Spanish Latin America and Spain, Spanish speaking countries

estrenar

Word USED Frequently BY Everyone

(v.) • To use something or wear a piece of clothing for the very first time.

"Estrené mi vestido nuevo." "Ayer se estrenó la película." "A mamá le gusta estrenar zapatos."

"I wore my new dress for the first time." "The movie was released yesterday." "My mom liked to wear shoes for the first time."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

ahogarse en un vaso de agua

Expression USED Very frequently BY everybody

(to drown in a glass of water) • When a person is being dramatically negative and cannot see a solution to their very insignificant problem.

"Qué le pasa a Jaime? Parece que se va a acabar el mundo." "Perdió el autobús." "Este chico se ahoga en un vaso de agua."

"What's wrong with James? It looks like he's devastated." "He missed the bus." "This guy drowns in a glass of water."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

rizar el rizo

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(to curl the curl) • To make something more complicated than it should be / to add something really unnecessary.

"Le iba a poner flecos a las mangas de mi chaqueta, pero me parecía mucho rizar el rizo"

"I was going to put fringe on the sleeves of my jacket, but I thought it was curling the curl"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

ns

Abbreviation USED Frequently BY Young People

Used when texting to short the Spanish expression for "I don't know" ("no sé")

"¿Laura va a venir?" "ns"

"Is Laura coming?" "idk"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

blanco y en botella

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(white and in a bottle) • Used when something is pretty obvious.

"¿Es tuya esa caja con tu nombre?" "Blanco y en botella..."

"Is that box with your name written on it yours?" "White and in a bottle..."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

pluma

Word USED Frequently BY Everyone

(n.) • (feather) • That's the word for "pen" in some American countries.

"Agarra una pluma y apunta esto."

"Grab a feather and write this down."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

uña y mugre

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(nail and dirt) • Inseparable, just like a nail and the dirt underneath.

"Esos dos son uña y mugre: van juntos a todos lados."

"These two are nail and dirt - they go everywhere together."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

Quien mucho abarca poco aprieta

Proverb USED Very frequently BY Almost Everyone

(Who embraces a lot little will squeeze) • It is a proverb meaning that whoever tries to do many things at the same time will not be able to do any of them well.

"No trates de hacer todo al mismo tiempo: quien mucho abarca poco aprieta."

"Don't try to do everything at the same time - who embraces a lot little will squeeze."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

jajaja

Sound USED Very frequently BY Everyone

The Spanish sound for laughter. It is a direct analog of the English "ha ha ha".

"¡Jajaja! ¡Qué vídeo tan divertido!"

"Ha ha ha! What a funny video!"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

palomitas

Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(n.) • (little doves) • It's the word for 'popcorn'.

"Siempre que van al cine, se guardan una bolsa de palomitas en la mochila antes de entrar a la sala."

"Every time they go to the movies, they keep a bag of little doves in their backpack before entering the theater."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

#YoMeQuedoEnCasa

Hashtag USED In the past BY Everyone

(#Iwillstayhome) • Hashtag used during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage people to follow the quarantine.

"#YoMeQuedoEnCasa ¿y tú?"

"#Iwillstayhome and you?"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

xq

Abbreviation USED Frequently BY Teens

(why/because) • It's short for "por qué", which translates to "why" in English. It's used when texting other teenagers.

"Che, ¿qué haces ahora?" "Nada... ¿xq?"

"Hey friend, what are you doing right now?" "Nothing... why?"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

media naranja

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(n.) • (half orange) • Translates to 'other half' or 'better half'. Used to describe one's soulmate.

"Ella es mi media naranja."

"She's my half orange.”

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

chao pescao

Slang USED Frequently BY Young people

(goodbye fish) • Similar to the English "see you later alligator", it's a colloquial expression used with friends to say goodbye in a funny, rhyming way.

"Nos vemos el martes, ¡chao pescao!"

"See you on Tuesday, goodbye fish!"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

cuando las vacas vuelen

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(when cows fly) • Expression used when you want to emphasize that something is never going to happen. Oh well, maybe when cows fly.

"¿Mi madre dejarme ir al concierto de Maluma sola? Sí claro, cuando las vacas vuelen."

"My mother allowing me to go to Maluma's concert by myself? Yeah sure, when cows fly."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(more knows the devil for being an old guy than for being the devil) • This phrase means that a person is more knowledgeable in life because they are more experienced due to their age, and not for their degree or status.

"Hazle caso a tu papá ya que más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo."

"Listen to your dad because more knows the devil for being an old guy than for being the devil."

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

hazte fama y échate a dormir

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(make a name for yourself and go to sleep) • It's usually said after a person gets offended when someone else says something bad about them, expressing the idea that, after doing the same bad thing repeatedly, people will only expect that from you.

"¿Querés galletitas caseras?" "No, no me gustan las galletitas quemadas." "¡No se me quemaron!" "Se te quemaron las últimas diez veces... ¡Hazte fama y échate a dormir!"

"Would you like some home-made cookies?" "No, I don't like burnt cookies." "I didn't burn them!" "You burned them the last ten times... Make a name for yourself and go to sleep!"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

tq

Abbreviation USED Frequently BY Teens

Abbreviation of 'te quiero' (I love you) used when texting.

"Buenas noches! Tq"

"Good night! Ily"

Spanish Spanish speaking countries

chévere

Slang USED Very frequently BY Almost Everyone

(adj.) • Slang used in a few countries of Latin America meaning 1) "cool", "awesome", "nice". 2) Sometimes it can be used to confirm something and also 3) to say that someone is good-looking.

1) "¿Cómo estuvo tu fin de semana?" "¡Estuvo chévere!" 2) "¿Qué te parece si vamos a comer?" "¡Chévere!" 3) "Ese hombre está chévere."

1) "How was your weekend?" "It was nice!" 2) "How about we go eat something?" "Sure!" 3) "That man is hot."