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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Authors
Tomas Bradanovic, Tony Baldwin, Claudio Mella

Contributers
Narayana Rao

Published
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Version 27

Last edited: 10 Mar 2011

Why Chilean Slang Made Easy?

Well, my English is horrible, but I am a native Spanish speaker. I meet gringos every day because they see my Alternative Guide for tourists in Arica. I had met personally with some of them here, in my town, and I realized how hard it is for them to comunicate in Spanish.

Not just talk basic things such as "donde esta el baño" or "otra cerveza por favor", but to be able to comunicate ideas and feelings effectively. It is not so hard indeed; It is not rocket science,
;-).

I do not intend to give you Spanish classes. I am not qualified for that. My intention is to write some tips and details that may be useful to improve your comunication skills in Spanish. Just some disperse ideas on those subtle little things that may help you to turn on a Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra reincarnated. Okay too much yabadaba, let's start.

WARNING, this document contains some rude, unpolite expressions which are marked in red,
you may use it with care.

Tip 1: increase your vocabulary

It is obvious, but I have to say It: the more words you manage the better. A good goal to learn 10 new words every day may be a good discipline. Think that a day you miss learning 10 new words is a loss for your program to become Don Quijote reincarnated. Words are the building blocks of a language, and you cannot build a brick wall having no bricks. The more you have the better, so, first of all improve your vocabulary. Learn new words every single day.

Chilenismo 1: with every entry I will add a chilenismo (chilean slang), today´s is al tiro (or altiro), which means right now! The Peruvian equivalent is al toque, and in Bolivia and other places is ahorita.
Chilenismo 2: sobrado (vain, snobby person) same for Peru and Bolivia. Now you have your 2 first Spanish expresions.

Chilean slang changes the end of words: the informal way in chilean slang adds a final "is" instead "s" in several expressions by example: tu tenís or tu querís instead of tu tienes (you have), tu quieres (you want)

The troublesome "ser" and "estar" (by Claudio)
Let's mark a difference between two different slangs: "Ser seco" and "Estar seco".

As we know, the English language deals a lot with a very particular verb, the "to be" verb. The many conjugations of this verb are, at times, very hard to understand by Spanish speakers, and possibly works in the same way when English speakers try to understand our use of “SER” and “ESTAR”.

Ser seco: This slang refers to the way people refer to themselves (or others) when the subject is particularly good at something, i.e. if you have writing skills, you could say “Soy seco para la escritura (“seca” if the subject is feminine)”. If you are referring to someone else, you could say “Maria es seca para la escritura”.

Estar seco: This slang is used to say “I’m extremely thirsty”. In a sentence, you can use it in the following way: “No doy mas con el calor en Arica, estoy seco, necesito una cerveza”.

**Estar seco can be used to refer to someone who is skillful at something too, pay attention to the construction: "Luis ha mejorado mucho en sus habilidades, ahora está seco para el Ingles".

Formal and informal, when to use

In Spanish, the formal/informal way to speak with others matters. If you say usted when the appropiate word is tu, you may give the feeling of arrogance, trying to put distance, social inferiority, or lack of affection.

On the contrary, if you say tu when the appropiate pronoun is usted older, people or some with authority may consider you an insolent, rude person.

This is often confusing for native English speakers, because their language doesn't make such distintions. How to know when to use formal or informal expression?

  1. You must use the informal way always when you wish to be friendly. People of similar age uses always the informal way, except with people you first meet and you are not sure which degree of familiarity is propper.
  2. Formal way is for older people, except those which you have familiarity, It is a "respective" way to talk so
it must to be applied also for any person with authority as judges, carabineros, government officials, etc. The formal and informal forms are:

You = (informal), usted (formal)
Many verbs are converted to informal adding a final "s" You have= usted tiene (formal), tú tienes (informal),
You go= usted va (formal), tú vas (informal) etc.

Confusing similarities

There are several words that spell almost the same with the same meaning both in English and Spanish, e.g. innocence (inocencia), confidence (confianza), patience(paciencia) etc.

However there are some words very similar to Spanish but with a meaning completely different such as:
Candid (eq. spanish franco) and Cándido (which mean a silly person who believes anything the other people say, i.e., gullible).

Actually (eq. spanish realmente) and actualmente (which means currently)
Caution (eq.spanish precaución) and Caución (which mean deposit in advance)
To realize (eq.spanish darse cuenta) and realizar (which mean to do)

Chilenismo 3: compadre (buddy, alligator, a very good friend), the original meaning -a sort of godfather- is not very used
Bonus track: listo (is used instead of Okey), e.g. listo compadre (okey buddy)

One word, several meanings

Same as in English, in Spanish you will find one word with more than one meaning. It´s good to learn those words first because you will increase your vocabulary with less effort, and are often misused or mis-translated.

