Quick Guide

to Mexican
Spanish
 presents

Quick Guide
to Mexican
Spanish

Language Babel, Inc.

Copyright ©2013 by Language Babel, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by Language Babel, Inc., San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Printed in the United States of America by Language Babel, Inc.

ISBN-10: 1484955455 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1484955451
Printed in the United States of America by Language Babel, Inc.
Version 1
 SPEAKING LATINO KUDOS

“My grandfather Juan Mauricio Lopez would be happy.

The book is very good , It will help me understand and
learn more words of the Mexican culture of my mother and
grandfather. Thank you very much! There were some of the
words I knew, thank again.”
- E.M. Waters Amazon Review on
Quick Guide to Mexican Spanish book

“Jared is the go-to guy for anyone learning or considering

learning Spanish, and he’ll blow you away with how much he
knows about the Latin American varieties of the language.”
- Donovan Nagel, Mezzofanti Guild: An Online Community
of Serious Language Learners

“Romey translates common colloquialisms into English so

that Americans can actually understand what the heck locals
are saying when they visit South American countries.”
- Monica Garske, AOL News

“Acabo de descubrir Speakinglatino.com. Que sitio más

padre, chido, chévere, tuanis, bacán...”
- Jake Fisher comment on Facebook

“@JaredRomey ¡¡¡Me ca*** de risa!!! ¡Buenísimo! I had to

pause several times to recover from laughing! You made my
day!”
- @MultiMae from Mae’s Language Lounge Blog via Twitter

3
 THE STORY OF SPEAKING LATINO

Suffering a typical 9-5 existence, Jared’s foray into

lunch-hour Spanish shook up his mundane life. He
quit his job, stopped by briefly to school, and then left
the US…for 14 years. Early stumblings in real-world
Spanish taught him that a cola isn’t just a soft drink,
bicho doesn’t always mean a bug, and boludo may be
heartfelt or middle-finger felt. Twelve countries, three
startups, two bestsellers and a Puerto Rican wife later,
he’s still confounded by how many Spanish words exist
for “panties.”

Their personal experiences highlight common confusions

of every-day Spanish. With the views of a native Spanish
speaker and a gringo who picked it up as an adult, they
constantly find entertaining and controversial lessons
on how to communicate in Spanish. The Speaking
Latino books and website are a consequence of
Jared’s bumblings in Spanish, crossed communications
with Diana, repeated bouts with culture shock, and
confusions over the correct words for popcorn,
gasoline, pen, bus,
underwear, traffic
jam and drinking
straw. One of the
strangest things
for him to accept
while learning
Spanish was why
he spent years in
classes, and yet a
Jared large portion of the
Diana words he learned
didn’t do a bit of
4
good in the real world. It still amazes him that depending
on where you are chiringa, barrilete, papalote, papagayo,
pandorga, chichigua, cometa or volantín all mean the
same thing: kite.

Diana, a native Spanish speaker, and Jared, a fluent

Spanish speaker who learned the language as an adult,
share their research and personal experiences about
local Spanish from across the Spanish-speaking world
in Speaking Latino. Books and eBooks that collect
and translate thousands of Spanish slang words and
phrases, articles on Spanish used in specific countries,
Spanish learning tips and a searchable Spanish slang
dictionary with tons of local words all move you towards
real world Spanish fluency.

Follow their discoveries at www.speakinglatino.com.

A FREE MEXICAN SPANISH BONUS FROM

JARED & DIANA IS WAITING FOR YOU AT

Receive your
bonus
List of Common
Mexican Spanish
Phrases FREE.

To receive it just follow the directions here:

www.speakinglatino.com/mexican-spanish-bonus

5
 ABOUT THE
“QUICK GUIDE TO MEXICAN SPANISH”

This quick guide of words and phrases from

Mexico will help you better understand this North
American country. The collection of over 500
terms and sayings will help you become familiar
with the richness of Mexican Spanish. It includes
colloquially used words and some dirty ones too!

