Some time ago we covered many of the most prominent LUNFARDO (Argentinian Slang) words in THIS ARTICLE. Today I want to share with you a more singular compilation. This time, it’s of Argentinian slang phrases, idioms and expressions that you’ll certainly spot frequently among the speech of Argentinian people.
You don’t know what LUNFARDO is? Start HERE and then come back.
I once heard that Argentina is like a lab for Spanish, a country where we are always experimenting with language. We are inventive, to say the least. I love to perk my ears and hunt down Argentinian phrases whenever I hear them.
Be careful, though. Some of these Argentinian Spanish slang expressions can be gross. It’s better to play safe and stay away from those marked with an * altogether, or at least until you feel you know what contexts are appropriate to use them. You could have fun at Google translate with the literal translations of those that are not ‘transparent’ enough.
The importance of slang expressions in every day conversation
If you’re planning on traveling to Argentina or regularly hang out with Argentinians, you should definitely learn some of our slang phrases. We Argentinians are known for using a lot of slang in our everyday conversations, and it’s a big part of our culture.
By understanding some of these phrases, you’ll be able to engage in conversations more easily and make connections with locals. Plus, it’s just fun to use some of the more colorful expressions we have.
Okay, just one last thing, before we move on.
Expressions, phrases and idioms
Before you dive into the list below, perhaps it’s relevant to understand the basic difference between expressions, phrases and idioms.
It’s easy to think of these terms as interchangeable. But, strictly speaking, they aren’t.
PHRASE: A phrase is just a group of words that go together to convey a certain meaning. It can be a subject or predicate or just a bunch of words that modify other parts of a sentence. Phrases can include a subject and a verb, but they don’t always form a complete sentence on their own.
EXPRESSION: An expression, on the other hand, is a group of words that are commonly used together. Expressions can be made up of one or more words and often have a cultural or historical context.
IDIOM: Idioms are expressions that have a meaning that is not immediately obvious from the words used. They often have a figurative meaning that cannot be inferred from the literal meaning of the words. Idioms are unique to a language or culture and can be difficult to understand for non-native speakers.
Even when you can learn these phrases, expressions and idioms without knowing what they are exactly, you could ask yourself ‘What’s this?’
It’s difficult to find the exact match for some, but I tried to get as close to the idea as I could. If you know a better English translation, please let me know!
For some of the phrases here, I’ve already created independent posts that you can read to find examples of how we use them. More coming soon.
Here they are, listed in no particular order:
NO WAY
- Ni en pedo
- Ni ahí
- Ni loco
- Ni a ganchos
(S)HE is CRAZY
- Le faltan algunos caramelos en el tarro
- Le faltan algunos jugadores
- No le sube agua al tanque
- Le patina el embrague
- Está más loco/a que una cabra
I’M IN TROUBLE
- Estoy en el horno
- Estoy hasta las manos
- Se me complicó el partido
- Se me complicó el asado
I’M HUNGRY
- Tengo una lija…
- Me pica el bagre
- Necesito morfar algo
DON’T BOTHER ME
- No me jodas
- No me rompas las pelotas
- No me hinches los huevos
BE CAREFUL
- Ojo
COME WITH ME
- Haceme la gamba
- Haceme la segunda
- Haceme la dos
DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT?
- ¿Te pinta?
- ¿Te copa la idea?
- ¿Te copás?
IGNORE
- No dar bola
- No dar ni la hora
- No dar bolilla
DRUNK
- En pedo
- Escabio
- Choborra
I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD
- Me cayó la ficha
DO YOU THINK I’M STUPID?
- ¿Vos me viste cara de gil?
- ¿Vos me viste cara de boludo?
- ¿Vos me viste la cara?
I’M PUTTING IN A LOT OF EFFORT IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION
- Estoy remando en dulce de leche
YOU’RE BEATING AROUND THE BUSH
YOU CROSSED THE LINE
- Te fuiste a la banquina
- Te fuiste al pasto
- Te zarpaste
- Te fuiste al carajo*
WOULD YOU DO ME A FAVOR?
- ¿Me hacés una gauchada?
DANGEROUS
- Picante
I LAUGHED MY ASS OFF
- Me cagué de risa*
WHAT A MESS!
- ¡Qué quilombo!
- ¡Qué bardo!
IT’S VERY DIFFICULT
- Es un bardo
- Es un chino
- Es un quilombo
- Es un enrosque
- Es un parto
- Es un perno
- Es un pelotazo
I’M OFF TO SLEEP
- Me voy al sobre
- Me voy a apolillar
HE’S WELL OFF
- Le llueve la guita
- Tiene la vaca atada
THAT’S COOL!
- ¡Qué copado!
- ¡Buenìsimo!
THAT’S SURPRISING!
- ¡Qué flashero!
- ¡Què flash!
- ¡Què zarpado!
TRUE or AUTHENTIC
- Es posta
I JUST MADE IT UP
- Mandé fruta
I GOT THE BLUES
- Me bajoneé mal
LOOK AT THAT (reaction to new information)
- Mirá vos
SEE YOU NEVER
- Nos vemos en Disney
YOU’RE SO INDECISIVE
- Sos un culo con rosca
- Sos un/a vueltero/a
BORING
- Un bodrio
- Un embole
I’M ON FOOT
- Estoy a pata
SHUT UP!
- Cerrá el pico
- Cerrá el culo
- Cerrá el orto
- Cerrá el ocote
DON’T BE A PARTY POOPER
- No te pongas la gorra
HE’S A BAD PERSON
- Es un mala leche
SHE’S A BAD PERSON
- Es una mala leche
- Es una zorra
IT’S EXPENSIVE
- Es un afano
- Es un choreo
- Está salado
PUT MORE EFFORT
- Ponete las pilas
- Ponele onda
A GIG
- Una changa
I WAS FIRED
- Me rajaron
YOU RULE!
- Sos un capo
- Sos un groso
- Sos una masa
- Sos lo más
A LOT
- Una bocha
- Una guasada
- Una barbaridad
- Una bestialidad
- Cualquier cantidad
YOU’RE WELCOME
- Olvidate, no es nada
A PAIN IN THE ASS
- Un dolor de huevos*
JUST IN TIME
- Sobre el pucho
A GOOD GUY
- Un buen pibe
VERY BADLY
- Para el orto*
- Para el culo*
- Para atrás
OKAY
- Dale
- A full
- De toque
- De una
GREAT
- Bárbaro
- Zarpado
- Impecable
- Mortal
- Copado
- Piola
- Flama
- ¡Qué golazo!
This is less than 50% of the full content in my reference guide for Argentinian Slang. Click on the image to learn more!
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If you have the chance don’t be afraid to ask your Argentine friends what some of their favorite slang phrases are. They’ll be happy to share and you’ll have a blast learning and using them.
This post is likely to get updated many times as I stumble upon more magic Argentinian phrases or someone points out the ones I’ve missed.
In the meantime, you can watch this great video and learn some new other phrases in context:
And if you use Instagram, The Argentinian Dictionary is going to make your day.
Let’s meet and get deeper into these and other phrases. ¿Te copás? Book your first FREE TRIAL LESSON now!
Happy Argentinian Spanish speaking,
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- Lessons learned from “I taught an octopus play piano”The internet is beautiful. Some people take crazy ideas to action… and surprise everyone else with the outcome.
- Learn Argentinian Spanish like you shouldIf you really want to master Argentinian Spanish, let me set up your learning path for success.
- Malas PalabrasAn overview of how AI handled the transcript of one of my YouTube videos.
- Bancar and AguantarDo you know the difference between these two verbs? Then you’d better read this post!