😎 Spanish Slang
Spanish slang changes from country to country. Some expressions are understood almost everywhere, while others are unique to one region. This lesson introduces common slang that you'll hear in everyday conversations.
🟢 Common Spanish Slang
😎 Vale (Spain)
Okay / Sounds good.
Okay / Sounds good.
👍 Dale (Argentina & Uruguay)
Okay! / Go ahead! / Let's do it!
Okay! / Go ahead! / Let's do it!
👋 ¿Qué onda? (Mexico)
What's up?
What's up?
😄 ¡Qué chévere! (Colombia, Venezuela, Peru)
That's awesome!
That's awesome!
🟡 Slang Around the Spanish-Speaking World
🇪🇸 Spain
Guay
Cool.
Tío / Tía
Mate / Dude.
Guay
Cool.
Tío / Tía
Mate / Dude.
🇲🇽 Mexico
Órale
Come on! / Wow! / Let's go!
No manches
No way!
Órale
Come on! / Wow! / Let's go!
No manches
No way!
🇦🇷 Argentina
Che
Hey!
Boludo
Mate (among friends) or idiot (depending on context).
Che
Hey!
Boludo
Mate (among friends) or idiot (depending on context).
🇨🇴 Colombia
Parce
Buddy.
Bacano
Awesome.
Parce
Buddy.
Bacano
Awesome.
🔴 Expressions You'll Hear Often
🎉 ¡Está padre!
That's really cool! (Mexico)
That's really cool! (Mexico)
🔥 ¡Qué guay!
How cool! (Spain)
How cool! (Spain)
😄 ¡De una!
Absolutely! / Right away! (Colombia)
Absolutely! / Right away! (Colombia)
🚀 ¡Vamos!
Let's go!
Let's go!
💬 Everyday Conversations
🇲🇽 Mexico
A: ¿Qué onda?
B: Todo bien.
A: What's up?
B: Everything's good.
A: ¿Qué onda?
B: Todo bien.
A: What's up?
B: Everything's good.
🇪🇸 Spain
A: ¡Qué guay!
B: Vale.
A: That's awesome!
B: Okay!
A: ¡Qué guay!
B: Vale.
A: That's awesome!
B: Okay!
🇦🇷 Argentina
A: Che, ¿vamos?
B: Dale.
A: Hey, shall we go?
B: Let's do it!
A: Che, ¿vamos?
B: Dale.
A: Hey, shall we go?
B: Let's do it!
⚠️ Slang Tips
Slang changes quickly and can mean different things depending on the country. Some words, like boludo, may be friendly between close friends but rude in other situations. If you're unsure, stick to standard Spanish until you become familiar with local expressions.
🏆 Final Practice
Try saying these slang expressions before pressing play.
- Vale
- Dale
- ¿Qué onda?
- ¡Qué guay!
- Parce
- ¡De una!