Each term has been defined in English and

synonyms are included when available. There
are also more than 400 example sentences. Each
entry is presented as follows:

aflojó: 1) to give in, say yes 2) finally

agreed to sex, allowed intercourse
SYN: 1) doblarse
0 1) ¿Habló o no habló? - Aflojó y
cantó como pajarito 2) ¿Aflojó o no? -
No, se apretó.

Abbreviations and Symbols:

SYN: synonyms or similar words
0 example sentence

6
 ACERCA DEL
“QUICK GUIDE TO MEXICAN SPANISH”

Esta guía rápida de palabras y frases de México

te ayudará a entender mejor el habla de este
país norteamericano. La recopilación de más de
500 términos y dichos te ayudará a familiarizarte
con la riqueza del español mexicano e
incluye coloquialismos sin dejar fuera algunos
vulgarismos.

Cada término ha sido definido en inglés y, en la

mayoría de los casos, se han incluído sinónimos y
más de 400 ejemplos de uso. Las entradas están
presentadas de la siguiente manera:

aflojó: 1) to give in, say yes 2) finally

agreed to sex, allowed intercourse
SYN: 1) doblarse
0 1) ¿Habló o no habló? -Aflojó y
cantó como pajarito 2) ¿Aflojó o no?
-No, se apretó.

Abreviaturas y símbolos:
SYN: sinónimos o palabras similares
0 Oración de ejemplo

7
Spanish Words
& Phrases
from Mexico
 A 0 ¿Como te vas a ir
a tu casa? A patín no
a chuchita la hay de otra.
bolsearon: a poor
and unbelievable/
irrelevant excuse or
pretext
0 Me vas a salir con
que a chuchita la A PATÍN
bolsearon y no voy a a su madre: very
permitir excusas. good

a huevo: by force, a vergazo :

forced to do submission by
something physical beating
SYN: a fuerza SYN: a chingadazos
0 No quiere comer. 0 Y lo agarramos a
Ahora se lo come a vergazos y empezó a
huevo. llorar como niña.

a la verde: the heck abre sodas: bottle

with it opener
SYN: a la verga SYN: destapador
0 Necesito el abre
a lo bestia: used for sodas, por favor.
huge quantities of
something abusado: from the
SYN: un montón word “aguzado,” be
0 Si supieras que aware of something
Miguel está ganando or someone, possible
dinero a lo bestia. danger, alert, on
guard
a patín: on foot 0 Ponte abusado
SYN: a golpe de en el centro, roban
calcetín mucho.
11
acelerado: frantic, 0 No te puedes
hyperactive, in a acoplar esta vez
hurry porque van a revisar
SYN: con prisa en la entrada a
0 Andas todo todos.
acelerado, relájate
un poco. acostón: sexual
encounter between
achicalada: beating two individuals which
SYN: madriza results in a “walk of
0 Le pusimos una shame” for one of
achicalada que no them and a “brag
se le va a olvidar en story” for the other
un mes. 0 La noche terminó
en un acostón.
achicopalar:
embarrass, humiliate aflojó: 1) to give
SYN: aguitar in, say yes 2) finally
0 No se me agreed to sex,
achicopale, todo va allowed intercourse
a estar bien. SYN: 1) doblarse
0 1) ¿Habló o no
achisparse: to get habló? - Aflojó y
drunk cantó como pajarito
2) ¿Aflojó o no? - No,
se apretó.

agachón: a pushover,
a loser, a mama’s boy

agandallar: take
ACHIPARSE advantage of a
acoplar: to crash a situation, to steal
party something
SYN: colar SYN: arrebatar
12
0 Hay que la pintura está fresca.
agandallar las
bicicletas ahorita
que no están viendo.
/ Tenemos que
llegar temprano a
agandallar asientos.

