Colombian Spanish Slang:The Spanish spoken in Colombia is a typical Latin American variety, which has a few dialects. The most noticeable are Bogotano which is considered one of the best spoken forms of Spanish in the world. The Paisa dialect from the extremely proud people of Medellin , and Caleño from Calí, which both use ‘vos’ for you, Costeño the relaxed dialect from the relaxed inhabitants of the Carribean coast, who often drop the letter ‘s’ from their words.
Colombian Spanish is generally very formal and you won’t often hear swearing as compared to other Spanish speakers. Usted and vos (you) are more commonly heard than tu.
Quinessential Colombian- Vainas Colombianas
Some favourite Colombian words are the greeting Qu’ubo? (Que hubo?) which can translate to what’s up?
Other words are vaina (also used in Venezuela) which could be crap and can be used in various situations such as ‘Que vaina es eso?’, What’s this crap? or ‘Que vaina tan bueno!’, How good is that?
Sumerce is also an often used word. It translates literally to ‘your mercy’ and can be any person in general, it is used by women which can translate to ‘darl’. Every person to whom a woman is talking to can be ‘Sumerce,’ so you have to be careful to whom the speaker is actually directing their attention because the ‘Sumerce’ can change from moment to moment. “Sumerce le provoca una frutica?”
Also the dimunitives ‘ito, ita’ are very heavily used and you can often hear tintico-little coffee, frutica- little fruit, desayunito- little breakfast, aquicito-little (just) here.
Colombian Greetings & Salutations/Saludos
A la orden (obsessively the most heard thing you’ll hear in Colombia)
At your order
Bien afortunadamente
Fortunately I am well
Que más?
What’s up? (what more?)
¿Cómo está? Regular, tres cuartos…
How are you? Normal, three quarters…?
¿Como le va? Como le ha ido? And one more
How are you? (it is not uncommon to be given 3 of the questions together, which you could answer Good! Good, and also good!)
¿Como ameneció?
Did you sleep well? (literally:How did you wake up?- reply Bien!-Good or En la cama- in bed)
Como fue que?
what up? what’s going on?
Con gusto
You’re welcome (with pleasure: as in willingly)
Gracias muy amable
Thank you, that’s very kind (very common in Colombia)
Hola mijo/a como esta?
Hi darling, how are you?
Muy buenas
Very good (day, afternoon, evening)
Picos
Kisses (when saying goodbye)
¿Que es de tu vida?
How’s life?
¿Que hubo? ¿Qu,ubo?
What’s up?
¿Qué hubo marica, como va?
(Careful not to tutear with your fellow male colleagues otherwise it can have gay undertones)
¡Que dios lo bendiga!
May god bless you!
¿Que hubo parcero?
Hey mate/buddy
¡Que estes bien!
I hope you are well!
¡Que tengas un buen dia!
I hope you have a good day
Si Dios nos permite?
If god allows us?
Sumerce(d) (sometimes also often heard a lot)
Darling (lit: Your mercy)
Todo bien?
All good?
Flirting and Pick-Up Lines in Colombian Spanish/Coqueteando
Arrozito en bajo- Consuelo sexual
Booty call
Echar los perros– Ella me estaba echando los perros otra vez
Flirt- She was trying to chat me up again
Esa hembra es un bizcochote
That sexy women is a tasty piece of cake
Ella le gustan los monos
She likes blonde guys
Ella esta llevando cucos rojos
She’s wearing red knickers
Es una nena mimada por su papi
That girl is spoiled by her Sugardaddy
¿Y eso quién pidió pollo?
& who asked for Chicken? (Strange to think that this might be a chat up line, but yes. It means something like wow check out that hot thing, but can also be used face to face with the object of your desire)
Hola Cosita/Cosito
Hello hot thing
Las manos largas
To have wandering hands
Marica, caele a esa vieja!
Go and get her dude!
Me veo muy culona con este pantalon
Does my butt look big in this?
¡Que vaina tan bella!
How hot is she!
Que viejota esa mujer!
What a hot chick!
Colombian Slang In the Bar
The Aguila beer girls are a national icon of Colombia. Men drool just as much over the beautiful girls as the taste of a cold beer on a hot day
Polas– cerveza- beer
Politas o güaro pa la rumba
Beer or aguardiente for the party
The most popular beers (polas) found in Colombia are Aguila, Club Colombia, Poker, and Costeña
Aguardiente- Güaro
Aniseed liquor that resembles rocket fuel
El bebe hasta el agua de floreros
He drinks like a fish (to drink even the water from a vase)
¿Dónde esta la rumba?
Where’s the party happening?
¿Dónde estufiste? (play on words? Donde estuviste? Where have you been?)
Where have you been drinking? (because you have alcohol breath)
Esta noche vamos a jartar
Tonight we’re going to drink like fish
Estas jincha?
Are you drunk?
