They Don’t Speak Spanish in Buenos Aires

August 12, 2007

 Five months ago I moved to Buenos Aires to learn Spanish. No one warned me that they do not speak Spanish there. They speak Castellano but more importantly in the Capital city they speak almost pure slang. Babies (nenes), street kids (pibes), parents (viejos) and grandparents (abuelos) will dizzy foreigners with words they know will make no sense. So here it is, the cheat sheet. I am inviting you into the clubhouse…weather or not you will make the cut as a true local (porteno) is up to you. Here are the basics, practice them with an Italian accent and you’ll be somewhat prepared.

First a little history: The foundation of BA slang, Lunfardo, was born together with the tango in the end of the 19th century. The base of Lunfardo has a lot to do with the poor street life and with the immigration that populated the city; originally Spanish and Italian, followed later by Russians, Germans, and other northern European countries. Thus, naturally combining different languages and cultures to harmonize the locals.

The most important words to know are “che” and “boludo.” You will hear them constantly.
Che, after the great Che, is used to get the attention of a friend, like we use Yo!
Boludo comes next and is similar to Dude, Idiot, Jerk, but the locals here use it in a friendly way, “Che, boludo!” to greet friends.
The second most important trick to understanding Castellano and being understood is the pronunciation of “ll” and “y.” If you thought it was odd to say tortilla (torti-ya) you will feel even weirder saying torti-sha. In Buenos Aires “ll” and “y” are pronounced “sh.” A few examples to try out loud (en voz alta) :

1. calle (street) : CA-SHAY

2. villa (slum) : VEE- SHA

3. bombilla (drinking straw) : BOM-BEE-SHA

Other very important words and phrases:

cara de culo—Literally “ass face.” Someone who is pouting or down in the dumps might have a cara de culo.

hinche pelotas : a way to say “breaking balls”, for example when someone is getting on your nerves you might say, “Che, boludo no me hinche pelotas!” Meaning, stop irritating me!

mangos—Used like “pesos.” More or less would translate in the U.S. to “bucks.”
Cheto (concheto)—Snobby. Stuck up.
tener fiaca— To feel lazy.
barbarro—”Great,” “cool,” okay”…
un pucho : cigarette
guarda! : look out!
laburar : to work
una mina : a chick,a girl
un pibe : a kid
un tipo : a guy
un quilombo : a mess
trucho : fake

This brief list is a good starting point, however perfecting BA slang is like trying to trying to walk through the Sahara…you might think you’ve come a long way but the journey is long and you will need serious dedication to complete the camino. Also, this language is very personal and can’t be learned on the internet- so come, get confused, get lost on the colectivo (bus) and taste the flavor.