Practical slang for Spanish beginners

Private Spanish Lesssons Valencia
         Spanish classes Valencia, Spain

 

Slang is a feature of the Spanish language that is described as a kind of vocabulary that reflects the daily, colloquial way of speaking. For a student who is taking Spanish classes or lessons in Valencia, having to understand some slang can be a little bit harder than it usually is to learn about other things. This is mainly because there is a difference between the practical Spanish language that you learn from books and what a teacher or a non-academic environment can bring you. This is why if you wish to know a little bit more about some useful slang in Spanish, read this article!

To begin with, we must clarify that slang, as in English or almost any other language is just a branch of a colloquial situation. It can make a difference in its context, so you have to be aware of when is the right moment to bring up certain words, for instance. Although you could write down a vocabulary based on several slang Spanish words or phrases, the most important aspect for them, as well as their meaning, it’s their related context. Why is it so important? Of course, there are many situations in which you may want to sound a little formal or even you would not like to mix up words with similar meanings.

In this case, we will explain and talk about them a little bit too. The first and maybe the most famous slang Spanish word has to be “guy”. Normally used by teens but extended towards all ranges of age, this word is the equivalent of “cool”. You can use this Spanish word in the same way you say that something is cool or trendy.

It is also quite common to hear Spanish people talk to their friends and say “tío” or “tía”, which translated are uncle and aunt, but regarding slang, their equivalent is “dude”. It can be used to replace any other similar words such as “man”, “buddy”, etc. Just when you are talking to a person who is a friend of yours.

Have you ever heard a native speaker say to you “¡eres muy majo!” (or “maja”, for women)? Well, this is just a slang word to say “nice” to a person. The typical, non-slang Spanish words for “majo” are used often for beginner learners, such as “simpático” or “amigable”. This particular slang word can be used perfectly in any context, as it sounds very familiar and natural.

Whenever anything amazes you and you think for yourself “wow!”, then you may say in Spanish “¡flipo!”. This word is a verb, from “flipar” which means to be very amazed or surprised. Two very common contexts are, for instance, saying “estoy flipando” or simply “flipo” when you can’t believe what you are seeing or you can also use it to express how much you like something, such as “me flipa este cantante” as “I absolutely love this singer”.

The next time we speak about slang, we may get some new words to speak and learn about, because it is actually very important for students to sound familiar and natural when practicing conversation and having actual experience outdoors. Keep these Spanish words in mind, study hard and don’t hesitate on using what you just learned!

If you want to learn more Spanish do not hesitate to ask about private Spanish classes in Valencia. Where you will learn Spanish at your own pace and in a personalized way.

Spanish & Valencia 

calle del Mar 23-25  Valencia – Spain 

www.spanishclassesvalencia.com

hola@spanishandvalencia.com

Author: Alejandro Fayos Benito

Photo: Elevate en Unsplash

 

Need help?