Spanish Phrases

Words Your Spanish Teacher Never Taught You

Words Your Spanish Teacher Never Taught You by Cari Luna

Learning slang in a foreign language is a lot of fun and can add flavor to your conversation skills. Just as in English, though, be sure you know when to use it and when more formal language is appropriate. As always, when in doubt, it's best to err on the side of formality.

First, try these slang verbs on for size. Yes, they still have to be conjugated. No todo es miel sobre hojuelas, after all.

cabecear: to nod off while sitting up

codearse: to rub shoulders with

jalarse: to get drunk

jorobar: to pester

meterse con: to mess with, to get involved with

paluchear: to pretend to be something you're not, to pose

CABECEAR: to nod off while sitting up

yo cabeceo (kah-beh-SEH-oh)

tú cabeceas (kah-beh-SEH-ahs)

él, ella, usted cabecea (kah-beh-SEH-ah)

nosotros cabeceamos (kah-beh-seh-AHmohs)

vosotros cabeceáis (kah-beh-seh-AHYS)

ellos, ellas, ustedes cabecean (kah-beh-SEH-ahn)

Cabeceamos en la clase de matemática.

We nod off in math class.

JALARSE: to get drunk

yo me jaleo (hah-LEH-oh)

tú te jaleas (hah-LEH-ahs)

él, ella, usted se jalea (hah-LEH-ah)

nosotros nos jaleamos (hah-leh-AH-mohs)

vosotros os jaleáis (hah-leh-AHYS)

ellos, ellas, ustedes se jalean (hah-LEH-ahn)

Los amigos se jalean en la fiesta.

The friends get drunk at the party.

JOROBAR: to pester

yo jorobo (hoh-ROH-boh)

tú jorobas (hoh-ROH-bahs)

él, ella, usted joroba (hoh-ROH-bah)

nosotros jorobamos (hoh-roh-BAH-mohs)

vosotros jorobáis (hoh-roh-BAHYS)

ellos, ellas, ustedes joroban (hoh-ROH-bahn)

Mis hermanos pequeños me joroban sin piedad.

My little brothers pester me mercilessly.

METERSE CON: to mess with, to get involved with

yo me meto (MEH-toh)

tú te metes (MEH-tehs)

él, ella, usted se mete (MEH-teh)

nosotros nos metemos (meh-TEH-mohs)

vosotros os metéis (meh-TEHYS)

ellos, ellas, ustedes se meten (MEH-tehn)

No me meto con descarados.

I don't mess with scoundrels.

PALUCHEAR: to pretend to be something you're not, to pose

yo palucheo (pah-loo-CHEH-oh)

tú palucheas (pah-loo-CHEH-ahs)

él, ella, usted paluchea (pah-loo-CHEH-ah)

nosotros palucheamos (pah-loo-cheh-AH-mohs)

vosotros palucheáis (pah-loo-cheh-AHYS)

ellos, ellas, ustedes paluchean (pah-loo-CHEH-ahn)

Andrea paluchea como si fuera famosa.

Andrea acts like she's famous.

Slang Words and Phrases <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <tbody> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>a load of bull</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>rollo</emphasis></p> <p>ROH-yoh a</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>lot</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>un resto</emphasis></p> <p>oon REH-stoh</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>as is</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>tal cual</emphasis></p> <p>tahl kwahl</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>to ask for trouble</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>sacar boleto</emphasis></p> <p>sah-KAHR boh-LEH-toh</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>bad luck</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>mala pata</emphasis></p> <p>MAH-lah PAH-tah</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>burn the midnight oil</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>quemarse las pestañas</emphasis></p> <p>keh-MAHR-seh lahs peh-STAH-nyahs</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>to brag</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>darse bomba</emphasis></p> <p>DAHR-seh BOHM-bah</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>carelessly</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>a la fresca viruta</emphasis></p> <p>ah lah FREH-skah vee-ROO-tah</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>Cool! ¡</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Qué guay! ¡Qué padre!</emphasis></p> <p>keh gwahy/keh PAH-dreh</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>to give the creeps</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>dar cosa a</emphasis></p> <p>dahr KOH-sah ah</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>Go to hell!</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>¡Vete al diablo!</emphasis></p> <p>VEH-teh ahl dee-AH-bloh</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>It's all the same to me.</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Me da igual.</emphasis></p> <p>meh dah ee-GWAHL</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>to make a mistake</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>pelar rata</emphasis></p> <p>peh-LAHR RAH-tah</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>Not a chance!</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>¡Ni de chiste!</emphasis></p> <p>nee deh CHEEH-steh</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>okay, sure</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>vale</emphasis></p> <p>VAH-leh</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>to paint the town red</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>rumbiar</emphasis></p> <p>room-bee-AHR</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>so far, so good</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>vamos bien</emphasis></p> <p>VAH-mohs bee-EHN</p></td> </tr> <tr> <entry valign="top"><p>stupidly</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>a lo idiota</emphasis></p> <p>ah loh ee-dee-OH-tah</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table>  <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/spanish-phrases/idioms-sayings-and-slang/say-it-with-a-saying.htm" title="Say It with a Saying">Say It with a Saying</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/spanish-phrases/appendix-a-essential-words-and-phrases/" title="Essential Spanish Words and Phrases">Essential 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