Jincho pero contento
Drunk but happy
Prendido–
Tipsy- The idea behind the word prendido means to be lit up; like a light so following that
Estoy mas prendido que un pecebre
I am tipsier (lit up) than nativity scene (the lights from the scene)
Mas prendido que un bombillo publico
I feel tipsier than public light post
Que guaricha. Esta bebiendo otra botella de tequila
What a pisstank! He’s drinking another bottle of tequila
Tengo un guayabo
I have a hangover
Tienes tufo
You have alcohol on your breath
That’s Cool
Que chévere! (quintessential Colombian Word, also used in Venezuela, Cuba & Puerto Rico)
That’s great!
Esta del carajo!
That’s damn good
Ese carro es una chimba
That’s an awesome car
Berraquera- Ese carro es una berraquera
Excellent- What a cool car
Que Bacano!
How cool!
Que vaina tan buena!
How good is that!
Tienes la cara de ponque
You have a happy face on
Anyone fancy some tasty ants. Yes that’s ants a la Santanderiana Yummy
Express Yourself/ Explicàte ve
Barajámela mas despacio que esta muy beraco entender
Slow it down a bit because it is very difficult to understand (the story)
Chanda- Tu carro es una chanda
Worthless or in a bad condition- Your car is a bomb
Chucha- Échate algo para esta chucha tan impresionante
Under arm odour. Put something on that horrible body odour
Cogela suave!
Take it easy
Conchudo– Ni pensé a invitar ese conchudo a la fiesta
Opportunist/freeloader- I didn’t even think of inviting that freeloader to the party
Salió chimbo. Se me rompió la camisa
It turned out crap. My shirt ripped
Deje de hablar paja
Stop talking crap
Deje de mamar gallo!
stop fooling around
Embarrada- Que embarrada!
Stuff up, embarrassment- How embarassing!
Ella chilla más que un camionado de pollos
She whines more than a truck full of chickens
Eso te pasa por ser calabaza
That happened to you for being a pumpkin head
Estoy mamado {this might get other Spanish speakers laughing, as mamar is to give fellatio}
I’m finished (fatigued)
Estoy pelao- sin dinero
I’m flat broke
Fresco no te afanes por devolver mi plata
No worries, there’s no rush to return the money
Guacale/ Fuchile
Yucky
Hijue pucha!
Son of a ____ motherless goat. (Colombians are very polite and don’t often swear so this is the closest they will go to Spanish’s greatest curse)
Estar en La Olla– Estoy en la olla no tengo trabajo ni plata
Things have turned for the worse. I haven’t work or money
Maricaditas y pendejadas- Si vas a esa tienda encuentras todas esas maricaditas
a useless cheap object- If you go to that shop you’ll find all the cheap and nasty stuff you’re looking for
Miercoles!
Wednesday! (Fiddlesticks/Fudge- a polite way of saying Mierda!)
No tengo plata
I don’t have any money
No seas sapo!
Mind your own business! (don’t be a toad!)
No seas tan boleta!
Don’t be so silly
No pues que chimba huevon
But that’s crap dude
¡Que cansón!
What a pain in the arse!
!Parame bolas!
Listen to me
¿Qué te provoca?
What do you feel like? (food,drink)
Tu novio te pone los cachos
Your boyfriend is cheating on you
Estoy con mi parche
I’m with my crew/gang
No me paras bolas!
You never listen to me!
Colombians in the Carnival of Barranquilla Photo credit: Wikipedia
Vaina
Vaina the quintessential Colombian word, here are some of it’s many uses:
Echan más vainas que una mata de frijol
They create more problems than a bean stalkEstan llenas de vainas
They are full of idiosynchrasies¿Qué vaina es esa?
What’s this crap?Una vaina seria
A good opportunity or thingEs una vaina maravillosa
A really good thingVamos, que la vaina va a estar muy buena
Let’s go to the party, it’ll be greatEsa vaina es feisima
That girl is so uglyQue vaina
What crap/ What a bummer! What a pain in the arse!Ni de vainas!
Not on your life!
!Pilas!
Careful!
¿Que diablo es eso?
What the hell is this?
¡Pailas!
Damn it!(Frying pan!)
¿Me regalas una mano?
Can you give me a hand? (normally regalar- is to gift something but in Colombia it means to give or to pass something)
Perdoname pero disculpame!
Excuuuse you!
Que camello!
What a bummer!
Que mamera!
That sucks’s, what a bummer
Tomar el pelo
Take the mickey
Te conozco patas de mosco
I know your game
Te compraste una chanda! Que malo!
You bought a piece of junk (a car)! That’s bad!
Tuqui tuqui Lulu
Bad luck
Uy! ¿Que quieres pan y pedazo debajo del braso?
Don’t push the envelope
Vale huevo
It’s worthless or not important
Voy a echar un motozo
I’m going to have a nap