How to know what meaning applies? just by context, see these few examples:
valor=worth, value, price, courage
pieza= room, part
marca=mark, brand
deber=duty, to owe
justo=fair, just
cola=tail, line of people (waiting)
rico=rich, wealthy, tasty, pleasurable
tiempo=time, climate
carta= letter, playing card, chart
corte= cut, interruption, court
para=stop, for

Chilenismo: pa, means "para" in chilean slang, that is "for"
Bonus: hacer tira which mean "to rip off" (has also some sexual connotation for a very pleasurable sex)

Gender blues

In Spanish you must to indicate gender explicity more often than in English, where by example, the word "the" is used both for male or female.
Not so in Spanish, where "the" changes depending on gender and must be:
El (the, masculine)
La (the, feminine)
As if this mess wasn´t enough, the sustantive indicated also changes, as rule of thumb for female it ends
with "a" and for male it ends with "o" by example
El esposo (the husband, male)
La esposa (the wife, female)
Enough? not yet, even inanimate things have gender, by example:
El balde (the buck), el teléfono (the telephone), el agua (the water)
La rueda (the weel), la cocina (the kitchen), la ventana (the window)
As you can note, when gender applies to things, the rule of thumb of final letter "a" and "o" doesn´t applies.
It´s easy, not rocket science!

Chilenismo: mina (chick, young lady, pretty woman), and is widely used in Chile, Argentina
and other countries of Latin América.
Bonus: goma, which means servant, a person unconditionally submited to the will of his master.

Connectors

With connectors I refer to those words used to filling a gap or to emphasize an idea, in spanish they are called muletillas, by example:
Bueno (literally "well" and used same way as in english when you start talking: "well, I think" "bueno, yo creo que...")
Que se yo (not precise translation, approximate equivalent to "whatever")
En fin (not precise translation, used to end an idea giving the impresion that there is more about that: "podría hablarse mucho acerca de eso, en fin")
A ver ("let´s see")
Esteee (not precise translation, sort of "uhhh")
En verdad ("indeed")
Te explico ("let me explain to you")
O sea ("that is", sometimes used to give an answer in the air "o sea...hummm")
Para, para ("wait! wait a minute")
Chilenismo: Mijita ("babe"), mijita rica! ("nice babe!" adults only)
Bonus: chaleco (jersey)

Expresions and sayings

Many Spanish expressions widely used are not easy to understand, because the literal translation makes not sense, see following a few examples:
A ojo de buen cubero (just an aproximate calculuation)
A río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores (when things got wild, some earn)
Como Pedro por su casa (wit too much familiarity)
Pasar gato por liebre (to cheat, to scam)
Dar la lata (to speak nonsenses boring and insisting)
Dejar en la estacada (to leave you alone qhen you are in danger)
Dormirse en los laureles (to rely too much in which you are earned)
Echar con cajas destempladas (to fire)
Del año del rey perico (very, very old)
Como la carabina de ambrosio (very bad) <--- chilenismo
Esto es jauja (this is a place with many oportunities)
Tirar y abrazarse (it is very easy to succeed here)
Hay gato encerrado (I suspect that someone is trying to cheat me)
Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso (lets talk candid)
Las paredes oyen (beware, let´s keep it confidentially)
Meterse en camisa de once varas (to get engaged in a big problem)
Ni chicha ni limonada (not defined to any party/choice)
Pagar el pato (to be blame unfairly)
Pasar la noche en blanco (insomnia)
Poner en tela de juicio (to doubt on your words)
Meter las manos al fuego (to trust in someone and guarantee his/her behavoir)
Ponerse las pilas (to start working with energy)
Ser chivo expiatorio (to be blamed unfairly)
Tener muchas infulas (a pretender)
Tomar las de Villadiego (to runaway)
Tirar la casa por la ventana (a big partry or celebration)
De perogrullo (a self evident true)
Es el pan de cada día (refers to something that happen frequently)
Sin pelos en la lengua (to speak candid)
Hablar a calzón quitado (to speak candid)
Hay gato encerrado (there are some misterious secret)
Poner trabas (to make it hard)
Buscar la quinta pata al gato (look for problems where there are not)
Chilenismo: Guatón (fat man)
Bonus: Estar en la vida, or en la vía (to be in the bankrupcy)

Sayings

Sayings are capsules of popular wisdom and may tell us some about the way of thinking of locals, many have almost exact equivalent both in spanish and english, I will try to show some spanish specific, if there are english equivalent pls advise to me.