agarrar en curva: AGUAS FRESCAS

to surprise a person,
similar to the aguas frescas: a
expression “like a light non-alcoholic
deer in headlights” beverages that
SYN: por sorpresa combines fruits,
0 ¿Dónde están cereals, flowers, or
los reportes? Me seeds with sugar and
agarró en curva jefe, water, usually sold by
permítame buscarlos. street vendors

agasajo: passionate agüite: sadness,

encounter that does shame, discomfort
not end up in sex, SYN: triste, decaído,
making out deprimido
SYN: faje 0 Usted no se
0 Jenny y David agüite, después va la
están en pleno nuestra.
agasajo.

aguas: look out!,

expression of warning
SYN: cuidado
0 Aguas en ese
lugar, es muy AGUJETAS
peligroso de noche. /
Aguas con la pared, agujetas: shoe laces
13
ah caray: hold on, commonly, whenever
wait a sec one gets around to
0 ¿Ah caray? Creo it after an indefinite
que estas cuentas period of time, but
están mal hechas, probably today
tendré que volverlas SYN:
a hacer. inmediatamente, en
este momento
ah, chinga: what? 0 Ahorita mismo te
really? vas a la casa.
0 No pudimos
evitarlo. - Ah chinga, ajá: another way to
explícamelo paso a say “yes”
paso. SYN: si, esta bien, ok
0 ¿Entendiste todo lo
ah, muy chingón: que te dije? ¡Ajá!
question a person’s
acts or statements, ajuchar: irritate
challenging a another person make
person’s ability him angry or upset
SYN: en serio 0 Ya no andes
0 Pero me dijo él ajuchando a Raúl,
que lo podía hacer. que es muy bravo.
Ah, muy chingón, que
lo haga entonces. al ratón nos vemos:
see you later
ahí nos vidrios:
farewell, see you later al tiro con: be aware
SYN: adiós of something or
0 Ahí nos vidrios, ya someone, possible
estoy muy cansado, danger
me voy a mi casa. SYN: cuidado
0 Al tiro con esa
ahorita: right now at colonia en la noche,
this moment, or more asaltan mucho.
14
 amolar: to spoil or
break something
SYN: descomponer,
chingar, fregar
0 Ya te amolaste la
computadora.

ALBERCA andar bien coco: to

alberca: a swimming be high on cocaine
pool
andar pacheco: to
alipuz: alcoholic be high
beverage of any kind
SYN: un trago antro: a nightclub
0 ¿Nos tomamos SYN: discoteca
unos alipuces o qué? 0 Esta noche voy al
antro.

apañar: 1) to make
out 2) take an object
or seat, without giving
any kind of notice,
usually refers to take
advantage of being
the first on something,
or stealing
ALIPUZ SYN: 1) fajar 2) robar
alzar: to clean up, to 0 1) Tiene mucho
pick up tiempo que no apaño
SYN: guardar con mi esposo, quizás
0 Necesito alzar los me engaña. 2) Me
platos. apañé la tarea de
Alicia, no se dio
amarra navajas: a cuenta. / Apaña los
gossip asientos antes que
15
llegue más gente. intercourse
0 La verdad me
apapacho: a caress gustaba la chica,
or pampering pero se apretó.
SYN: consentir
0 Necesito un apuñalar la araña: to
apapacho, me siento screw, have sex
mal.
apurarse: hurry up,
apartado: the part in get moving
someone’s hair SYN: ¡ándale!
SYN: la raya 0 Apúrate a cocinar
0 Me hice el que en un rato llega
apartado por en tu papá.
medio.
araña: 1) an easy
aplatanado: without woman, generous
energy, slow in sexual favors but
SYN: apendejado with little grace,
0 Me siento education or looks 2)
aplatanado, algo no an ugly prostitute 3)
me cayó bien en la pussy
cena. SYN: 2) puta
0 2) Entonces nos
aplicó: a payback, vamos a la zona roja
getting back at y buscamos unas
someone arañas.
0 Esta vez no fue
posible escaparnos argüende: gossip,
de la clase, la mess
maestra nos la aplicó SYN: alaraca
y nos cerró la puerta. 0 ¿Por qué tanto
argüende?
apretar: to deny
sex, not to allow arrastrar la cobija: to
16
be depressed, sad or 0 Ay, no mames,
sleepy que eso te lo crea tu
SYN: deprimido abuelita.
0 Ya supéralo y deja
de andar arrastrando
la cobija.

