How to use CARAJO like an Argentinian

One of my current students is Andrey, a Russian guy who arrived in Argentina in August of this year without any clue of Spanish. Fast forward to December, and you wouldn’t believe how far he has come.

He’s put a lot of hard work and dedication, and he’s spent time and stayed curious all the way through. The best about being immersed in your target language is that you are surrounded by it, you just can’t avoid it. All your waking hours (at least your waking hours) are Spanish waking hours.

I like it when he comes to class with a purebred Argentinian word or phrase he overheard on the street or read online.

The other day we were commenting on the varied and surprising uses of the word CARAJO. He said it would make a good idea for a book: “The 73 different uses of carajo”. I don’t how many different and creative ways of using this word are possible, but here are a few:

• Me importa un carajo | I don’t give a fuck. ‘Me importa un carajo si gana Argentina.’ Sometimes we turn this phrase into tres carajos.
• ¡Vamos carajo! | A phrase we use to celebrate good news or events. If Argentina’s national team or your football team wins a difficult match, we say ‘¡Vamos Argentina/Boca/Racing, carajo!’
• Andate al carajo | Fuck off. Still, we have so many variations to this ‘invitation’ that I should probably write a whole post on it.
• Me mandó al carajo, La mandé al carajo, Lo mandé al carajo, Los mandé al carajo, Las mandé al carajo | The reported phrase for the previous.
• ¿Qué carajo es esto? | What the heck is this?
• No valer un carajo | This is not worth a penny. ‘No vale un carajo.’
• No valer de un carajo | To be useless. ‘¿Para qué me voy a enojar? No vale de un carajo.’
• Tener un talento del carajo | To be very talented. ‘Lucas tiene un talento del carajo para la música.’
• No durar un carajo | Usually to say that something has a short life. ‘La batería de mi celular no dura un carajo.’
• No entender un carajo | When you have no clue, this is the standard phrase. ‘No entendí un carajo lo que dijo.’
• Irse al carajo | This phrase can have a positive or negative meaning. The intonation is very important here. When someone crosses the line, we say ‘Te fuiste al carajo, boludo.’
• Carajear | Last, we have the verb. Carajear means to treat someone in a derogatory manner.

Be ready to hear this and discover other usess of CARAJO in your visit to Argentina. Like I always say when we discuss curse words, don’t try to use them yourself unless you are with friends (or very angry!). Better safe than sorry.

Until next time,

Happy Spanish learning,

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