Caras vemos, corazones no sabemos (we just can see faces, not hearts)
Guatita llena corazón contento (with a full belly the heart is happy)
Si Dios quiere darme ya sabe donde vivo (if God wish to help me, he knows my address)
El que busca encuentra (the enquirer finally will find)
Muchas manos matan la guagua (too many cooks spoil the pie, gracias Puelche!)
En la puerta del horno se quema el pan (bread is burned at the door of the oven, it´s refers to projects that fails in the last minute)
This one is my own creation!:
Teniendo alcohol no puede ser malo (having alcohol cannot be bad)

Chilenismo: Pasó la vieja (the time is over, you missed your oportunity)
Bonus: Para donde va la micro (what´s the matter, e.g. "no sabe para donde va la micro" don´t know what´s happening)

"su" has no gender

In spanish, the word "su" (his or her) has no gender, so, it is used the same for both genders, by example
Maria está en su casa (Maria is at her home)
Pedro maneja su auto (Pedro drives his car)
At least there are some easier in spanish! just "su", for both genders
Chilenismo: pa (used instead of "para" that is, for)
Bonus pallá, pacá (used instead od "para allá, para acá" that is that way, this way)

Confusing similarities part 2

Just heard some funny espanglish expressions with confusing similarities (both have no meaning in spanish):
  1. Vacuna la carpeta
  2. Delibera las goserías
The confusing words are:
Vacuna (means vaccine, nothing to do with vacuum)
Carpeta (means folder, nothing to do with carpet)
Delibera (to think, nothing to do with delivery)
Grosería (four letter word, nothing to do with groceries)
Now, the spanish equivalent to
Vaccum: vacío (vacuum cleaner is aspiradora)
Carpet: alfombra
To delivery: entregar (a newborn, dar a luz)
Groceries: verduras
Chilenismo: po, It has no meanning, when you hear this expression just ignore, It is used just for decorative purposes, peruvian equivalent is pe
Bonus: gallo (guy, female galla)

More expressions

Some expressions used frequently in spanish:
En el filo de la navaja (to be on the border, in the edge, a dangerous situation, barely legal)
Miti-miti (half and half, also miti-mota)
Desprevenido (distracted, unprepared)
En vivo y en directo (live transmision)
Por ser (by example, used in Chile)
Solución de continuidad (interruption, used in Chile)
Cuarto intermedio (interruption, used mostly in Bolivia)
Chilenismo: apechugar (to face, to dare)
Bonus saying: Chancho limpio nunca engorda (a clean pig never get fat)

Some expressions not easy to translate

There are some common expressions in spanish not easy to understand if you try to translarte literally, check those with the word "mal" (bad):
Menos mal (thanks God)
Mal que mal (however)
Mal visto (something considered incorrect)
Mal parado (to be in a dificult situation)
Mala leche (mean, with a bad intention)
Mala pata (bad luck)
Mal vivir (to have an inmoral, disipate life)
Chilenismo: Malabar (an obscure business, a sting)
Bonus: Malandra (delincuent. thiever)

Conditional mode

In english the conditional mode is indicated using the word "would", in spanish you dont use any word but change the ending of verb with "ria", example:
Yo voy (I go),yo iría (I would go)
Yo como (I eat), yo comería (I would eat)
Yo camino (I walk), yo caminaría (I would walk)
Yo quiero (I want), yo querría (I would want, don´t mistake with "yo quería" just one "r" I wanted)
Yo soy (I am), yo sería (I would be)
As you see, the transformation is not simple, so It´s easier to learn the conditional words separatly instead to try to derive some kind of rule, anyway, when you hear or read a spanish verb ended with ria you will know that means the root in conditional mode (except for María, and other nouns of course, this applies for verbs)

Chilenismo Porquería (crap, garbage, another exception to "ria" rule for conditional)
Bonus: echar pa adelante or tira pa arriba (to go ahead, to advance in a hard work)

Foods 1 (fish and seafood)

This entry was sugested by my friend Victor (fat-man) Cherubini: gringos often need to know the equivalent
name for meals to order at a restaurant, so I will start with fish names, the best we have:
In spanish when the fish are still alive they are called "pez" and when they're being served on a plate they're
referred to as "pescado".
Anchoa (Anchovies)
Atún (Tuna fish)
Bacalao (Cod)
Caballa (Mackrel)
Jurel (southern jack mackerel )
Congrio (eel, conger)
Corvina (Corb)
Dorado or Palometa (Gilt head fish)
Lenguado (Sole)
Mero (Grouper fish)
Merluza (Hake)
Morena (Moray eel)
Rodaballo (Turbot)
Vieja (Parrot fish)
Calamar (Squid)
Pulpo (Octopus)

Seafood

Jaiba
(Crabs)
Centolla (sort of Alaska´s king crab)
Langosta (Lobster)
Chorito or mejillón (Mussels)
Almeja (Clam)
Ostra (Oyster)
Camarones (Shrimp)
My suggestion? caldillo de congrio, or lenguado a la plancha, or oyster soup.
Chilean dishes: Paila marina (assorted seafood and fish soup in a clay dish)
Perol (assorted seafoods raw, marinated with lemon)
Pastel de choclo: corn tart
Bon apetit!

