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Speaking
Argento
A GUIDE TO SPANISH FROM ARGENTINA
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- Speaking Boricua
- Speaking Chileno
ENGLISH
Introduction ���������������������������������������������������������������� 1
Acknowledgements������������������������������������������������������ 3
How to Use this Guide�������������������������������������������������� 5
Speak Like an Argentine���������������������������������������������� 7
Grammar���������������������������������������������������������������������� 9
Pronunciation������������������������������������������������������������ 11
Gestures�������������������������������������������������������������������� 13
ESPAÑOL
Introducción�������������������������������������������������������������� 17
Agradecimientos�������������������������������������������������������� 19
Cómo usar esta guía�������������������������������������������������� 21
Hablar como un argentino������������������������������������������ 23
Gramática������������������������������������������������������������������ 25
Pronunciación������������������������������������������������������������ 27
Gestos ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 29
LEXICON������������������������������������������������������������������ 33
ABOUT THE AUTHOR�������������������������������� 113
QUICK VOCABULARY GUIDES
THE HUMAN BODY�������������������������������������������������� 38
MATE������������������������������������������������������������������������ 39
UPSIDE DOWN ���������������������������������������������������������� 48
CLOTHING ���������������������������������������������������������������� 55
ALCOHOL������������������������������������������������������������������ 69
PEDO ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 71
FOOD ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 89
MONEY�������������������������������������������������������������������� 100
CRIME���������������������������������������������������������������������� 107
Introduction
M y first kiss from a guy (cheek to cheek, not lip to lip) froze
me in place. I mean, I’d never been that close to another
guy before, romantically speaking. The aroma of cigarette smoke
overwhelmed his clothes, his smoke-stained teeth stuck out and
the stubble on his cheek scratched my face. And did I mention?
It was guy!
1
Acknowledgements
F rom the soothing beach in Ocean Park (Puerto Rico) to the
asados and Malbecs of Capital Federal, I’m not sure anyone
who worked with me on this thought it would end. A year’s
hiatus and then another six-month delay stretched the project to
several years. Three people spent innumerable hours with me,
working on the content, ensuring that I captured the nuances of
the language.
Pedro Corradini and his wife, Graciela, sat with me on the beach
for hours, working our way through words and definitions. In
a nod to the regional differences even within a country, we
ran across several words whose meanings the two of them
discussed and argued, Pedro being from Buenos Aires and
Graciela, Córdoba. Frankly, their heated debates were comical.
Both were indispensable to me.
I’d also like to thank Valerie Laigle and Connie Burgwardt for
their immense contribution to the nasty words here. I learned
more about sexual terms, cussing, insults and just plain bad
mouthing then I could have ever expected. How two beautiful
women learned those terms, I’d rather not explore. Because of
them, this book is much more colorful. Thank you.
Jared
3
How to Use this Guide
T o begin, I start with what this book is not. It is not an all-
inclusive dictionary. Nor is there any academic basis for
what appears here. It is also not a dictionary about lunfardo
(although you will run across lunfardo terms that have entered
into daily language). It is a book on slang. Also, the title is NOT
a typo. The word Argento is slang for Argentino.
Please also take into account as you read through the guide that
the focus of the book is Argentine Spanish from Buenos Aires.
While there are terms from other areas as well, the majority of
what you see here comes from the capital city. This does not
mean that the terms are not the same or will not be understood
elsewhere. Just that you will run into other regional usages,
meanings and words once you get outside of Buenos Aires that
are not documented here. I would appreciate hearing about
these as you run across them to include them in the future.
5
Sample Entry:
6
Speak Like an Argentine
B
elieve it or not, Argentine is one of the easiest Spanish
dialects to identify. Even if you do not understand any of
what is said, the pronunciation and rhythms of the language are
so distinct you should quickly learn to identify a speaker as a
native Argentine. This also means that it should be easy to mimic.
