It is your first time in Madrid...you hear a group of friends together calling each other tío and tía. It does not make sense to you because you know that they both mean uncle and aunt...
OR
You go to a restaurant and are told to order the delicacy of the region...Morcilla...It comes to you and you are told that it is fried pigs blood!
This page is dedicated to the particular Spanish vocabulary one will encounter in Spain. These are words that I myself now use on a daily basis. These are words to express one's excitement, anger, frustration, happiness, and any other emotion that spontaneously exudes from you.
Bienvenidos al vocabulario Madrileño:
Tío/tía
Both literally meaning uncle and aunt, these words are used amongst friends to call each other's attention; an example would be two friends together and one says to the other "Tía vamos a hacer algo" which means Let's go and do something..It is simply words to put a more personal touch on calling the attention of someone
Morcilla
Boiled sausage made with pig's blood mixed with a variety of other items such as pork skins, onions, rice, raisins, or nuts
Flipar/Estoy flipando
To freak out. I am freaking out.
Es la leche
It is so cool
Me apetece/Tener ganas
To really feel like doing something; to have a very strong desire; for example, if someone says "Tengo ganas de salir" or "Me apetece salir esta noche," it means that this person is in a really good mood and wants to go out
Guay/Chachi
Cool
Vale
Ok
Venga
This is used normally on the telephone before saying bye to the other person on the line; in English it is the equivalent of come on!! If I am saying bye to a friend on the phone and he tells me ok see you tonight or nice talking to you, my response would be "venga, un besito." Simply a more personal touch to saying adios.
Genial
Incredible, fabulous, great
Tener buena pinta
This phrase literally means to have a good color, but it is really used to describe the appealing factor of something; appealing to the eye; it can be used to describe the appealing factor of food, a situation, or a sight; A beach scene with blue water and sail boats gliding by "tiene una buena pinta" or a delicious plate of fresh fruit "tiene una buena pinta" To give good feeling, to be appetizing. Used in order to describe a type of food, place, or situation that gives off good feelings or good vibes
Vamos a dar una vuelta
Let's go take a walk around the city. This phrase is especially used here in Madrid by the people known for being lovers of the street and the outside life. Simply a time to take a break and enjoy one another's company and the city.
Copas en casa
Drinks or cocktails in a friend's house before going out to enjoy the night
Salir de copas
To go out and have drinks with friends
Mola mucho
So cool
Mola mazo
Extremely cool
Chispa
Spark, if two people like each other it is because there is a "chispa" between the too. A chispa is like the chemistry between two people, if there is no chispa there is no attraction
Mono/Mona
Cute, attractive
Monada
Babe
Me costó una pasta.
It cost me a lot of money.
Pasarlo bien
To have a good time
Crack/genio
A very smart person; a very cool and admired individual; a genius, a person who is either intelligent, very interested, or very skilled, word used to call an interesting person who is extremely good at something in life
Listo/lista
Smart, clever, witty, original
Como lo montas.
This expression is used to tell someone that they really know how to live life well; you know how to have a good time; someone who always has a fun plan
Pijo
Preppy; this adjective is used to describe someone who is always dressed well, elegantly, or conservatively. Someone who is pijo can be found wearing a polo shirt with a sweater tucked into the pants, a belt and a nice pair of loafers. Pijos can be spotted walking around Barrio Salamanca, Madrid's most posh neighborhood.
Pereza
The complete desire to do absolutely nothing, laziness, lethargy
Gordi/Gordo/Gorda
This literally means fat, but it is used to call someone in a nice way cutie or darling
Picar
To nibble, bite, pick; the verb used to describe the way the Spaniards eat tapas
Pinchos
Small portions of food; tapas
Domingueros
Individuals who love to maximize their free time on Sundays. Sunday in Spanish is "domingo." The domingueros are therefore people whose favorite day of the week is Sunday. Domingueros can be easily spotted at the famous Parque Retiro on any Sunday afternoon!
Chaval/Chavala
Young boy/young girl, also used in a friendly way to the call the attention of someone
Aceitunas
Spain's beautifully ripened and tasty olives
Soso
Tasteless, flavorless
Pringao
Noob, someone with lack of experience, lack of skill
Me da mucha rabia.