Beef in spanish and others

Don´t miss to check the extraordinay blog Eating Chile which has a section who explain the beef cuts in Chile

Filete (filet, tenderloin)
Lomo vetado (cube roll)
Lomo liso (strip loin)
Entrecot (entrecote steak)
Punta paleta (triangle covered with fat in the top of the rump )
Churrasco (Strip loin, boneless, from the short loin, New York steak)
Lengua (Beef tongue)
Bistec de hígado (Liver, sliced)
Lagarto (Shank for soup of stew)
Costillar de res (Short ribs)
Posta negra molida (Steak, ground round)
Carne para guisar (Stewing meat)

Animals to eat

Vacuno (Beef)
Pollo (Chicken)
Cordero (Lamb)
Pavo (Turkey)
Cerdo or Chancho (Pork)

Cooking Methods

Frito (Fried)
Al horno (Oven / Baked)
Ahumado (Smoked)
A la parrilla (Grilled)
Asado (Barbacue)

How done (cooking temps)?

Casi cruda
(Rare)
Medio cruda (Medium-rare)
Término medio o A punto (Medium)
Tres cuartos (Medium-well)
Bien cocida (Well-done)

Things in a restaurant

Mozo, Garzón (Waiter)
Servilleta (Napkin)
Cuchillo (Knife)
Tenedor (Fork)
Cuchara (Spoon)
Taza (Cup)
Copa or Vaso (Glass)
Cenicero (ashtray)
La cuenta (the bill)

Chilenismo: choripan
bread with pork sausage used as antipasto in asados its often served with pebre or chancho en piedra made wit tomato in tiny cubes with garlic, onion, culandrom, garlic, finely chopped, oil and vinegar.

More chilenismos specific to Chile

Micro: small buses, by extension buses
Marraqueta; kind of bread similar to a mini baguette
Hallulla: kind of bread round and flat
Cabro: young man, in a friendly mood (in Peru it means gay, peyorative)
Colectivo: shared taxi
En pana (panne): when a car is broken
Vacas flacas: to be broke
Vacas Gordas: to be whealty
Pacos: Carabineros, policeman
Espérate sentado: You have to wait a long, long time
¿Adonde la viste?: are you kidding? you are wrong!
Estar (andar) arriba de la pelota: to be drunk, stoned, in party mood
Se le apagó la tele: he is KO, unconcious

Spanish expresions

Some spanish expressions, not specific to Chile as follow:
Echar (dar) una mano: to help
Echar mano a: to take an oportunity, to use an resource
Ponerse el parche antes de la herida: to cure in advance, to prevent
Hablar pestes (or Despotricar): to insult, to talk bad about someone or something
Ver debajo del agua (or del alquitrán): to foresee, to realize on which is not aparent
Buscarle la quinta pata al gato: to cut hairs in four pieces
Andar como alma en pena: to be sad, like a zombie
Como alma que lleva el diablo: to run away

Chilenismos
Perico (perica): a guy (pericote means a big rat)
Chanta: redneck, low quality (also used in Argentina)

I start a new set of idioms and modisms, specifically used by chileans:
Note: many slang words have diferent way to write depending on media usually are phoneticlly wrote (by ex weon for huevon, xat for chat, etc. I will try to show both ways if aplly)

Chilean slang (a)

A la pinta: excellent
Andar a pata (ir pata): to walk, by foot
Altiro (al tiro, al toque): rigth now
Amermelao: stupid
Asopado: fool
Aperrado: hard worker, perseverant
Apestado: depressed
Achacado: depressed
Andar arriba de la pelota: in a party mood, to be drunk or stoned
Andar pato: bankrupted, with $0
Andar con los monos: To be angry, to be mad; not feeling like sharing with others.
It basically shows that you're not in the mood.
Agenciar: to get
Arrugar: to step back
Aguja: insolent
Angurriento: scrooge, miserly
Al cuete: improvised, not properly prepared
Avispao: clever
Agilao: stupid, someone who commited a big mistake
Atinar: to realize, to decide
A morir: cool
Arrastrao (arrastrado) servile
Arrastrar el poncho: to provoke a figth
Atao (atado): problem
Agarrar pa la palanca (also palanquear, pal weveo, pal leseo, pal fideo): to make fun from someone
Aweonao: stupid
Andate a la chucha (a la xuxa, a la cresta, al diablo): no way

Chilean slang (b)
Barra: soccer holligans, (tener buena barra: feel sympathy for someone), also bar desk, stick
Basurear: to insult
Barros Luco: beef and cheese sandwich
Barros Jarpa: ham and cheese sandwich
Botado: to be left alone, something very cheap
Bacán (bakan): cool, sweet
Bancar, bancarse: to stand
Baboso: stupid, moron
Bolsero: some who loves to be invited, don´t like to pay the bill
Buche: some who like to take advantage from other people
Bajón: depressed state
Botella: to be abandoned
Barsúo: see "buche"
Brígido: dangerous
Balurdo: fake
Bagallo: contraband
Bodrio: dissapointing
Borrón y cuenta nueva: forget the past and start over from scratch
Bocón (female bocona) infident
Boludo: stupid
Birlar: to thieve
Burro: asshole (also refers to a man with a big dick)