Why would you want to mimic the Argentine accent? I can name
several reasons (you decide if they’re stupid reasons). The most
important and perhaps obvious is to communicate better. You
will quickly learn (as with other languages) the same word may
take on vastly different meanings with only a change in intonation.
When the word boludo is pronounced as in bolUUUUUUdo, you
can bet that there is some anger or frustration in the speaker’s
sentence. However, a curt spitting out of boludo may just be a
term of endearment used between friends (generally guys).
7
Grammar really is not that bad. In fact, after a few weeks of
local exposure you will be copying common Argentine sentence
structures, verb conjugations and similar stuff. This section
gives you a couple basic components to review as you prepare
your life blending in. But please don’t spend much time here.
It’s better spent out in the street, conversing.
8
Gestures
A major part of fitting in with Argentines, as I mentioned in
the Introduction, is their passion. Gestures and body
language in Argentina are an obligatory part of communication.
Even without speaking a word, with these gestures you will
clearly communicate your thoughts to the locals.
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2. ¿Qué es esto?
Gesture: fingertips
touching, facing upwards
3. Prolijo
Gesture: fingers towards
body hand in line moves
downward
Meaning: well-mannered,
serious, respectful, a correct
person
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SPEAKING ARGENTO
LEXICON:
33
abrir cancha
founded due to too much work uptight. Aflojá, ya hace dos
or hot weather 2) spoiled, for semanas que no me hablás.
example meat.
agarrada : a verbal argu-
abrir cancha: to make room ment. Tuve una agarrada con
or make way for something, mi jefe ayer. SYN: encon-
for example, a fight. tronazo.
abrirse : to step out, stop agarrarse a trompadas :
taking par t in. Menem se beat the hell out of.
abrió del desempate elec-
toral. SYN: bajarse. agarrárselas : to pick on
someone. Si tenés un mal día
abrochadora : stapler. es cosa tuya, no las agarres
conmigo.
a cabar : to cum.
M
agrandado : having a big
aceto : balsamic vinegar, a ego, full of yourself. SYN: crei-
more common spanish word do, fanfarrón.
is vinagre balsámico.
H a g u a r d a r : to wa i t a
achicar: to chicken out, lose minute, to hold on a minute.
courage. No te achiques, vos Aguárdame un minuto, que
podés hacerlo. SYN: arrugar. tengo alguien en la otra línea.
acomodar: to recommend or al cuete : uselessly. SYN: al
influence, to favor. Entró a la pedo, al dope, al divino botón.
empresa acomodado por su
tío, el gerente regional. al divino botón : uselessly.
SYN: al pedo, al dope, al cue-
H afanar : to steal, rob or te.
swindle. SYN: chorear.
a l d o p e : far ting around,
afilador : a person that goes screwing off, not doing any-
door to door sharpening kni- t h i n g, w a s t i n g t i m e, t h e
ves. inverse of al pedo.
aflojar : 1) to cut down on H M a l palo : 1) to have an
something. Aflojá con los erection 2) to be horny. La
postres, estás gordita. / Aflo- secretaria me tiene al palo
já con las malas palabras, todo el día, está tan buena.
estás hablando con ge n-
te mayor. 2) to stop being
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andá a cagar
H M al pedo : something ambiente : one room in an
useless, that didn’t need to apartment, either living, din-
be done, or that was a waste ing or bedroom. For example
of time. Hice todos los trámi- an apartment with 4 ambien-
tes al pedo porque al final no tes will generally have 3 bed-
me otorgaron la beca. SYN: rooms and a living room. Se
al cuete, al dope, al divino vende departamento de dos
botón. ambientes, cocina y baño
completos.
al pelo : okay, you got it, all
clear, you bet. SYN: joya, lis- M amigarche : a combi-
to, a pleno, a full. nation of the words amigo
and garche, refers to someo-
alcaucil: artichoke, the more ne in between a friend and
common spanish word is boyfriend, friend with bene-
alcachofa. fits. SYN: amigovio, amigo
a l f a j o r : a c o o k i e - l i ke con derecho a roce.