I am very angry/Literally translation: it gives me great rage
Agobiante
Suffocating, claustrophobic, this word can be very well used to describe the feeling of being in a metro packed with people, packed like sardines. At 8:00 in the morning trying to get to school or work, the metro tends to be agobiante
Clara con limón
Beer with lemon
Vino tinto
Red wine
Tapear
To eat tapas
A tope/A muerte
These two terms are synonymous, they are used to describe a very good night out with friends, the question would be "¿Cómo lo vamos a pasar esta noche?" (How much fun are we going to have tonight?) THE ANSWER: A tope or A muerte; the maximum level of fun, no limits
Borde
Unpleasant, unhelpful, an adjective to describe a very bitter person
Amargada
Bitter, an adjective to describe someone who is lonely and therefore takes there unhappiness out on everyone else
Me/te/nos toca
It is now my/your/our turn. This phrase is used to describe a determined activity that must be fulfilled. If I have language class at 16:00 in the afternoon I would say "Ahora me toca la clase de lengua". Now I must got to language class
Buen rollo
Good vibes, good feeling, mostly used to describe good chemistry between people
Gracioso/Graciosa
Funny, adjective to describe someone with a good sense of humor
Charlar
To chat
Guiri
Foreigners/annoying tourists, frequently used by the Madrileños to describe pesky tourists
Chistorra
Traditional long and thin sausage of pork, beef, bacon,and paprika usually served fried
Que rabia
What rage, what madness
Solomillo
Juicy sirloin
Queso de cabra
Goat cheese
Me da mucha ilusión.
It gives me great happiness.
Me da mucha pereza
It makes me very lazy; I am too lazy
Echar una siesta.
To take a nap; there are no certain times to take a siesta, but the hours tend to fall after lunch between 16:00-17:00
Animarse
To liven up, snap out of it; verb used to tell people who do not feel like going out to liven up and have a good time
Personaje
A character. Someone with a great personality; an individual who attracts attention to him/herself because of a great sense of humor.
GCU: GENTE COMO UNO
This term comes from my favorite magazine Conde Nast Traveler: España; this phrase literally means "people like us." It englobes people who travel the world with education, curiosity, pleasure, interest, good judgement, and sensitivity. Are you a GCU?!
Ojo
This literally means eye in Spanish, but here it is used to mean "watch out" or "play close attention." If someone says "ojo en eso" it means be careful or be attentive.
Te pega
This phrase means it suits you, or "you would do something like that." Someone who studies journalism and publicity and gets a job with Conde Nast will be told "te pega," it suits you or "it has you written all over it"
Pibonazo
A very nice complement to receive if you are a girl; a gorgeous, fit, and poised girl
-ito/-azo
These endings added to words signify very little or very big
Besito/Besazo
Small kiss/Big kiss
Planazo
Comes from the word plan/in this case it means incredibly amazing plan with the ending -azo
Me pone los pelos de punta
This phrase literally means that it makes my hair raise. If someone tells you something scary, sad, or exciting you would say "me pone los pelos de punta." It is something that makes such an impact that the hairs on your skin raise.
Estoy malita/malito
I am sick; I am not feeling too good right now
Jaleo
Disorder, mess, disorganization, chaos
Estar rayado
To be mad, annoyed, perturbed
Voy a sobar
Just another way to say "voy a dormir." I am going to go to sleep
Que barbaridad
How awful! That's ridiculous!
Desde luego; Por supuesto; Claro
All three of these expressions are synonymous to each other; each one means OF COURSE
No te lies
Don't complicate yourself; Don't get yourself into a mess
Chorrada/Tontería
Something that is of little importance or value. Example: "El examen fue una chorrada" means The exam was a joke, it was so easy, a piece of cake.
Poner las pilas
Literal translation: put in the batteries. This expression in Spanish is used to tell people with little motivation or lethargy to get the energy and will to do things. The equivalent in English would be "Don't procrastinate" or "Get your work done" or "Get Someone who has a lot of work and has not started will be told "ponte las pillas"
Albóndigas
Spain's famous meatballs
Picotear
Literal translation in English: to peck at (the manner in which birds eat.) Here in Spain the verb picotear is used to describe the manner in which people eat tapas; to eat a bunch of different things in small portions. The equivalent to this verb would be picar.
Agotado
Exhausted
Estar hecho polvo
This phrase literally means "to be made into dust," but the equivalent in English would be "I'm beat" or I am so totally and completely exhausted.
Cortar el grifo
This literally means to cut the water from being able to run, but in Spain this phrase is used to mean (in a student´s case), that "daddy" will no longer pay the bills. This basically means that you are no longer being supported by your parents, you have been cut by the family financial support.
Rascarse el estomago
To scratch the belly; this phrase is used to refer to people who stand around wasting time doing absolutely nothing
Chatear
Precisely as you guessed what it would mean: to chat
Debuti
Very cool, awesome
Estár cañón/Estás cañón
To be amazing, or very good looking/you are very good looking, you look amazing
Cocido Madrileño
Very typical stew from Madrid that consists of garbanzo beans, carrots, potatoes, chorizo, morcilla, meat, chicken, meatballs, duck meat, green cabbage, and anything else Spanish you can imagine of...it´s got it all, literally
