When you are looking for what is a mojón in Puerto Rican Spanish, the most common meaning is a ‘turd’. This may be an insult to someone, the actual, physical turd (from poopoing) or even may refer to a beach in Guánica, Puerto Rico. This is one of those Spanish words that changed meaning over […]
Learn Puerto Rican Spanish Slang: Bad Words and Phrases and What to Say Instead
Life is not as simple as we wish. Sometimes things do not work out the way we planned. This is when colorful language flies and we use curse words/phrases to relieve stress. In this post I will teach you some useful Puerto Rican profanities, with a twist. I’m featuring seven swear phrases from my beloved […]
Puerto Rican Spanish Slang: The Origin of CANGRIMAN, FOSTRÓ, CHAVOS, ZAFACÓN and LIMBER
Ever stop to think how Spanish slang words develop? It’s a fun experience since their history will often teach you about major historical influences in a culture. These 5 Puerto Rican words do just that. A colony of Spain for 400 years, we Puerto Ricans adopted words that are still alive today. For example, we […]
11 Grammar Rules to Improve Your Puerto Rico Spanish
As in most countries, several unique grammar adaptations have appeared over the years in Puerto Rico. While sometimes these usages are grammatically incorrect, they are so widespread that they are accepted as being correct. Below are examples of Puerto Rican Spanish grammar: 1. The most common “mistake” in Puerto Rican Spanish is to mix English […]
Puerto Rican Spanish Slang for Penis: A Bug or a Guy’s Dick?
Puerto Rican Spanish Slang for Penis: A Bug or a Guy’s Dick? What does bicho means in Puerto Rico? The example here is a COMMON mistake that Spanish speakers make in Puerto Rico. A recent restaurant visit in Peru reminded me of one of my first encounters with Puerto Rican Spanish. I had just moved […]
Puerto Rican Spanish Cheat Sheet
PIRAGUA: Puerto Rican Spanish Word for Snow Cone
Piragua is the Puerto Rican Spanish word for snow cone. This refreshing pyramid shaped ice treat is popular all year long and I had the opportunity to have one on a recent visit. For the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries a piragua is a boat similar to a canoe. The word piragua is the result […]
Puerto Rican Spanish: RIVERSA or REVERSA?
Take a look at the photo of this sign I took recently in Puerto Rico that reads NO ESTACIONE EN RIVERSA. Instead of riversa the correct Spanish word should be reversa. The use of the word riversa is a good example that shows two characteristics of the Puerto Rican Spanish: 1. The use of words […]
Cool Puerto Rican Spanish Lesson: Audios and Videos of 18 Common Words
For my fellow brothers and sisters from Puerto Rico that want to learn more about our unique vocabulary, and the others who are wondering what are those goofy words we use sometimes, here is a cool sample of some of our common Spanish words. The following Puerto Rican Spanish audio clips are from a radio […]
LA MONGA: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for Cold
I spent this past weekend really sick with la monga. Whether you are a Spanish-speaker or not, you might be wondering, What the hell is la monga? Is it contagious? YES. Is it life threatening? NO. La monga or simply monga is the Puerto Rican Spanish slang for a strong cold. According to the Tesoro Lexicográfico […]
Puerto Rican Words in Spanish for US Currency: Infographic
“Más de un siglo después de uso de la moneda estadounidense, seguimos buscando el peso, tramitando la peseta, pidiendo el medio peso, luchando el vellón, sudando los chavos…” -Luz Nereida Pérez from the book Puerto Rico y el lenguaje Puerto Ricans say chavos instead of dinero Puerto Rico is a United States territory since […]
MANTECADITOS: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for Butter Cookie
Here’s a photo of a pack of mantecaditos taken in a store in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mantecaditos is the local Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a type of butter or shortbread cookie. Mantecaditos and polvorones are similar and many people use both names interchangeably. Know of any other words for cookies used throughout […]
ALMOJÁBANAS: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a Rice Flour Fritters
Photo: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a Rice Flour Fritter Almojábanas are fritters made of rice flour, cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk and egg. This mixture is used to make a dough that is fried in a ball. Other Latin American countries make their own versions of almojábanas with different ingredients, sizes and cooking methods. […]
PILÓN: Puerto Rican Slang Word for a type of lollipop
Photo: Puerto Rican Slang Word for LOLLIPOP Above is a photo I took one day at the grocery store in Puerto Rico. The word Pilón or Pilones in plural is the Puerto Rican Spanish word for a type of “lollipop”. Here are two more pictures of how a pilón looks: Do you know any other […]
Puerto Rican Spanish: An Interview With Luz Nereida Pérez
Today Puerto Rico commemorates the date when Christopher Columbus arrived to the Island in 1493. Referring to this historical event as a “discovery” has become controversial recently. A “discovery” or not, we can say without any doubt that this was the date that Borikén –native name of the island of Puerto Rico- met the Spanish […]
4 Confusing Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Words: BICHO, BICHA, BICHERÍA and BICHOTE
Although the Spanish slang words from Puerto Rico bicho, bicha, bichería, and bichote seem to have the same “root” they don’t mean the same. For foreigners this will be confusing to the point that I consider them “false friends”. The two similarities these four words have are the root bich- and that they all have […]
Which Are the First 3 Puerto Rican Spanish Words Kids Learn to Read?
