When I moved to Spain, I thought I knew Spanish.

Boy was I wrong. Little did I know, my teaching program was sending me to a a rural Spanish village in the deep south of Spain that essentially spoke their own dialect. They neglected to pronounce any and all S and R sounds, and pretty much all consonants for that matter. I remember arriving to the village it like it was yesterday:

Maribel, my speed-of-light-talking mentor came to pick me up from my program orientation. Four years worth of high school Spanish classes and over 80 verb conjugations committed memory, I was confident I’d be able to march up to Maribel and have a full fledge philosophical conversation. I mean heck, I even know my irregular verbs.

To say I was wrong? Well, that’s an understatement.

Two hours into the car ride to our village, I caught one word: baño. “Oh, sure, sí, I need the baño!” I realized then and there that no Spanish class could’ve prepared me for the next nine months.

Those fateful nine months turned into a fully immersive Spanish bootcamp. No classes — just las calles. I was the only English speaker in my village. I had no choice.

Isn’t it amazing what necessity does for us?

The good news is, I made it out alive, flourishing, and yes — fluent.

For all you Spain-bound travelers who want to impress the locals with your Spanish and even earn some street cred, this is for you.

Ya estamos listos? Venga, vale, vamos!

Phrases for practical everyday life:

Guiri: Foreigner

Literal translation: a foreigner in Spain, often burnt crispy from the sun, rocking high socks, a Hawaiian button-down, and a camera around the neck.

In context: Me and if you’re reading this, probably you. Even two years later, my Spanish friends still call me “la guiri.” If you are in fact a guiri, it’s extremely important to recognize the word from afar, as they’re probably talking about you.

Vale/ venga/ vamos: Ok, let’s do it!

Literal translation: Okay / Come on / Let’s Go

In context: If you ever want to sound like a local but are at a loss for words, just pick one of these three words (or all three if you’re extra stoked) and you’ll be good to go. Awkward silence vanished, street cred earned. Especially vale — that should always be in your back pocket ready to go.

Que chulo / Que guay / me mola!: So cool!

Literal translation: So cool / how cool / it’s so cool to me!

In context: Your friend shows you his sweet new motorcycle. You respond to him enthusiastically, “Que guay! Me mola mucho!”

Madre mía: Oh my god!

Literal translation: “Mother of mine!”

In context: Whenever you want to say omg, say this instead. Whip this bad boy out any time you encounter a scenario that’s surprising, frustrating, scary or interesting.

Tio/ Tia: Dude

Literal translation: Aunt/ Uncle

In context: No, it has nothing to do with your aunt or uncle. It’s an endearing way to refer to a friend, similar to dude, except used by everyone, both young and old.

Me pones un(a)… : I’ll order the [insert food or drink here]

Literal translation: “Put me a [beer].”

In context: This isn’t slang, but it’s a mistake every guiri makes when ordering food in Spanish. A typical guiri orders food by asking ever so politely, “puedo tener la cerveza?” (translation: can I have a beer?) Stop right there. NO, NO, NO. You will immediately lose respect, and you won’t get served nearly as quickly as the table next to you (yes, that’s proven). The more brusk and demanding you order in a busy tapas bar, the quicker your service will be, the more street cred you’ll get. You tell them what you want. Ex: “Me pones una cerveza!”

Aquí estamos: We’re here chillin’

Literal translation: “We are here.”

In context: When someone asks you “qué tal?” (what’s up?) you respond “aquí estamos.” It means, “we’re hangin’ out, chillin’, doin’ what we do.”

Dar una vuelta: Take a walk around

Literal translation: Give it a turn

In context: At a party and wanna see what hotties are there? Go and “dar una vuelta” to walk around and scope out the scene.

Now, the fun part. Phrases to impress your amigos:

Es la caña/ Es la leche!: That’s the shit!

Literal translation: It’s the small beer/ it’s the milk!

In context: Someone calls you a glass of beer or milk? Say gracias! That must mean they think you’re awesome. Ex: That guiri that just moved here es la leche!

Buen Rollo: Good vibes

Literal translation: Good roll.

In context: Here’s where it gets tricky. The dearly beloved word “rollo” is used in a handful of instances. You’ll often hear “que buen rollo!” which means “such good vibes!” However, if you hear “que rollo…” it means the exact opposite: it’s a vibe killer. It’s all in context of the vibe of course, and the intonation that it’s said with.

De puta madre: This is the shit!

Literal translation: Of the bitches mother.

In context: Something so wonderful, so glorious, so great that you can only describe it as de puta madre. “I can’t believe I just won the lottery! De puta madre!”

Una cabra loca: A crazy person

Literal translation: A crazy goat.

In context: Our teacher is out of her mind, she’s una cabra loca!

No me jodas: Don’t mess with me

Literal translation: Don’t fuck with me.

In context: Think someone’s messing with you? Show ’em you ain’t no dumb guiri. Ex: Someone: “Did you know I’m the world’s most famous flamenco guitarist?” You: “No me jodas, tio.”

Estar en pelotas: To be naked

Literal translation: To be in balls.

In context: You saw a crazy naked man running down the street. “Madre mía, el hombre está en pelotas!”

Un pepino de [bailarina]! : That’s a dope [dancer]!

Literal translation: That’s a cucumber of a dancer!

In context: Yes, another form of flattery. Calling something or someone a cucumber is the utmost highest form of approval. Ex: Un pepino de coche (a dope car), un pepino de guitarra (a dope guitar), etc.

And about those southern accents…

If you’re traveling to southern Spain, Spanish speaker be warned. As mentioned before, they often neglect to pronounce S or D sounds in sentences.

Example:

Formal pronunciation: “Qué has pasado?”

Southern Spain pronunciation: “Qué ha paou?”

Yea. Oof. My advice? Start watching some Spanish movies with characters based in the south to help adjust your ear, like La Leyenda del Tiempo and Nadie Conoce a Nadie. One of my personal favorites is Ocho Apellidos Vascos, which features a southern Spanish man and a northern Spanish woman who fall in forbidden love. You can hear the drastic difference in their accents. Longer list of movies here.

Ready to immerse yourself full time as a Digital Nomad based in Spain? I got you! I’m now offering Digital Nomad Coaching, where I’ll personally coach you to tap into your dream career that enables you to work and live from anywhere. Yes, even Spain. Venga! 

What’s your favorite Spanish slang?