teso
TEH-sohadjective, nounInformal
A Colombian Spanish slang term. Browse all Colombian slang.
What it means
Extremely good at something; an expert. 'Un teso del Excel' is the person the whole office asks.
Of a thing or situation: hard, intense, heavy going. 'Está teso el tráfico' — the traffic is brutal.
Examples with translations
Llame a Andrés, ese man es teso arreglando motos.
Call Andrés, he's a wizard with motorbikes.
Está teso conseguir apartamento por acá.
Finding a flat around here is rough.
Where it comes from
From standard Spanish teso, 'taut, stretched tight'. The metaphor is the same one behind English 'hard': difficulty and competence share a word, and only the syntax tells them apart.
Other forms
- Similar terms:
- duro, berraco, bacán