What does CHE mean in Argentina?

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]”

• • 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.

• • ¡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.

• • 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.

• • 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,

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