Colombian Slang Flashcards
Mi Llave/Llavería/Llavero
Literal meaning: My key/key chain
Slang meaning: My (close) friend
Colombians call their close friends llaves (keys). This slang/dialect is also heard in other Latin American countries, like Ecuador. A popular Colombian expression goes like this:
¡Lo saqué del llavero! — I unfriended him! (I took him off the key chain!)
El Parche
Literal meaning: The patch.
Slang meaning: The crew, the homies
El parche is your group of friends. It’s classic Colombian slang that’s only heard there.
¿Quiubo, Parce?
What’s up, bro?
Quiubo is a contraction of qué hubo (what’s been going on?). Parce is a shortened version of parcero/a. Colombians will sometimes simply say “¿Quiubo?” when you want to say “what’s up?”
Note that parce can be directed to any person who’s you age or to whom you don’t need to express additional respect. It could be a friend of a friend you’re meeting for the first time, or someone you’ll never see again.
Parcero/Parcera
Bro, dude, my man, girl
What you can call a friend or acquaintance in Colombia. Colombians like to say it to anyone they meet.
Parchando
Slang meaning: Chillin’, hanging out
I bet you can guess where this word derives from… parchando is the action of hanging out with el parche.
Desparchado is another popular saying that means the opposite: bored, not doing anything.
Estoy en casa desparchado, esperando al parche. — I’m home bored, doing nothing, waiting for the crew.
Polas
Meaning: Beers
Polas is only used in Colombia—and although it has no official meaning in Spanish, it does hold some history.
La Pola was the nickname of Policarpa Salavarrieta Ríos, a heroine who helped Colombia gain independence from Spain.
Back in the day, Bavaria Brewing in Colombia created a beer in her honor—La Pola. The beer doesn’t exist anymore, but the name stuck.
¡Páseme unas polas, pues parce! — Well, hand me some beers, dude!
Rumbiar
Meaning: To go out, to party
There are two ways to spell this word: as shown above, or with an e instead of an i, rumbear.
Rumbiar may be familiar to other Latino ears; without a doubt, it’s natural and native to Colombian speak.
¡Vamos a rumbiar! — Let’s go out!
Rumba
Meaning: The party itself
I know the word looks like zumba—and hey, that’s a great way to remember it!
Colombians love to dance (not zumba, but close—salsa), so when they say, “La rumba está buena!” that means, “the party’s good.” They’re dancing and having a blast!
Changó
Meaning: To go dancing
Changó is only said in Cali (Valle Del Cauca), a southern region in Colombia.
The name comes from a famous salsa club in Cali called Changó. Every Colombian caleño’s hobby is dancing salsa, so when they refer to Changó, they all know that it doesn’t necessarily mean to go to the club itself, but to go dancing in general.
Toque
Literal meaning: Touch
Slang meaning: A concert, a band
The verb tocar has two translations, “to touch” or “to play” (as in “play” an instrument). In the latter sense, tocar la guitarra means “play the guitar.”
El toque in Colombian Spanish is “the band” itself, but can also be referred to a concert or gig.
Estar Prendido/Prendida
Literal meaning: To be lit
Slang meaning: To be buzzed
In English I think we can agree that, “to be lit,” expresses a state of being tipsy. It has the same meaning in Colombia.
Esa pola me prendió. — That beer got me buzzed.
Be careful with this one, as it has a more sexual connotation outside Colombia
Jincho/Jincha
Meaning: To be drunk
This word is solely Colombian jargon, and it means to be straight up “drunk.”
Está jincha. — She’s drunk.
Guayabo
Literal meaning: A guava tree
Slang meaning: To be hung over
It’s only used in Colombia, but other Latin countries might understand what it means within context:
Tengo un guayabo que me mata. — I have a hangover that’s killing me.
Estoy enguayabada. — I’m hung over.
Guaro
Literal meaning: Fire water
Slang meaning: Aguardiente
Argentina has wine, Peru and Chile have Pisco, Ecuador has canelazo, and well, Colombia’s got aguardiente!
Aguardiente is Colombia’s national alcoholic drink, and different regions within the country have distilled their own versions: Aguardiente Antioqueño, Aguardiente Del Cauca and so on.
That’s not to say that other Latin countries haven’t distilled their own fire water—they have, but Colombians truly know how to do it best (and I’m not just saying that!).
Un Chorro
Literal meaning: A drip
Slang meaning: A swig (of alcohol)
You can either take a “swig” of alcohol, or in some cases make reference to the “alcohol” itself.
Regálame un chorro de ese guaro. — Give me a “swig” of that aguardiente.
Or:
Vámonos a comprar un chorro. — Let’s go buy a little somethin’ somethin’ (referring to alcohol).
A La Orden
Meaning: At your service When you walk past a store, shop in a market, hail a cab or pay a clerk in Colombia, a la orden will be blurted at you either before or after your service. If it’s a question: before your service. If it’s exclamatory: after your service. Vendors will repeat this phrase to grab your attention, in hopes that you’ll purchase something. A cab driver will post up to you, shouting it. It’s just a way to say: “Can I help you?” “Are you being helped?” “Thanks for your business!” …and so on!
Lucas
Meaning: Colombian Pesos
Lucas is obviously a name, but in Colombia, one luca is one Colombian Peso. 20 lucas is 20 Colombian Pesos.
Billete
Meaning: Dollar bills, money
Billete, “bill,” is a common Spanish word. It can mean a ticket, like boleto, or bills, as in, “dollar dollar bill y’all.”
In Colombian Spanish, “money” is billete—period. They don’t pluralize it. They leave it as is.
No tengo billete. — I don’t have money.
¿Cuántos billetes hay? — How many bills are there?
Plata
Literal meaning: Silver
Slang meaning: Money
Plata is similar to billete, and used exactly the same way. It’s left as is and not pluralized.
¡Papi, necesito plata! — Daddy, I need money!
Una Chuspa
Meaning: A plastic bag
Chuspa is a Colombian’s way of saying, bolsa (or funda) plástica. This term is also heard in other Spanish-speaking countries.
La Olla
Literal meaning: The pot
Slang meaning: The slums
This is the Colombian way to talk about the slums, ghetto, drug-ridden neighborhoods, etc.
¡Ábrase!
Literal meaning: To open up
Slang meaning: To leave, scatter, get out
There are different ways to use this expression:
Bueno pues, me abro. — Alright well, I’m leaving.
¡Abrasé! — Leave! (can be used in a mean context, as a demand or an exclamatory remark).
Dar Papaya
Literal meaning: To give papaya
Slang meaning: To ask for it
Papaya is a South American fruit, but in Colombia it’s anything that holds value to you.
Jewelry, an iPhone, an expensive watch, your wallet, can all be papaya.
If you want to keep these from getting stolen or pick-pocketed on the street (normal in most major cities) act smart, hide them, and no des papaya.
This idiom is a little hard to translate, but it closely means, “don’t give them a reason to rob you.”
It also means, “don’t let yourself get taken advantage of,” or “put yourself in a dangerous situation.” Simply, “don’t ask for it.”
Los Tombos
Meaning: The police
Only original to Colombia.
Ya vienen los tombos. — The cops are coming.
