How to speak like an Argentine: slang and other words to help you get around Argentina

Tango instructors at a Milonga in Buenos Aires

While traveling in Argentina you learn that even if you speak Spanish, it may not be enough to understand what people are saying, especially if you are amongst a group of friends. I was slightly prepared for the slang because of my Argentine friends, but there were always situations where I found myself thinking. "What the heck are they saying?"

The accent and slang are very unique. The most obvious difference (especially in Buenos Aires) is the 'sh' sound for y and ll. I very much enjoy the accent and found myself trying to incorporate the vos form whenever I could. After a few fumbles I was able to get somewhat of a grasp on the slang and somewhat of an idea of what people were saying.

My most embarassing mistake was when I used a verb that is very common in Spain. Coger means to grab, take, or pick up. Needless to say it is a frequently used word. However keep in mind that coger in Argentina means to have sex. When I told someone that I had to 'coger' the train I garnered lots of smirks, until someone kindly reminded me of the definition of the word in Argentina. Use the verb tomar which also means to take. It is safer.

If you would like a guidebook for Argentine slang there is a very good one on the market.  Look for Che Boludo: A Gringo's Guide To Understanding Argentines.  There are also plenty of slang dictionaries on the web.  Look below for those links.  Here is a list of the words that I heard pretty frequently.

Boludo/a [adj] [rude]
A stupid, clumsy, or annoyingly silly person.  This term is often used among friends in which case it isn't insulting.  It can also be used to describe a thing or a task that is simple.

Boludez [f]
A stupid thing, a foolish or rash action.  A simple matter that anyone can solve, a thing that is easy to figure out.
El examen fue una boludez.  The test was a piece of cake.

Che [inter]
Hey! Hey, you! This word appears in Mapudungu (a language spoken by the Mapuche, natives from Southern Argentina and Chile) meaning 'people', and in Guaraní (natives of the Paraná River basin) where it means 'I'.  If you converse with an Argentine for more than 10 minutes I'm sure you will hear the word 'che.'  It is often placed within a sentence without reason, but rather as an interjection.

Quilombo [m]
A mess, disorder.
La fiesta fue un quilombo.  The party was a complete mess.

Bolazo [m]
Exageration, obvious lie.  Impossible or incredible activity pictured as real or possible.
Que bolazo.  Yo no creo nada lo que dice.  What a lie.  I don't believe anything he says.

Embole [m, usually singular]
Boredom refering to a place, lapse of time, or activity.
Estuvimos esperando 3 horas.  Que embole.  We were waiting for 3 hours.

Pedo [m] [taboo, can be rude]
The traditional meaning of the word is fart, however there are many other forms in which the word is used.

• En pedo
  The state of being drunk.  Estoy en pedo.  I am drunk.
• Ni en pedo
  No way.  Ni en pedo haria eso.  No way would I do that.
• Al pedo
  Doing nothing, with nothing to do, not busy.  Me gusta estar al pedo.  I like having nothing to do.
• De pedo
  Barely, just about enough.  Llegó de pedo.  He was barely able to arrive (on time).

Bancarse [v]
To stand, to tolerate, to put up with.
Mis viejos me bancaron los estudios.  My parents supported my studies.
Te banqué cuando necesitabas un amigo.  I helped you when you needed a friend.
Bancáme un ratito acá.  Wait for me here just a while.
Se bancó un montón de insultos.  He put up with a lot of insults.
Ya no te banco más.  I  won’t support you anymore.  I can’t stand you anymore.

Toque [n]
Instantly, just a moment.
Llegó y al toque la vio.  He came and right at that moment he saw her.
Bancáme un toque.  Wait a second.

Trucho [adj]
Fake, phony, made up, false, artificial, or of bad quality.  Pirated such as DVDs, CDs, software.

Bárbaro/a [adj, interj] [appreciative]
Great, very good, spectacularly good; important, serious (as in a mess or disaster).
Lo pasamos bárbado.  We had an awesome time.

Gallego [n]
Refers to Spaniards. Although Gallegos are Galicians (from the Galicia province of Spain) the word is used to refer too ALL Spaniards.

Baboso/a [adj]
Lusty.  Skirtchaser.
Un viejo baboso.  A dirty old man.

Picado [adj]
A bit drunk or tipsy.

Tocado [adj]
A little crazy or a bit drunk.

Pucho [m]
A cigarette.

Faso [m]
A cigarette.

Dale [inter]
OK.  Dale is very similar to the way Spaniards use the word vale.
Do you want to go to the movies?  Dale.

Mina [f]
Girl or woman. The standard colloquial way of referring to a female from her teens on. Not rude, but not accepted in formal speech either.

Laborar [v]
To work with.
Estaba laborando todo el dia.  I was working all day.

Colectivo [m]
Bus.

Mira vos [inter]
Wow.  Look at you.  You 're doing great.
Mira vos can be used in many ways.  It can be used to express surprise or congratulations to someone.
Mira vos, aprobaste todos los examenes.  Wow you passed all the exams.

It can also be used in a more general sense to express bewilderment.  Mira vos. Jamas en mi vida pensaria ver eso!  Look at that. Never in my life I thought I'd see that!

Cajeta [f]
In Mexico cajeta is dulce de leche or caramel, however in Argentina is is something entirely different, women's genitals.  Again I garnered lots of laughs when I said I like cajeta better than dulce de leche.  Don't make the same mistake I did.

Darle cosa [v]
To feel slight disgust or apprehension while doing something.
Me da cosa comer pescado crudo.  I get freaked out eating raw fish.