Languages/Lenguajes

If you are planning to travel to Peru, you can click in the buttom below to learn spanish.

Learn additional words or sentences of spanish spoken only in Peru. It is very important to talk to the natives in the jargon they speak. The slang listed in this page is spoken mostly in Lima and in the north region of Peru.

English ...... Peruvian slang

Friend = pata (or) carreta

something cool = es chevere (or) es bacan

police officer = tombo

thief = choro

omnibus (van) = combi

nice guy = gallada

police station = la comica

young woman = gila

brown nose = sobón

gay = maricón (or) ñoco

pretty woman = churro

have a lot of money = tiene bastante mosca (or) guita

have a party = pachanga

security guard = huachimán

tips = propinas

whistle blower = soplón

paper boy = canillita

jail = chirona

bald head = pelado

job = chamba

private eye = tira

succer = froilán

howdy = hola

bye = chao

see you later = nos vemos

woman = jerma

brawler = bochinchero

whiner = ayayero

soccer = futbol

handsome fellow = piedrón

gringo = yungay (DK)

bad luck = salado

girlfriend = flaca (DK)

girlfriend = costilla (DK)

money= plata (DK)

brown nose = chupa medias (DK)

jail = cana (DK)

pants = lompas (DK)

watch = bobo (DK)

tie = soga (DK)

shirt = mica (DK)

sneakers = tabas (DK)

child = chibolo (DK)

young teen = mocoso (DK)

to work = chambear (DK)

to steal = chorear (DK)

a pal = choche (DK)

circle of friends = chochera (DK)

to hit a slam dunk = clavar (DK)

two people making out in public = pulpos (DK)

no way = araque! (DK)

are you serious? = aburrrca! (DK)

someone from the mountains = serrano(a) (DK)

a Latin-American as opposed to a "gringo" = cholo(a) (DK)

blonde = cabeza de choclo (DK)

someone's house = jato (DK)

to hang around the house = jatear (DK)

an idiot = huaman (DK)

to get married = meter la soga (DK)

I have to do it, I don't have a choice = caballero, no mas! (DK)

to be hungry = estar con un filo (DK)

to have a nice body (a woman) = tener un buen chancho (DK)

to have luck = abrocharse (DK)

idiot, jerk = monse (DK)

fake or not real = bamba (DK)

bedroom = tocuar (DK)

pregnant woman = bolero (DK)

police car = burra (DK)

american money = cocos, gringas (DK)

friend = cumpa (DK)

beer = chela (DK)

soda = chela dulce, negra (DK)

big mouth = bocón, jetón (DK)

friend = pata, chochera, choche (EU)

something chever = maldito, paja, chevere, bacan, aluscinante (EU)

pretty woman, good-looking guy = cuero(EU)

girlfriend = hembrita (EU)

boyfriend, girlfriend = machuca fuerte (EU)

jail = cana (EU)

No way! = arranca! (EU)

sleep = jatear (EU)

boring = tela (EU)

stupid, dumb = monse (EU)

to party = tonear (EU)

drink (alcohol) = chupar (EU)

to eat = jamear (EU)

come with me = hazme la taba (EU)

throw up = buitrear (EU)

restroom = ñoba (EU)

thsirt = polo (EU)

guy = cuñado, amigo (EU)

mother = vieja (EU)

father = viejo (EU)

house = jato (EU)

truck = mionca (EU)

to walk = latear (EU)

circle of friends = collera (EU)

to kiss (tongue) = agarrar (EU)

to go out and try to score with no pretty girls = bagrear (EU)

person = punta (EU)

Spanish was originated in Spain and is also officially spoken in: Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Equatorial Guinea, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panamá, El Salvador, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Si algun lector conoce mas modismos, mucho agradeceré enviarlos para incluirlos aqui.
Gracias.

Acknowledgements/Reconocimientos:

Thanks much to:
David Kelly a Texan who lived in Peru and sent me with more slang listed above and noted (DK)

Enrique Urena a Peruvian who sent me the "jerga" listed above and noted (EU)

Updated on 04/16/00

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