Chilean slang (c)
"Caer el cassette" .... used like: "se te cayó el cassette".... situation when smb reveals sombody else's secret or sth confidential
"Caer la teja" to realize "me cayó la teja
"Caerse al frasco" to get drunk
"Caer redondito" to be cheated
"Caida de carnet" to reveal smb with a certain particular information, that you are older than you appear.
Caer bien, feel be sympathy for someone
Caer mal, to be antipathy for someone
Califa: lady´s man (or horny woman)
Cabro: kid, young man, dude (female cabra) in Perú is offensive, means homosexual
Cabro chico (broca cochi, fem cabra chica): little kid
Carrete: party, fun (carretear: got wild partying)
Colado o paracaidista: person who enter without being invited
Coloriento o ponerle color: person who like to exagerate things
Cuática: scandal
Caca: shit
Chascón: long haired
Cogotear: to assault
A la cochiguagua: when others pay the bill (also "a la bolsa")
Caleta: lots of (also a place to hide things)
Cuídate: take care, see you later
Cuento corto: to make a long story short
Callulla: big nose
Condoro: big mistake
Cuico: posh, snobby, upper-class pretender
Care palo: without shame. without scrupule
Cahuin: goosip, prostibule, big disorder
Cuestión: a thing, the matter, the issue
Camorra: figth
Caramboleado: half drunk
Curado: drunk
Cototudo: big
Chomba (chaleca, chaleco): jersey
Carterista: pickpocket
Cartucho: excessive moralistic
Cagar: to shit, to fail in something
Cooperar: to lose something, to be robbed
Cachar (cachense, cachate, cacha, ¿cachai?): to realize (also to make love, just used in some regions)
Choro (also Shoro, achorado, chorizo) cool, arrogant, agressive
Chanta: low quality, low social status, ignorant
Chela (xela): beer
Chala (shala) casual shoes for women
Chauchera: purse
4-letter words with "c" (use with care)
Culiar: to fuck (strong)
Culiado: to refer to another person, dude, may be either friendly or insulting (strong)
Concha de tu madre: motherfucker (strong)
Cagazo o cagada: big mistake (mild)

Chilean slang (d)

Dar la pasada: to allow, green ligth to sex or business
Despelote: chaos
Durazno: not so smart, fool (also means apricot)
La dura: the truth
Dar como caja or darle duro: to do it heavy (it also have sexual connotation)
Dar filo: to end a relation
Da lo mismo: never mind
Doblar la rodilla: to apologize
Dar bola: to give atention (no dar bola: to deny atention)
Darle cuerda: to entusiasm someone
Deslenguado: a person who talk too much, infident
Dat jugo: to talk stupid things

Chilean slang (e)

Ene: many
Enfermo del mate: crazy, insane
Ele Jota (o los juimos): we are leaving
Escurrirse: to realize
Echarse el pollo: to leave
Echar la foca o la bronca: to menace
Echar el pelo: to ramble, to kid
Echarle padelante: to persist
Enchufarse: to realize
Estar salao: bad luck (also jetta)
Estar frito: to be screwed
Estar o andar pato: to have no money at all
Estar chato: to be disgusted
Espeso: unpleasant
Ecole! (ekole, ecole qua) yes!
Es carta: this is the rigth option
4 letter word
Echar un polvo o una cacha: to fuck

Chilean slang (f)

Funar: to put in the black list
Fome: dumb, boredom
Fofo: fat and soft
Federica: ugly woman (federico: ugly man)
Farolear: to pretend
Farandula: celebrity culture
Farandulero: non serious
Fiestusa: (o partusa): sex party, swing
Femina: female
A fondo: in deep
Fea la actitud: bad behaivor
Falta de respeto: disrespect, insolence
Fallute: crazy
Farsante: pretender
Feña: short for Fernado
Fito: short for Felipe
Filete: cool
Flaite (flayte): low class, sometimes delinquent
Filo: stop that (filo contigo: go away!)
Estar frito to be into a big trouble, with no way to escape

Chilen slang (g)

Estar pal' gato: discomfort, generally physical discomfort… most of the times refers to diseases.... estoy pal' gato: I feel sick
Gallo: guy, dude
Gil (female gila): silly, stupid, dude
Goma: servant, almost slave
Gata: cric (to lift the car)
Guatón: fat man (female guatona)
Guata: belly
Guagua: little baby (guaguita rica, for pretty girls)
Gozador: epicurean
Garganta de lata: thirsty man (drunk)
Gamba: one hundred pesos coin
Gamba: (another meaning): feet
Garabato: four letter word, illegible draw
Garúa: fog
Garzón: waiter
Goyo: short for Gregorio

Chilean slang, special edition: Huevón (ligthy offensive never use in formal chat)

