Spain
13 Spanish slang terms for people, each with its meaning, how it is pronounced and an example of it in use.
Labels for social types: the show-off, the country cousin, the city sophisticate, the freeloader. These words tell you what a culture notices about its own members.
noun, adjective · Informal
A young working-class person identified by a specific look — tracksuits, heavy gold jewellery, a particular haircut. Spain's counterpart to the British chav or the Australian bogan, with the same class contempt built in.
Use with care
noun · Informal
A kid; a young lad. Feminine chavala. Also used to address a younger man.
adjective, noun · Informal
Of a thing: nice, attractive, cool. Qué chulo — 'that's nice'.
+2 more senses
Use with care
noun · Informal
Mate, pal. In Spain it means a friend, not a work colleague — a false friend for English speakers and for Latin American Spanish alike.
Use with care
noun, adjective · Colloquial
A gossip; a nosy person. The verb cotillear is to gossip, and la prensa del corazón is its professional form.
noun · Informal · KRAHK
A star; someone exceptionally good at something. Eres un crack is high, casual praise and has nothing to do with the drug.
Use with care
noun, adjective · Informal
A hard worker; a grafter. Approving, with a distinctly working-class flavour.
adjective · Informal
Dazed, slow on the uptake, not paying attention. Estar empanado is to be away with the fairies.
noun · Informal
Champ; a term of admiring address for someone who has done well, or simply a friendly greeting between men.
adjective · Colloquial
Nice, pleasant, likeable. Said of people above all — es muy maja is high praise delivered casually.
noun · Informal
Cheek, nerve, brass neck. Tener mucho morro is to have a lot of front.
+1 more sense
adjective, noun · Informal
Posh, upper-class, snobbish. Spain's equivalent of Mexican fresa, and the class opposite of cani.
noun, interjection · Informal · TEE-oh
Dude, mate. The standard address term between friends in Spain, and the rough equivalent of Mexican güey.
+2 more senses
Spain