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List of Puerto Rican phrases, words and slangs

This is a list of phrases, words, and slang used in Puerto Rico.

When visiting a foreign region, it is useful to know some of the regional slang. Learning some foreign slangs from another country or area could be convenient because if a person accidentally insults someone from the area visited, problems can arise. On the other hand, there are many phrases used in different languages that could be funny in one place and mean nothing in another country that speaks the same language.

This can be specially said of Spanish language phrases across Latin America: In Puerto Rico, for example, the word Chocha means a private female part, while in Mexico that same word represents a bird. In Argentina, a Chocha, when speaking of it in Puerto Rican terms, is actually called a Concha, word which in Puerto Rico signifies Sea shell.

Here is a list of commonly used slangs in Puerto Rico, their purposes and a loose translation into the English language:

  • Ahi va, a las millas del chaflan! (critizism, there he (she) goes, speeding that car with miles from hell!)
  • Chingar, chingando,joder,chichar (about having sexual intercourse)
  • Colgue and its many adjectives, such as colgar, colgaste and others,as in me colge (I got hung over in school, colgue or colgar, when told to a student who is failing in school, is a critizism statement)
  • Como alma que lleva "er" diablo! (comical, he (she) took off running as if his (her) soul was possessed by the devil)
  • Dar un tumbe (we are gonna kill, criminal, usually used by mafiosos)
  • Dejo las tennis en el piso! (comical, he (she) ran so fast that he (she) left his (her) tennis shoes right there!)
  • En el carro de Don Fernando!(un ratito a pie y otro andando)-this rhymes in spanish- (comical, (we are going) on Mr Fernandos car, when there is no working car at reach)
  • Ese salio por lana y llego trasquilao (comical, meaning that a person went for something, using lana-money as an example, and came back worse than when the person left)
  • Estas buena(o)! (sexist, you're fine!)
  • Esta(s) brutal!! ( you're brutal!, could be either a compliment or insult, depending on the situation)
  • Esta(s) Camaron! (same as estas brutal! only that, when used to a person, its usually a critizism, When used for a subject, it is usually meant as a compliment)
  • Estas tenso, papa! (comical, invented by Sunshine Logrono, a satirical phrase towards homosexualism, Your muscles are tense, daddy!!)
  • Las cosas se pusieron a chavito prieto (comical, to describe a serious economical situation, Things turned for a penny each)
  • Los huevos se pusieron duros (same as Las cosas se pusieron a chavito prieto, the eggs turned hard)
  • Mi amigo el pintor! (comical, my buddy the painter, used frequently to make fun of men whose wifes commit adultery)
  • Miercoles! (Wednesday, a less offending phrase than Mierda, which sounds like Miercoles but means excrement)
  • No lo encuentran ni en los centros espiritistas (comical, it can't even be found in a witchcraft center, when things get lost)
  • Perro que huele carne.... (comical, Dog that smells meat... describes a situation where a person might suspect something he or she wants is within reach)
  • Se formo un corre y corre! (comical, A race was formed for everyone to get out of there!, exact meaning as Se formo un sal pa' fuera!)
  • Se formo un sal pa fuera! (comical, A get-out-of-here-situation formed! to describe a violent situation in which many ran from the scene in a lighter way, also used to describe a street fight or other violent situations)
  • Se lucio el chayote! (critizism, the coyote is showing off! to speeding drivers, honking drivers or drivers that screech their wheels before parking their car)
  • Sientate a esperar! (Sit down and wait!, used when a person promises someone something while lying)
  • So Cabron(a)! (insult, usually directed to a person whose partner has been cheating on them, calling someone this can lead to death. You fool (theyre cheating on you!) is a very dangerous phrase in Puerto Rico)
  • Tanto nadar para ahogarse en la orilla! (lament, so much swimming, only to drown at the coastline, usually used for someone who has come very close to complete something but failed)
  • Te cagaste del miedo! (comical, you shit your pants from being scared!)
  • Tu eres bien fiebru(a)! (usually a compliment, you're really into that!, to admire someone's passion for something)
  • Tu si que eres presentao!, so presentao! and tu eres bien presentao! (critizism, when someone thinks the other person is getting into what is not your business)
  • Va pa chirola! (someone is going to jail)
  • Vete pa'l Caribe Hilton! (less insulting version of Vete pa'l carajo!)
  • Vete pa'l carajo! (insult, sometimes accompanied by a so cabron(a) right after it. It means go to hell!)
  • Volando Bajito! (critizism, flying low, usually to describe road speeders)
  • Y se le(s) esta haciendo tarde! (sports phrase, And it's becoming too late already!, when an individual or team is far behind on scoring as the event nears its conclusion)
  • Como el Rosario de la Aurora (it is used when a party ends up with a fight)
  • Se armo la de sanquintin (It formed la de sanquintin) similar to "El Rosario de la Aurora"
  • chota tattletale (known in Mexico as soplon
  • comemierda (shit eater) it is used when some person thinks that he/she is the greatest person on Earth (known in american english as "snob")

Some phrases from other countries (especially those used in El Chapulín Colorado and El Chavo del Ocho Mexican shows) have made their way into Puerto Rican slang. Among the most popular ones are Chapulíns No contaban con mi astucia (they didn't count on my smarts), Siganme los buenos! (Follow me, the good ones!) and Chavos Fue sin querer queriendo! (I purposedly did it, but not on purpose!).

Last updated: 05-23-2005 05:52:19