Huevón (Hueón, weon) is the wildcard most commonly used in chilean slang. It has a lot of meaning,
depending on the context may be friendly or unfriendly and it is the mild 4-letter word most commonly used
in Chile. Literraly means "big balls" and is supposed that men with big balls or those whose balls weight too much (le pesan las bolas) are stupid, this is the originary meaning of huevón, but has mutated over time.
It is also applied to women as Huevona or weona. Some examples of use for this word as follow:
Huevón: usually used as "dude", "guy" (ese huevón=this guy)
Tonto huevónBonus pall: stupid
Pedazo de huevón: very stupid
Huevón suertudo (rajudo, con cueva, cuevudo): lucky man
Huevón simpático: simpathetic man
Huevón al peo (al cuete): pretender
Pobre y triste huevón: Mr. no one, a person who woth nothing
Huevonazo: often a friendly way to refer to a person
Saco (o mata) de huevas: moron
Ahuevonado: to be groogy, temporary or permanently
Huevón fresco: a person who abuse on your confidence
Huevear (o hueviar): to go for fun, to party, to make fun from someone
Me estas hueviando: you are kidding me
Corta el hueveo: stop to mess me
Hueveo: a joke, a party, something not serious
Huevadas: things
Puras huevadas: bullshit
Modern alternative: weon, weveo, wea, etc.
All those terms are also common in Perú, Bolivia and part of Argentina (argentinian equivalent is "boludo").

Chilean joke: la isla de los huevones. Hard to understand for non-chileans but show how to spell properly the expresions "huevon" y "conchesumadre"



Chilean slang (h)

Huacho: orphan, alone, also used friendly as sweety (female huachita)
Hazte ver (hacete ver): you are crazy, insane
Huiro: joint, marihuana cigarrete
Huaso: countryman, also used to denote a shy or unpolite person
Hechizo: made improvised, emergency solution
Hachazo: hangover
Hacer agua: to fail, to fall apart, to sink
Hacer fortuna: to get rich
Hecho bolsa: completly ripp off
Hueco (weco): faggot, gay (4 letter word)
Hueca: a silly girl, also a girl who speak/laugh too loud
Hacer chupete: to enjoy, to consume with joy
Hacer una vaca: to make an amount of money, where everyone contributes.
Hacer tuto: to sleep
Hacer perro muerto: go to a restaurant and run away before to receive the bill
Hacerla cortita: to say something resumed
Hasta que las velas no ardan: up to very late
Hasta la cola: when someone is punked
Hasta la coronilla: to be fastidied

Chilean Slang (i)

Iñi Piñi (mapuche expression) small, few, usually refers to a small penis or to have few money
Irse cortado an orgasm, to die
Ir a la bolsa not pay the bills
Ir al grano to talk straigth, to go direct to the point
Irse al chancho (al cerdo, al porcino) to abuse
Ir embalado to be too entusiastic
Inaudito perposterous
me sale el indio I get angry
Una interna a private vendetta
Ir de farra go to a wild party

Chilean Slang (j)

jaja, jojo, jeje: haha, hoho, hehe (spanish laugh)
jetón: fool
jeta: mounth (usually one with big lips)
joder: to screw up, to mess, to insist too much, in spain: to fuck
jodido: a person hard to manage, also sinonim of "fucking"
joda: some hard thing
jote: wine with coke (ahrg), a ladies man
jotear: to follow a woman with insistence
jalar: to sniff cocaine
julero: low quality, fake (also fulero)
jano: short for Alejandro

Chilean slang (k)

kitipasa: what happen with you?
kiltro (also Quiltro): stray dog
kuma (also cuma): low class person
karrete (also carrete): wild party
keka: short for Eugenia

Chilean slang (l)

Luma: the stick of carabinero (chilean policeman), by extension, any punishment
Lalo: short for Eduardo
Lamebotas: a person too servile (often applied to Pinochet supporters as derogative)
Loquillo, loquilla: little crazy man/woman, dude (friendly expression)
La dura or la firme: I swear this is true
Lanza: pickpocket
Lanzado (estar o andar): to be entusiasted, in wild party mood
Leso: dumb
Longi: dumb, delinquent
Lenteja: slow
Limitado: dumb, stupid
Listo: smart
Loro: watchman
Lora: a woman who talk too much about nothing
Lorea (lukea): look
Lomito: sandwich of pork with avocado, tomato maionaaise, etc.
Los juimos: we are leaving
La palida: drug hangover
Locoto: a very hot peper/Chile
Lucho: short (?) for Luis
Lumbrera: a very smart person
Locate: crazy, sea snail
Lolo young boy lola young girl

Chilean slang (m)

