Spanish Slang: 25+ Essential Expressions They Don't Teach in Class

Why Slang Is the Real Spanish

Spanish slang is the language of daily life, the expressions textbooks skip but native speakers use in every conversation. Whether you are watching a Mexican telenovela, chatting with friends in Madrid, or following Argentine influencers on social media, slang is how real communication happens.

With approximately 559 million speakers across 21 countries, Spanish has developed more regional slang variation than almost any other language on earth. According to Ethnologue's 2024 data, Spanish is the world's second-largest language by native speakers, and each country has evolved its own vibrant set of informal expressions. A single concept like "cool" has at least four completely different words depending on the country you are in.

"Slang is the poetry of everyday life. It reflects the creativity, humor, and social identity of a community in ways that standard language simply cannot capture."

(Connie Eble, Slang and Sociability, University of North Carolina Press, 1996)

This guide covers 25+ essential Spanish slang expressions organized by region: Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. Each entry includes pronunciation, cultural context, and the formality level so you know exactly when and where to use it.

Quick Reference: Spanish Slang at a Glance

Spain: Slang from the Peninsula

Spanish slang from Spain -- often called jerga española or argot -- has a distinctive character. According to the Real Academia Española (RAE), many of these expressions originated in working-class neighborhoods of Madrid and spread nationwide through television and social media. If you watch shows like La Casa de Papel or Elite, you will hear these words constantly.

Guay

Guay is Spain's go-to word for expressing approval. It functions as both an adjective (Es muy guay, "it's really cool") and an exclamation (¡Qué guay!, "how cool!"). The word has no equivalent usage in Latin America, making it an instant identifier of Peninsular Spanish.

Mola

Unlike guay (adjective), mola is a verb. You conjugate it: mola (it's cool), me mola (I think it's cool), no mola nada (it's not cool at all). Its origins trace to Caló, the Romani-influenced speech of Spanish Gitano communities, which has contributed extensively to modern Spanish slang.

Tío / Tía

Every few sentences in a casual Spanish conversation, you will hear tío or tía. It punctuates speech the same way "dude" or "man" does in English. This usage is exclusive to Spain. In Latin America, tío only means "uncle."

Currar

The noun curro means "job" and currar means "to work," but only in Spain. This is another Caló-origin word that has gone fully mainstream. You will hear office workers, students, and everyone in between using it daily.

Flipar

Flipar is one of Spain's most versatile slang verbs. Estoy flipando (I'm amazed/shocked), yo flipo (I can't believe it), es flipante (it's mind-blowing). It works for both positive surprise and disbelief.

Majo/a

When someone in Spain describes a person as majo or maja, they mean warm, friendly, and easy to get along with. It is one of the highest casual compliments you can give someone.

Mexico: Slang from North America

Mexican Spanish slang (known as modismos mexicanos) is arguably the most influential in the Americas due to Mexico's massive media industry. Telenovelas, movies, and music have spread Mexican expressions across the Spanish-speaking world. For excellent exposure to Mexican slang in context, check out our guide to the best movies for learning Spanish.

Chido

Where Spain says guay, Mexico says chido. Research by Fundéu RAE confirms that chido ranks among the most frequently used informal adjectives in Mexican Spanish, appearing in speech, texting, and social media alike.

Neta

Neta is pure Mexican slang. ¿Neta? (Really?), La neta (the truth), De a neta (for real). It serves the same purpose as "seriously" or "no way" in English, and you will hear it dozens of times in any casual Mexican conversation.

Güey

The transformation of güey is one of the most fascinating slang evolutions in any language. According to Moreno Fernández's research on Spanish language variation, güey went from a derogatory term (calling someone an ox, meaning stupid) to Mexico's most common friendly address in roughly 30 years. Studies estimate young Mexicans say güey as frequently as every third sentence in casual conversation.

Órale

Órale might be the single most versatile word in Mexican Spanish. Agreement, surprise, encouragement, admiration: it covers all of these depending on tone and context. It has no real equivalent in other Spanish-speaking countries.

Chamba

Where Spain has curro, Mexico has chamba. The verb chambear (to work) is used widely across Mexico and parts of Central America.

Fresa

Fresa captures an entire social archetype in Mexican culture. Its opposite is naco, someone considered uncouth or low-class. Both words carry significant class undertones and should be used carefully, as they can easily offend.

