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The Beginners Guide to Chilean Slang

So, youve been through many years of academic drudgery.

Youve parroted your teachers vocabulary .

Youve dressed up as Don Quijote (or Sancho, depending on your luck) to practice (or reach new heights of cringe-
worthy embarrassment).

And youve put your language skills to the test by studying abroad in Toledo or Madrid.

You may think you have, at long last, mastered Spanish.

And then you decide to move to Chile.

Chilean Spanish defies any and all reason. Between dropping every other s and d and adding extra pohs at the
end of words, Chileans have concocted their very own breed of incomprehensible Spanish which even other
Spanish speakers admittedly find challenging.

Its all only made worse by Chilenismos, words and expressions exclusively used in Chile.

But dont despair: take a last swig of your escudo (a popular type of Chilean beer), pick your head up from your
chorillana (Chilean dish consisting of bits of meat and egg over a plate of fries), wipe your tears and buck up for one
final lesson.

Understanding and Using Chilean Verb Conjugations

One of the first things youll notice when speaking with Chileans is the inordinate amount of ay sounds in their
speech. This is because the second singular person t (you) is frequently conjugated with an i at the end of the
verb.

Youll likely hear Cmo estai? soon after arriving to Chile, which is simply the Chilean version of asking Cmo
ests? (How are you?).

Here are a few other examples of this odd conjugation:

T hablas (You speak) t hablai

T sabes (You know) t sab
T quieres (You want) t quer

Above all, youll hear the term cachai thrown at the end of virtually every sentence. Dont be alarmed: this is not a
Ninja war cry, but rather a typically Chilean way of saying, You know?

Cachar, which comes from the English to catch and means to understand, literally translates to, You get me?
Dont hesitate to sprinkle your speech with this expression to add some extra Chilean flavor to your Spanish
communication. Youll probably startle some locals but will hopefully earn a bit of respect for attempting to go native.
Cachai?

Saying Yes and No in Chile

You thought youd gotten away with the basics of yes and no? Wrong again! In Chile, youll hardly ever hear the
affirmative and negative stand alone. Instead, get used to hearing si poh and no poh. Poh, which evolved from
pues (well), is a common add-on to words and phrases.

Now that youve got yes and no as well as basic conjugation under your belt, lets explore three areas of Chilean
life dating, nightlife and work in which youre likely to hear the most slang and be tempted to sling some out
yourself.

Romantic Chilean Slang to Navigate Chiles Dating Scene

The first time a taxi driver, intrigued by your foreign accent, asks you the traditional triumvirate of questions Where
are you from? Why are you in Chile? Do you have a pololo or polola? youll be equipped to confidently answer
that last one instead of blankly staring and asking polo-what as every other uncult foreigner will do.

No, a pololo is not some sort of tropical disease but the Chilean manner of referring to a boyfriend. Novio or novia, the
terms used in the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, in Chile refer to highly serious relationships engagements
and marriages, essentially. Anything else, even year-long commitments, are pololo-worthy.

The word itself comes from the Mapudungun (Chiles indigenous Mapuche Indian tongue) for fly. According to
Chileans, just as flies hover around fruit, so do pololos around their objects of affection. A charming concept, in an
insect kind of way.

You can also use it as a verb, pololear, as in, Estoy pololeando (I am dating).

The following are a few other terms youll find necessary as you dip into the world of Chilean dating:

Engrupir - to flirt or hit on someone, generally successfully

As in, Me engrup esa mina (I got that girl).

Gorrear - to cheat on your significant other

As in, El gorrea a su polola todo el tiempo (He always cheats on his girlfriend).

Jote - essentially, the Chilean equivalent of a player

As in, No est realmente interesado en ti, solo es un jote (Hes not actually into you, hes just a player).

Mina - young (usually attractive) woman

As in, Mira la mina all (Check out that girl over there).

Tocar el violin - to be the third wheel

As in, Toque el violin anoche (I third wheeled last night).

Cuico / cuica - yuppi or upper class

As in, Es demasiado cuica para mi (Shes too yuppi for me).

Pierna peluda - another (rather astounding) way of referring to your significant other that literally translates to bald
leg.
As in, Donde est tu pierna peluda? (Wheres your girlfriend?).

Surviving Chiles Pisco-Soaked Nightlife with Slang

Your first night out in Chile will feel like a right of initiation. From downing your first piscola (the national Chilean
cocktail, an ungodly mix of Pisco and Coca Cola) to trying your hand at cumbia (a popular dance some call the salsa
of the Southern Cone), youll feel like the king or queen of the carrete (party). That is, until the following mornings
caa (hangover).
The following are a few words to help you manage:

Caa - hangover
As in, Ay, que caa que tengo (I have the worst hangover).

Carrete - party (noun)

As in, Vamos a salir de carrete esta noche (Were going to party tonight).

Carretear - to party (verb)

As in, Carretee todo el fin de (I partied all weekend).

Flaite - trashy
As in, Que flaite este disco (This club is so trashy).

Fome - lame
As in, Anmate, no sea fome (Come on, dont be lame).

Bacn - awesome
As in, El carrete estuvo bacn (The party was awesome).

Chilean Slang to Use at Work in Chile

As a foreigner in Chile, you may find yourself among the ranks of work visa-less mongrels roaming about in search of
pega (a job). The word itself says it all: pega literally translates to a hit or a beating. Youre likely to hear a weary
Me toca la pega (I have to go to work) from your Chilean acquaintances.

The following is a handy list of work-related words and expressions:

Taco - from the word trafico, refers to traffic jams. What youre likely to encounter on your way to work.

Al lote - disorderly, without rules

As in, El proyecto est al lote (The projects a mess).

Al tiro - immediately, right now

As in, Mi jefa necesita que haga este proyecto al tiro (My boss needs me to work on this project immediately).

Harto - many
As in, Hay harta gente en esta oficina (There are so many people in this office).

Luca - 1000 pesos

Since Chilean money is counted in thousands, an easier way of talking about 10,000 pesos (the rough equivalent of
$20 USD) is saying 10 lucas.

And now youre set to go out into the world. Spread your wings and hablai Chileno.

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