List of Puerto Rican slang words and phrases

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is a summary of common slang words and phrases used in Puerto Rico. Idiomatic expressions may be difficult to translate fully and may have multiple meanings, so the English translations below may not reflect the full meaning of the expression they intend to translate. This is a short list and more may be found on the Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española website.[1]

List[]

ataque de nervios
a sudden nervous reaction, similar to hysterics, or losing control, experienced in response to something[2]
¡Bendito!
variants are ¡Ay bendito! and dito - “aw man” or “oh my god”; “ay” meaning lament, and “bendito” meaning blessed.[3][4]
abombao / abombá
Referring to food; rotten or damaged.[3]
al garete
 Wild, off the rails, disastrous. Comes from a French expression.[5]
asicalao
flawless, clean, immaculate.[6] From standard Spanish acicalado
bembé
a big party.[3][7]
bichote
Important person. From English big shot.[8]
birras
Beer.[3]
bochinche
gossip[9]
boricua
The name given to Puerto Rico people by Puerto Ricans.[3]
bregar
To work on a task, to do something with effort and dedication.[5]
broki
brother or friend.[6]
cangri
A badass, hunk or hottie.[10] An influential person.[11] From English congressman.[8]
cariduro
person who should be ashamed of their actions but isn't; a stubborn person[12]
chacho
short for muchacho - Guy, male[6]
chulería
While in other countries this word means "insolence",[13] in Puerto Rico it has an entirely different meaning and is used to describe that something is good, fun, funny, great or beautiful.[14]
corillo
Friend, or group of friends.[5]
dura
Normally means “hard”, but in Puerto Rican slang means that someone is really good at what they do.[3]
embustería
series of lies, something that is completely false, a "pack of lies"[15]
¡Fo!
literally translates to "eww!", it is often used as an exclamation in reaction to a bad smell.
fregao, fregá
shameless person[16]
guajana is the "flower" of the sugarcane
guajana
The flower of the sugarcane.[17]
guinda
steep slope[1]
gufear
to act goofy.[3]
janguear
 “to hang out”. Comes from the American expression “hang out”.[5]
jartera
to be full.[3]
jevo/a
boyfriend / girlfriend[1]
jíbaro
A person who lives in the countryside or mountain people.[3]
jumeta
Drunk[3]
Cold cherry limber
limber
Also, "limbel". A home-made flavored frozen treat usually made from natural fruits or sweet milk mixtures and often served on a small piece of water-resistant paper, a plastic or paper cup, or a popsicle stick.[18]: 45  The name is said to have originated from the last name of Charles Lindbergh after the islanders noticed how "cold" he was as compared to the warmth of the locals during Lindbergh's visit to the Island in 1928.[19]
mamey
Used when referring to something that is easy to do.[3]
mami, papi
Terms of endearment; mami when referring to a cute woman, papi when referring to a handsome man, or to address a lover[20][21]
nene, nena
Boy/girl[3] In standard Spanish it means "baby".
panna, pana
Buddy[22]: 57  ("pana" is a name for breadfruit in Puerto Rico)[23]: 45  From partner.
perreo, perrear
A way of dancing ("grinding") or a danceable song.[3]
pichea
“forget about that”, Disregard.[6]  
por encima de los gandules
Expression of admiration, to say that something is outstanding or beyond good.[24]
revolú
Used to describe chaotic situations.[5]
soplapote
a nobody, or a worker low on the hierarchy, or an enabler[25]
tapón
traffic. In standard Spanish, "a bottle top" or "a clog".

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on 2019-05-27. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  2. ^ Febles, J. (2009). Into the Mainstream: Essays on Spanish American and Latino Literature and Culture. EBSCO ebook academic collection. Cambridge Scholars Press. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-4438-0665-7. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Quinn, Niall. "30 Puerto Rican Slang Terms That Only Make Sense In The Caribbean". Baselang. Baselang. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ a b c d e Alger, Nate. "Puerto Rican Slangs 10 Words and Expressions To Learn". Spanishland School. Spanishland School. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d "Puerto Rican slang words and phrases". TranslationDirectory. TranslationDirectory. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ a b Cáceres-Lorenzo, María-Teresa. "Diccionario para bichotes: Cómo evitar malentendidos al escuchar reguetón". The Conversation (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  9. ^ "bochinche". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  10. ^ "cangri". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  11. ^ "cangri". WordReference.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  12. ^ "cariduro, ra". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2019-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2019-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ "embustería". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  16. ^ "fregado, da". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  17. ^ "guajana". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  18. ^ Matos, Jose M. Rodriguez (2011). La Mancha que me Persigue (in Spanish). Bloomington, Indiana: Palibrio. ISBN 9781463313203.
  19. ^ "Origen de la palabra "límber"". Coqui Snacks & Mini Donuts (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  20. ^ "mami". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  21. ^ "papi". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish).
  22. ^ Sánchez, Marta E. (2009). Shakin' Up Race and Gender: Intercultural Connections in Puerto Rican, African American, and Chicano Narratives and Culture (1965–1995). University of Texas Press. p. 155. ISBN 9780292774780.
  23. ^ Little, Elbert Luther; Marrero, José (2001). Árboles comunes de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes (in Spanish). La Editorial, UPR. ISBN 9780847703838.
  24. ^ "Revista de la Universidad de PR en Arecibo". Cuarto Propio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  25. ^ "soplapote". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 September 2020.
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