
A term used in the domino game when a player lays down his/her last domino, winning the game. It can also be used in a broader context to mean 'checkmate' or 'game over'. Examples Spanish: Cuando puso su última ficha en la mesa, gritó '¡Capicú!' y todos supieron que había ganado el juego. English: When […]
chuchazo
In certain regions of Latin America, 'chuchazo' is a colloquial term referring to a hard hit or blow. It can also be used to describe a sudden and sharp pain, similar to a sting or jab. Examples Spanish: Me di un chuchazo en el dedo con la puerta. English: I gave myself a hard hit […]
puerta
In standard Spanish, 'puerta' means 'door'. However, in slang, it can be used to refer to an opportunity or a chance. Examples Spanish: Este nuevo trabajo es una puerta para mejorar mi vida. English: This new job is an opportunity to improve my life.