Maldito: a very cruel person
Marcar el paso: to stay in the same position, not to progress
Movida (action): sting, a lucky bussines
Movido / movida (a person): a joiner, an active bussinesman
Mamón: dumb, stupid, a man dominated by women
Mamón: oral sex from a woman to a man
¡Mi madre! Oh my God!
Mascada: a share in the earnings
Masoca: masoquist
* Maricón (marica, maraco): homosexual
Marimacho: lesbian-style
* Mierda: shit, crap
Morir en la rueda: not to reveal secrets
Morir pollo: to stay in silence
Muere de viejo y no de sapo: stop revealing secrets (sapo=informer, infident)
Mala leche: bad intention
Mala cuna: low class
Mala cueva: bad luck
Malena: ugly woman
Malandra: robber, thiever
Mal que mal: despite that
Mal aguero: bad luck person
Mansa mina: gorgeous girl
Manso, menso: a big one
Menso: dumb (depending on context)
Mina girl (mino: boy)
* Maraca: slut, bitch
* Maraco: homosexual
(highly offensive words marked with asterisks)

Chilean slang (n)

Nano: short for Hernán
Nene: baby (fem: nena)
Nunca fue: never happened
Nunca tanto: not so much
Narigón: man with a big nose
Niun brillo (ningún brillo, no tenis niun brillo): uninteresting, boredom
don Nadie: a person who worth nothing
* No huevees: dont mess to me, are you kidding me?
Nada que ver: nothing to do
Nana: maiden (for cleaning, take care of children, etc.)

Chilean slang (o)

que Onda: whats up?
buena Onda: good vibrations
mala Onda: bad vibrations
* Orto: asshole
Ordinario: low class, poor man, unpolite (also ordaca)

Chilean slang (p)

"Andar Pato" : Used to say that you don't have a single cent in your pocket/wallet/bank account, etc. Let's use it in a dialogue:
-Mary: ¿Vamos a comer algo al centro?
-Lucho: Oh, no puedo, ando pato...
Hacer pebre... besides "to make pebre, that hot red stuff/salsa" it means like "to destroy smb o sth"
Pulento: great
Pololo: fiancee (female polola)
Pucha (puta, puta la wea): pity for, too bad!
Pato: short of Patricio
Pechar: to live, eat, etc. with money of others, to get lend
Patudo: a person who abuse your confidence
Pato malo: thiever, rober
Porte: size (de este porte: this size)
Paco: cop, carabinero
Pelar or pelambre: goosip
Parado en la hilacha: someone who is arrogant
Parar los carros: to face someone
Parlar, parlotear: to speak
Pillarse (pisarse) la cola: to contradict oneself
Pancho: short for Francisco
Pancha, Panchi: short for Francisca
Pepe: shor for Jose (as Joe)
Pepa: short for Josefa, Josefina
Peinar la muñeca: to speak/think nonsenses
Pipo, Pipe: short for Felipe
* Para el weveo: stop messing!
* Pico en el ojo: a scam
* Pico de caballo: in your dreams!
* Parar chalas or parar weas: to leave
* Puta: whore, bitch
*Puta la wea (hueva): too bad
*Partusa: swinger party
* Poto: ass
* Pico: penis
* Como el pico: felling bad, I had bad luck, not sucess

Chilean slang (q)

Quitipasa: whats happen with you?
Ser quemado / estar salado: Used to refer to someone who has very bad luck, or to refer to someone whose actions or experiences do not usually end in a good way.
Quedar como chaleco de mono: to loose prestige, to discredit
Quena: short for Eugenia
Quique: short for Enrique
Que onda?: whats up?
Quedado: fool, dull
Querendón: lovely
Quien lo dice: look who is talking
Pasar las de Quico y Caco: to experience many inconveniences, adventures, etc.
Quita-Penas: name of many bars located near cementery across the country
hablar a calzón Quitado: to speak frankly
Quedar padentro: become atonitus, stunned, shocked
* Qliao (culiao): fucked
* Qliar (culiar): to fuck

Chilean slang (r)

Rayado: (estar rayado): to be crazy
Rallar la papa: to speak stupidities
Rajar: to leave, to runaway
Raja: (estar raja, andar raja): to be drunk, to be very tired
Raja: buttocks
Re: very (EG. "estoy RE cansado= I´m VERY tired)
Rorro: short fro Rodrigo
Rasca: low quality, low class
Ratón: a shy, undecided, coward person, not brave
Rumbear: to walk to some place, to party
Rancio: corrupted meal, an aristocrat person
Roto: bad mannered, unpolite, low class, sometimes is friendly as typical chilean (roto chileno)
un Resto: a little
Revolver el gallinero: to cause dispute, to mess
Rica mina: cute girl, nice girl
Ruma: a pile
Raca: short for Raquel
Regalón: the loved one

Chilean slang (s)

Sobrado pretender
¡Salta pal lado! (salta pal lao): what you are telling me is not true, you are pulling my leg
Sapo: informer, also: vagina, normal meaning is frog
Si te he visto no me acuerdo: I don´t wanna know about you anymore
Se le pasó el tren: refers to a single woman with advanced age
Se le arrancan las tortugas: a very distracted, dreamy person
Se le aconchan los meados: refers to someone who do not dare, a coward
Se le da vuelta el paraguas (se le quema el arroz, se le moja la canoa, se le cae el jabón): refers to
homosexual male
Sin bandera: someone who have no qualms about doing it
Sucucho: a very humble, dirty place (usually refer to low quality hotel or bar)
Salsa de piojos: poor man, in starving
** Saco de huevas (de bolas, de cocos, de pelotas): stupid, moron
Salado: a person with very bad luck (also jetta, yeta)

