Salvadoran Slang

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If you're ever traveling to El Salvador or speaking to a Salvadoran person you might hear them say things you haven't learned in school (where you learn formal Spanish).

Why learn Slang?
This will give you an advantage over other tourists visiting the specific country. Slang is included in everyday conversation and is necessary if you want to speak like a native.

*Be careful, in other countries, slang means different things so it's best you don't say some of these in other countries

¡Puchica! - a minor swear word meaning "damn!" Or "oh man!"

¡Que chivo! - used as "How cool" (literally means "how goat" so other countries might think it a weird expression)

Chucho - this is our word for dog, you won't hear perro nearly as much

Vaya pues - used in the same way as "Well then" or "Okay" we use this more instead of adiós

Cabal - literally means thorough but means "exactly" in El Salvador

Cipote/Cipota - a teenage boy or girl; a young person

Buena onda - used to show a good feeling about someone/something, good vibes

Bayunco - in El Salvador you won't hear many people saying loca, instead, they would say bayunco to describe someone acting crazy or silly

Bicho/bicha - Salvadoran way to say little boy or girl

Pisto - El Salvador has US currency but they won't call it dinero, instead they'll call it pisto

Puya - another way to say "wow!"

Chuco - another word for sucia (dirty)

Chele - chele or gringo/gringa means a white person

Yuca - yes, it is a delicious food, but if you hear it in a sentence such as la cosa está yuca they're saying "the thing is difficult"

Vergón - meaning very good

¿Que pedo? - "what's up?" Literal translation is: what fart?

Bolo - a drunk or to be drunk

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