When we like something, we are offered several different expressions with the verbs SER and ESTAR. Saying es genial or está genial is not bad at all, but you can always try to be more expressive.
That’s where the words I’m sharing with you today can help.
Mortal, letal, tremendo and zarpado are commonly used by Argentinians to replace genial.
-¿Qué tal el show de Roger Waters?
-Tremendo, el tipo se tocó todo.
Another possibility is to use mortal in strong agreement and letal with the meaning of very difficult.
-Te paso a buscar tipo 10, ¿dale?
-Dale, mortal. Gracias.
-Qué calor, ¿no?
-Letal, amigo, no se puede salir.
So next time you’re tempted to say genial, take that extra second to switch genial for one of these cooler alternatives.
Have fun!
You might also want to read these articles:
- False expectations are deadlyIn language learning, false expectations can do real damage. Here’s why patience and perseverance win the race.”
- Argentinian Spanish vs Mexican SpanishIn the past, I compared Argentinian Spanish to Peninsular Spanish and Uruguayan Spanish. Here’s the long due AR / MX comparison.
- Cognates and False FriendsLearn about cognates and false cognates so they don’t surprise further down in your Spanish learning journey.
- CancherearDive into the nuances of the word ‘canchero’ and how ‘cancherear’ can make or break a moment.
- Hacer una vaquitaI’m not going to argue how ridiculous this phrase may sound at first. Let me just tell you what it means in Argentina.
- Pizza in ArgentinaAn appreciation post dedicated to pizza—specifically, Argentine-style pizza.