Chilean slang (t)

¡Tapa! an energetic negative
Tiki-taka (tiqui-taca): well prepared, ready, perfect
Topón padentro: someone who take all for himself
* Tula: penis
Buena tela: a good gal (also buena pasta)
Tay: short, friendly of to be (ex. ¿tay listo? are you ready?)
Tito: short for Hector or Ernesto
Tita: short for Berta
Tacuaco: shorty
Tirar: to have sex (also to pull, to trow)
Tarado: stupid
Taimado: resented
Tarima: small plattform
Tranca: complex (trancado, a guy with a complex)
Tarupido: moron, mix of tarado with estupido
Terrible pollo: ungifted, unskilled, unprepared
Truculento: ilegal, unscrupulous
Tirao de las mechas (tirado de las mechas): absurd, perposterous

Chilean slang (u)

Upeliento (derogative): leftist, admirer of Salvador Allende´s Unidad Popular rule
Udioso (derogative): rigthist, Pinochet admirer and supporter of Union Democrata Independiente (UDI) party
Usano (derogative) refers too USA goverment or an American citizen
Usia, refering to a judge, as in "your honor"
Ultimo, pathetic, ridiculous, low class
Uno de tantos, refers to a person without importance
Unito, just one
Ufanarse, to pretend, to be very proud of something
Un resto, some amount, a little bit

Chilean slang (v)

Vaca: a vile person
Vacuna: swindler, fraudster
Ver bajo el agua: refers to a person able to see what other people often miss, second intentions and such
Vividor: epicurean
Vale: Okey
Vuela or virate: go away
Virarse: to go away (me viro: I left)
darse Vuelta la chaqueta: to swap from a party to the enemy
dar Vuelta el paraguas: to turn into gay
Vivo el ojo: to be alert
mal Visto: considered misbehaviour
para Variar: as often occurs
Ver la paja en el ojo ajeno: to speak about defects from others not considering the own
Vandalos: delinquents, bandits

Chilean slang (w)

Weon, wea, see Huevón Hueva, etc.
Washo orphan, dude, washita nice girl
Weveta (webeta, hueveta) fool
Wiro marihuana joint
Waso (huaso) countryman, shy
Watón (also guatón) fat man also watona
Wawa (guagua) little baby, nice girl (wawita)
Wena (Guena, buena) cool
Water a very old, bad condition car

Chilean slang (x)

Xupalo (chúpalo) no way, bite me, forget it
xuxa! shit! (exclamation also chucha)
xiko (chico) anus

Chilean slang (y)

Yaya, yayita, infamnous secret, hurt
Yuta police car
Yico (lico, rico) yummy
Yayo short for Eduardo
Yuyo, kind of algae
Yayo: short for Eduardo
Yoyo: short for Isidoro
Yoya: short for Isidora

Chilean slang (z)

zeta, to sleep
zorra, pussy
zorrito, zorrón clever, winner
zunga mini bathsuit for men
zarpazo, thief
zarpa hand
zarpao, arrogant agressive
zonzo stupid
n Quitado: to speak frankly
Quedar padentro: become atonitus, stunned, shocked
* Qliao (culiao): fucked
* Qliar (culiar): to fuck

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

choro - my chilena uses this word to refer to the vagina due to the appearance that shellfish has to that "area" and one could also add other sensory aspects as well.

Anonymous said...

Can also be used to criticize another woman like "presta tu choro" in reference to loosely handing out sexual favors, etc.

Tomas Bradanovic said...

Hi Tony, good remark. Choro has several meanings in Chilean slang, as you said "pussy", "vagina", etc. but also means "insolent", and "entertained" or "amusing" ¡que choro! menas how amusing! and it is not an ofenssive expression as "presta el choro" (let´s go to fuck).

Choro is also a molusc (mussel) and sometimes may refer to a brave or simphatetic person "es muy choro".

How to know what applies? just by the context

Tomas Bradanovic said...

" 32 MP3 files, and these files will make you fluent in the language in an efficient manner"

Fluent? seems tome hard to believe ;)

Anonymous said...

hahahaha que chistoso wena esa

Anonymous said...

Edit
Anonymous said...

Será castellano para gringos.
Español es una nacionalidad.

En el Reino de España se hablan muchos idiomas. Catalán, galego, vasco, andaluz, valenciano. ....etc.
Si los anglosajones son brutos y le dicen "español" a la lengua castellana....no tenemos porque hacer lo mismo.
Es como si nosotros dijéramos británico al idioma inglés.

1:56 PM

Please prove

learn spanish in Tenerife said...

Very useful for a lot of us who are studying spanish and want to improve each day, thanks for the help