Argentina: Slang from the Southern Cone

Argentine slang draws heavily from Lunfardo, a vocabulary that emerged in the late 19th century among Italian immigrants in Buenos Aires. Many Lunfardo words have gone mainstream, and combined with voseo (using vos instead of tú), Argentine Spanish is one of the most distinctive varieties in the world.

Che

Che is to Argentina what güey is to Mexico, an ever-present word that punctuates nearly every casual exchange. It can open a sentence (Che, escuchá esto, "Hey, listen to this"), express surprise (¡Che!), or simply fill conversational space.

Boludo/a

The duality of boludo perfectly illustrates how slang depends on context. Between friends, boludo appears in every other sentence as a casual address. Said to a stranger with an aggressive tone, it is fighting words. Outside Argentina, most Spanish speakers hear it only as an insult, so use it exclusively with Argentine friends who know you well.

Piola

Piola fills the same role as guay (Spain), chido (Mexico), and bacano (Colombia). The intensifier re is itself a signature Argentine addition (re piola, re lindo, re bueno), meaning "very" or "really."

Laburo

Laburo is a textbook example of Lunfardo going mainstream. Derived from the Italian lavoro, it has become so standard in Argentina that even formal media use it. The verb laburar and the noun laburo have effectively replaced trabajar and trabajo in casual Argentine speech.

Morfar

Another Italian-origin Lunfardo word that has become everyday Argentine vocabulary. The noun form morfi (food, grub) is equally common. Both are used across all social classes in Argentina.

Quilombo

When something goes wrong in Argentina, it is a quilombo. A traffic jam, a workplace disaster, a political scandal: all quilombos. The word has complex historical origins tracing back to African-descended communities in Brazil, but in modern Argentine Spanish it simply means a mess or chaotic situation.

Colombia: Slang from the Andes and Caribbean

Colombian slang (parlache in Medellín, jerga costeña on the Caribbean coast) is known for its warmth and expressiveness. Colombian Spanish is often praised as one of the clearest and most musical varieties, and its slang reflects that character.

Bacano

Colombia's answer to guay, chido, and piola. Bacano carries an extra layer of warmth -- calling someone bacano means they are not just cool, but genuinely great to be around.

Parcero / Parce

Parcero (or the shortened parce) originated in Medellín's working-class neighborhoods and spread across the entire country. Today it is Colombia's default friendly address, similar to how güey functions in Mexico.

Chimba

Chimba is intensely Colombian and carries strong informal energy. It has vulgar etymological roots, so while young Colombians use it freely among friends, it should not be used in formal settings or with people you do not know well.

Berraco/a

Berraco is one of Colombia's most culturally loaded slang words. Calling someone berraco means they are tough, driven, and impressive. The noun berraquera (grit, determination) captures an entire cultural value: the idea that Colombians endure hardship with resilience.

Universal Slang: Understood Across Countries

A few slang expressions have crossed borders and are recognized throughout the Spanish-speaking world, largely thanks to music, film, and social media.

Buena onda (good vibes) has become perhaps the most successful cross-border slang expression. Originally Mexican, it is now understood from Buenos Aires to Barcelona. Saying someone is buena onda means they are friendly, chill, and easy to get along with.

Social Media and Texting Slang

Digital communication has created a new layer of Spanish slang that crosses borders. Young Spanish speakers across all countries share these abbreviations:

According to Fundéu RAE, the language advisory service of the Royal Spanish Academy, these abbreviations follow consistent phonetic logic: x replaces "por" (because the multiplication sign is read "por" in Spanish), and vowels are frequently dropped.

Practice Slang With Real Spanish Content

Reading about slang gives you knowledge, but hearing it in context is what makes it stick. Spanish-language shows are the best classroom for slang: La Casa de Papel and Elite for Spain's tío and mola, Club de Cuervos for Mexican güey and chido, and Argentine films for boludo and che.

Wordy lets you watch Spanish movies and shows with interactive subtitles. Tap on any slang expression to see its meaning, region, formality level, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing a list, you absorb slang from the conversations where it actually lives.

For more Spanish content, explore our blog for language guides and check out the best movies to learn Spanish for curated viewing recommendations. You can also visit our Spanish learning page to start practicing today.