Cuban Spanish

Question 1

Al mal tiempo, buena cara

Answer 1

Look on the bright side

Question 2

Al pan pan y al vino vino

Answer 2

Call things what they are

Question 3

Arrancao / Arrancá

Answer 3

Someone who’s broke

Question 4

Asere

Answer 4

A title of endearment only used among men

Question 5

Bicitaxi

Answer 5

A bike and taxi hybrid

Question 6

Bola

Answer 6

Gossip

Question 7

Botero

Answer 7

Old car for public transport

Question 8

Bravo / Brava

Answer 8

Someone angry or bothered

Question 9

Bronca

Answer 9

A physical or verbal altercation between people

Question 10

Caballero

Answer 10

A man that’s very well mannered and attractive

Question 11

Cabezón / Cabezona

Answer 11

Someone who makes mistakes due to silliness or stubbornness

Question 12

Candela

Answer 12

Fire or someone who’s over the top

Question 13

Cazuelero / Cazuelera

Answer 13

Someone who involves themselves into someone else’s business, only to spread the information later on.

Question 14

Chavo

Answer 14

A Cuban peso

Question 15

Chavito / Chavita

Answer 15

A snitch

Question 16

Coco

Answer 16

A tropical fruit or a human head

Question 17

Coger

Answer 17

To grab or hold something

Interjection meaning that the speaker wants to give you something

Question 18

Cola

Answer 18

A line of people waiting for a service

An ass

Question 19

Consorte

Answer 19

A guy friend

Question 20

Cuando el río suena, piedras trae

Answer 20

Wherever there’s smoke, there’s always a fire nearby

Question 21

Culillo (Tener un)

Answer 21

A feeling of being in a rush to leave or finish something

Question 22

Dale

Answer 22

Interjection showing approval, meaning “okay” or “go ahead”

Question 23

Descarao / Descará

Answer 23

Someone Selfish

Question 24

Donde comen dos, comen tres

Answer 24

Where two eat, three eat
(There’s always enough to go around)

Question 25

El que no llora no mama

Answer 25

You need to make your needs heard, or they won’t be met

Question 26

El que no tiene de congo, tiene de carabalí

Answer 26

A saying that means everyone in Cuba is multirracial, specifically every Cuban has a little bit of African ancestry

Question 27

Emprendao / Emprendá

Answer 27

Someone covered in jewellery

Question 28

Estar de carnival

Answer 28

To be the best dressed

Question 29

Estar en la fuácata

Answer 29

To be in the state of poverty

Question 30

Estar hecho / hecha

Answer 30

To be rich

Question 31

Exagerao / Exagerá

Answer 31

Someone who’s melodramatic and tends to exaggerate everything to the point of lying

Question 32

Fajarse

Answer 32

To fight or Argue with someone

Question 33

Forro

Answer 33

A scam or a mistake

Question 34

Fósforo

Answer 34

A match to light on fire

Question 35

Fresco / Fresca

Answer 35

Someone rude and disrespectful

Question 36

Fula

Answer 36

An American dollar

Question 37

Gallego / Gallega

Answer 37

A Spaniard

Question 38

Gao

Answer 38

A house

Question 39

Guagua

Answer 39

A bus

Question 40

Guajiro

Answer 40

A farmer

Question 41

Guano

Answer 41

Money

Question 42

Guapería

Answer 42

The attitude of someone who thinks they’re invincible

Question 43

Guapo / Guapa

Answer 43

Someone who’s nice to look at or someone with an unfortunate attitude

Question 44

Habanero / Habanera

Answer 44

Someone from Havana

Question 45

Hay moros en la costa

Answer 45

Someone’s listening or watching

Question 46

Hembrota

Answer 46

An attractive woman with an hourglass figure

Question 47

Jabao / Jabá

Answer 47

A mulatto with light skin

Question 48

Jama

Answer 48

Food

Question 49

Jamar

Answer 49

To eat food

Question 50

Java

Answer 50

A small plastic bag

Question 51

Jeva

Answer 51

A woman

Question 52

Jicotea

Answer 52

A turtle

Question 53

Lonchera

Answer 53

A lunchbox or food container

Question 54

Maduro

Answer 54

A fried plantain

Question 55

Majadero / Majadera

Answer 55

Being rude and disruptive

Question 56

Mala hoja

Answer 56

A bad sexual encounter or someone who isn’t good in bed

Question 57

Más viejo que andar a pie

Answer 57

Something that’s so old, it’s older than walking

Question 58

Matancero / Matancera

Answer 58

Someone from Matanzas (A province close to Havana)

Question 59

Meter la cuchareta

Answer 59

To jump into someone else’s business