A blog that claims to dig deep into Porteño Spanish wouldn’t be complete without a post dedicated to the uses of CHE in Argentina, would it?
Whether you bring along any prior knowledge or not, by the time you finish reading, you’ll be ready to start using it! You’ll see that understanding the different uses of this typically Argentinian word is not complex, but quite on the contrary, surprisingly straightforward
Just keep in mind that, like in many other aspects of language learning, honing the details is what really matters.
Ready? Let’s go.
#1 CHE as a vocative
The first thing you should know is that CHE is used as a vocative. Did that help? In plain English, a vocative is:
a word that is used to address someone.
So, what this means is that you’ll hear us using it to get the attention of someone, either someone we know or not. Something like “Hey, [name]”
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- Che, flaco/loco, se te cayó la billetera.
- Che, Nico, te está sonando el teléfono.
As you can see, it’s the first word we use. Once we make sure we get the person’s attention, we proceed to deliver the message.
2# CHE used for emphasis
When we make declarative statements, CHE is very frequently found at the end.
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- ¡Qué caro está todo, che!
- ¡Qué calor que hace, che!
- ¡Qué buena noticia, che!
- ¡Qué suerte, che! Me alegro.
This is one use I particularly like.
3# CHE used before a question
We frequently use it as a pivoting word before we ask something.
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- Che, ¿de dónde sos, Mark?
- Che, Sole, ¿estás ocupada?
In a way, it’s similar to 1#, but the difference is that we are already in a conversation, and we are just opening our question with CHE.
4# CHE used because it’s embedded in our every day communication
And last, what is probably the most native level use of CHE, you’ll hear it as a ‘meaningless’ filler in our sentences.
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- Pero che…
- Será posible, che. Siempre lo mismo en este país.
Alright, that’s it. Hope you’ve learned something today.
Until next time,
Happy Spanish learning,
You might also want to read these articles:
- The Paradox of ChoiceToday, I want to introduce the concept of paradox of choice, and show you how it’s detrimental to your progress.
- Argentinian Spanish Input (part 1)In this post, I included podcasts you can try to leverage your learning with natural input.
- El que te jediLearn a fun way of saying you-know-who in Rioplatense Spanish.
- InfumableHave you heard Argentinians using this word before? If not, you should get ready.
- Memory, Ear, IntuitionThis article breaks down how ear, memory and intuition make for a killer combo in language learning.
- Phrasal Verbs in RPSHave you been crafting your own list of phrasal verbs in Spanish? This is the ultimate resource to extend it and take your understanding even further.