By Lingobi, Published on 03/24/2025
Learning Spanish from textbooks and apps is great, but to truly blend in with native speakers, you need to master slang. Slang adds color and authenticity to your conversations, making you sound more natural and relatable. Here are some essential Spanish slang terms and phrases that will help you sound like a local.
In Spain, guay is a popular slang term used to describe something cool, nice, or awesome. For example:
ÂĄQuĂ© guay! â How cool!
Itâs a casual term used frequently in everyday conversations, making it a great addition to your vocabulary.
In Mexico, youâll often hear chido instead of guay. Both words mean the same thing, but chido is specific to Mexican Spanish:
Ese lugar estĂĄ chido. â That place is cool.
Argentinians frequently use che as a casual way to get someoneâs attention, similar to âheyâ in English:
Che, ÂżquĂ© hacĂ©s? â Hey, what are you doing?
In Spain, itâs common to refer to friends as tĂo (for men) or tĂa (for women). Itâs similar to saying âdudeâ or âgirlâ in English:
ÂĄOye, tĂo! ÂżVienes a la fiesta? â Hey, dude! Are you coming to the party?
When something makes you laugh, instead of just saying es gracioso (itâs funny), use the slangy ÂĄQuĂ© risa! to express genuine amusement:
ÂĄQuĂ© risa me dio esa pelĂcula! â That movie was so funny!
Want to master more Spanish slang? Lingobi offers interactive lessons and real-life conversations to help you practice authentic, everyday Spanish. Download the app now and start speaking like a native!