atorar: to harm or
hide, to rob
SYN: robar
0 ¿Qué te pasó?
Me atoraron en la
esquina.

aventarse un palo: to
get laid
SYN: echarse un palo
0 Me aventé un palo
antes de salir de
viaje.

avivarse: expression
to say “Pay
attention!”
SYN: fíjate!
0 Si no nos avivamos
al rato, nos ganan el
lugar.

ay nanita: expression
of fear

ay, no mames: don’t

lie, I don’t believe
you
17
 Quick Guide
to Mexican
Spanish

Language Babel, Inc.

QUICK GUIDE TO MEXICAN SPANISH

END OF PREVIEW

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE FULL eBook OR PAPERBACK:

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visit http://www.speakinglatino.com/spanish-slang-books/
 PHOTOS & ILLUSTRATIONS CREDITS
Page 5 Presentation.
1) Giant Calavera de la Catrina
in the Zocalo by -Chupacabras-,
on Flickr. http://www.flickr.
com/photos/25222005@
N08/2988545640/ 2) Chichen Itza’s
Kukulcan Temple by kyle simourd,
on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/
photos/89241789@N00/750441966/
Page 7 Presentación.
1) Jimador, Tequila Jalisco Mexico.
by Celso Flores, on Flickr http://www.
flickr.com/photos/celso/4513443271/
2) El sabor de México // Bodegón
de Chiles by ArmandoH2O, on
Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/
armandoh2o/8132046655/
Page 11 A patín. Public domain image
(CC0). http://pixabay.com/en/outline-
drawing-people-boy-man-33483/
Page 12 Achiparse. Public domain
image (CC0). http://pixabay.com/en/
stick-symbol-people-man-guy-40577/
Page 13 Aguas frescas. By Biskuit from
Atlanta, GA [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File%3AAguasFrescas.jpg
Page 13 Agujetas. By Marcos
André (http://www.flickr.com/photos/
marcodede/103064681/) [CC-
BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia
Commons. http://commons.
wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACross-
laced_white_sneaker_shoelaces.jpg
Page 15 Alberca. Public domain
image (CC0). http://pixabay.
72
com/en/summer-outdoor-palms-
tourism-69739/
Page 15 Alipuz. By Andreamicci
(Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Mitch_(cocktail).jpg
Page 19 Bocho. CC0 PD
Dedication. http://openclipart.org/
detail/4454/beetle-%28car%29-by-
chrisdesign-4454
Page 19 Bote de basura. Public
domain License (CC0). http://pixabay.
com/en/black-outline-drawing-
sketch-33874/
Page 20 Brusqui. Public domain
image License (CC0). http://pixabay.
com/en/glass-cup-bottle-cartoon-
mug-29461/
Page 21 Cacle. By Mike Gonzalez
(TheCoffee) (Own work) [CC-BY-
SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://
www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via
Wikimedia Commons.
Page 23 Cantón. CC0 PD Dedication.
http://openclipart.org/detail/28497/
house-icon-by-purzen
Page 24 Chabacano. By Fir0002
(Own work) [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.
gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-
1.2.html)], via Wikimedia Commons.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File%3AApricot_and_cross_section.
jpg
Page 26 Chapulín. Public domain
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75
 MORE RESOURCES

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vocabulary with the second
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Available in paperback, ebook
and PDF.

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77
Quick Guide
to Mexican
Spanish

This quick guide of words and

phrases from Mexico will help
you better understand this North
American country. The collection
of over 500 terms and sayings will
help you become familiar with the
richness of Mexican Spanish. It
includes colloquially used words
and some dirty ones too!

Each term has been defined in

English and synonyms are included
when available. There are also
more than 400 example sentences
and 50 illustrations.