sweet of ten made with amigo con derecho a
dulce de leche and cove- roce : a friend you occasio-
red in chocolate, although nally have sex with, friends
a variety of types and fla- with benefits. SYN: amigo-
vors exists. vio, amigarche.
alpargatas : kind of gau- amigovio/a : a combination
c h o fo ot we a r m ad e of of the words amigo and novio,
knitted rope, canvas and refers to someone in between
an elastic opening on the a friend and boyfriend, friend
upper side. with benefits. SYN: amigar-
alpedear : to idle about. che, amigo con derecho a.
35
andá a cantarle a Gardel
andá a cantarle a Gardel : conflict. Si te ve tu madre
buzz off, go away. con esos tatuajes se arma
la gorda.
H ¡ A n d á ! : 1) C ome on!
Give me a break! No way! arrastrar el ala : to pur-
Me aumentaron el sueldo al sue someone romantically, to
doble. ¡Andá! 2) Get out of court someone. Nena, ¿quién
here, Who do you think you te arrastra el ala? ¿algún
are? ¡Andá! ¿Quién te crees festejante en la mira? SYN:
que sos? festejar.
H M a ndar para el cara- arrugar : to chicken out. Iba
jo : bad, wrong, used to a decirle toda la verdad pero
express that something wor- arrugué a último momento.
ks wrongly, somebody feels
aspamento : an exaggerat-
bad, something was inappro-
ed demonstration of feelings
priate. Este auto anda para
or emotions. Dejá de hacer
el carajo, necesito cambiar-
aspamento y andá al grano.
lo por uno nuevo. / Me sien-
¿Qué fue lo que pasó?
to para el carajo. / Creo que
estoy por enfermar.Lo trató asustado como perro en
para el carajo, tenía razón en bote : really scared.
enojarse. SYN: para el orto.
atenti : Attention! Over here!
H M a parato : a real jerk, Look out!
a tool, an ass. SYN: zapallo.
aterrizar : literally “to land”,
apretar : to make out. to come back to reality.
¡ Araca! : Look out! Here a torranta : a slut or easy
M
come the cops! woman.
37
bárbaro
H bárbaro : 1) cool, great.
THE HUMAN BODY
¡Qué bárbaro te quedó el
vestido! 2) a big deal, huge
balero: head (as in a problem or mess).
bobo: heart Tiene un mambo bárbaro en
bocho: 1) a smart, inte la cabeza.
llectual person 2) a head
bolas: a guy’s balls, bardear : to screw up, mess
up. No la paso bien en la casa
nuts
de mi novio porque sus her-
busarda / buzarda: manas me bardean todo el
stomach or belly tiempo. SYN: joder.
buzón: a large mouth
caripela: face b a r d e r o : someone that
carucha: face complicates things or screws
up stuff. No quiero que mi
chapas: long hair
hijo se junte con ese porque
cola: rear end es muy bardero. SYN: jodón.
crenchas: long and
messy hair bardo : 1) a mess. Había un
croqueta: head bardo en la calle pero nadie
sabía qué había pasado. SYN:
cucusa: head
quilombo. 2) something diffi-
cuore: heart
cult to do or understand.
gamba: a leg
garfios: fingers barra : 1) a bar. 2) group of
jamones: large legs or friends. SYN: los pibes. 3)
thighs, for a woman group of fans, often with a
reputation for violence.
jeta: face
jetón: a large-mouthed barra brava : the 12th man
person or someone with (for a sports team, specifica-
a large face lly soccer) in reference to the
marote: a head influence that the spectators
napia: nose can have in a game.
naso: nose barrilete : kite, the more
ñata: nose common spanish word is
sabiola: a head cometa.
traste: rear end, heinie
bártulos : things, stuff. Dejá
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