When I started learning to read at 5 or 6 years old we used the traditional Cartilla Fonética or a phonetics booklet. The Cartilla Fonética is a tool used at school to teach the name and particular sound of each letter, how to make the consonant and vowels liaison to form syllables and how to […]
10 Vulgar Spanish Slang Words and Phrases from Puerto Rico: Infographic
If you are in the process of learning Spanish and plan to travel to Puerto Rico, keep in mind the following list of words and phrases. These 10 sayings are common in Puerto Rican Spanish but are too strong to be taught in school. You need to know them. If you find them useful, download […]
batutera
A slang term primarily used in Argentina to refer to a girl or woman who likes to party a lot and is often at nightclubs. Examples Spanish: Ella es una batutera, siempre la veo en los bares cada fin de semana. English: She is a party girl, I always see her in bars every weekend.
candungo
It's a term used in Spain that generally refers to a person who is considered difficult, bothersome, or annoying. Examples Spanish: No soporto a ese candungo, siempre está molestando a los demás. English: I can't stand that annoying person, he's always bothering others.
cachimiro
In some Latin American countries, 'cachimiro' is a slang term used to refer to a homemade smoking pipe, often for marijuana. It can also refer to the marijuana itself in a more general sense. Examples Spanish: Mi amigo hizo un cachimiro con una manzana. English: My friend made a homemade pipe with an apple.
sínsora, sínsoras
A term used to refer to a person who acts like they are a know-it-all, or who thinks they are superior to others. Also used to describe someone who is bossy or controlling. Examples Spanish: No soporto a Luis, siempre se comporta como un sínsora en las reuniones. English: I can't stand Luis, he always […]
égida
In Spanish slang, 'égida' is used to refer to protection or support, often provided by a powerful person or entity. It originates from the Greek mythological term 'Aegis', the shield of Zeus or Athena. Examples Spanish: La organización benéfica opera bajo la égida de las Naciones Unidas. English: The charity organization operates under the aegis […]
pichear, pichar
A slang term used primarily in Puerto Rico and Cuba, which means to ignore, avoid or reject something or someone. Examples Spanish: No te ofendas, pero voy a tener que pichar tu oferta. English: Don't be offended, but I'm going to have to ignore your offer.
cochofle
Cochofle is a slang term used in Chile and it refers to a mess or a situation that is complicated or confusing. Examples Spanish: Este proyecto está hecho un cochofle, necesitamos organizarlo mejor. English: This project is a real mess, we need to organize it better.
sutano
Sutano is a term used in Spain, mainly in Andalusia and Extremadura, to refer to a person who is very thin or skinny. Examples Spanish: ¡No te puedes poner esos pantalones, pareces un sutano! English: You can't wear those pants, you look like a sutano (very skinny person)!
mayoketchup
A mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup, often used as a condiment for various dishes. Examples Spanish: Me gusta ponerle mayoketchup a mis papas fritas. English: I like to put mayoketchup on my french fries.
pandorca
A Spanish slang term primarily used in Southern Spain, 'pandorca' refers to an unnecessarily large or oversized object. It can also be used to describe a situation or problem that is too complicated or difficult to handle. Examples Spanish: No puedo resolver esta pandorca de problema que me has dado. English: I can't solve this […]
ralo, ralito
A term used in Mexico, 'ralo, ralito' is a colloquial way to refer to something that is scarce, very little or not enough. Examples Spanish: No puedo hacer el guacamole, el aguacate está muy ralito. English: I can't make guacamole, the avocado is very scarce.
amocolado
A term used in Spain, particularly in Andalusia, to describe someone who is stubborn, headstrong, or determined. Examples Spanish: Mi hermano es tan amocolado que siempre insiste en tener la razón. English: My brother is so stubborn that he always insists on being right.