Welcome to the real way people speak! Learning common Spanish expressions and Spanish slang helps you fit in, feel confident, and enjoy everyday moments—whether you’re ordering tapas, chatting at work, or making friends. This guide includes 50 Spanish phrases for travel and daily life—funny, useful, and actually heard on the streets. They’ll help you sound less like a guiri and more like a local. Heads-up: Some slang varies by region, but everything here is widely understood (confirmed by our Spanish team member at Stepabroad). Let’s dive in!
1. Vale – OK
“Nos vemos a las 10 – vale.”
See you at 10 – OK.
2. Tío / Tía – Dude / mate / guy
“Ese tío es muy gracioso.”
That guy is really funny.
3. Chungo/a – Bad, dodgy
“Mi curro es muy chungo.”
My job is really bad.
4. Currar / Curro – To work / job
“Me voy al curro.”
Heading to work.
5. Botellón – Outdoor drinking in a group.
“Esta noche hacemos botellón”
Tonight we will be drinking outdoor with friends.
6. Calimocho – Drink made of red wine and cola.
“Vamos a hacer calimocho para la fiesta.”
We’re making calimocho for the party.
7. Chaval/a – Kid / youngster
“Ese chaval es muy majo”
That kid is really nice.
8. Chollo – Bargain
“Esa oferta es un chollo.”
This sale is a total bargain!
9. Flipar – To be amazed / freak out
“Estoy flipando con esta serie”
I’m amazed by this show.
10. Tener arte – To have charm / flair / style
“Ese niño tiene mucho arte bailando”
That kid has real flair when he dances.
11. Friki – Nerd or weirdo.
“Es un friki de los videojuegos”
He’s a video game nerd.
12. Estar en las nubes – To be daydreaming.
“Siempre estás en las nubes”
You’re always daydreaming.
13. Enrollarse – To hook up (or go on a tangent).
“Se enrollaron en la fiesta”
They hooked up at the party.
14. Guay / Chulo – Cool
“Ese restaurante está súper guay”
That restaurant is really cool.
15. Guiri – Foreigner/tourist
“Esta ciudad está llena de guiris”
This city is full of tourists.
16. Hacerse el sueco – To play dumb.
“Se hizo el sueco cuando le pregunté”
He played dumb when I asked.
17. Hala /Hombre – Wow! / Come on! – Interjection for surprise/emphasis.
“¡Hala! Qué pasada / ¡Hombre! ¡Cuánto tiempo!”
Wow! That’s amazing / Hey! Long time no see!
18. Mal rollo – Bad vibe / bad feeling
“Este sitio me da mal rollo”
This place gives me a bad vibe.
19. Molar – To be cool / to like
“Me mola este grupo”
I like this band.
20. Mono/a – Cute (also: withdrawal symptoms)
“Tu perro es muy mono”
Your dog is very cute.
21. Movida – Problem / messy situation
“Tuvimos una movida con los vecinos”
We had a problem with the neighbors.
22. Ni de coña – No way!
“¿Vas a salir con ese frío? – ¡Ni de coña!”
You’re going out in this cold? – No way!
23. Ojo – Watch out!
“¡Ojo con el escalón!”
Watch out for the step!
24. Pasta – Money
“Necesito pasta para el viaje”
I need money for the trip.
25. Peña – People / group
“Vino toda la peña a la fiesta”
The whole group came to the party.
26. Petarlo – To crush it / do great
“Ese grupo lo está petando”
That band is killing it.
27. Liarla – To mess things up / cause a scene.
“La lió en la boda de su primo”
He caused a scene at his cousin’s wedding.
28. Liarse – To get confused.
“Me estoy liando con las instrucciones, así que voy a empezar de nuevo”
I am getting confused with instructions, so I am going to start over.
29. Pijo/a – Preppy / snobby
“Es una chica muy pija”
She’s a very preppy girl.
30. A tope – Full on / flat out
“Estoy estudiando a tope para los exámenes”
I’m studying flat out for the exams.
31. Qué fuerte – That’s crazy / shocking
“¡Qué fuerte lo que ha pasado!”
What happened is so crazy!
32. Poner los cuernos– To cheat on someone.
“Le puso los cuernos a su novio”
She cheated on her boyfriend.
33. Qué va / Qué dices– No way!
“¿Has aprobado sin estudiar? – ¡Qué va!”
You passed without studying? – No way!
34. Rayarse– To overthink / stress out
“No te rayes, todo saldrá bien.”
Don’t stress, it’ll all be fine.
35. Al loro– Be alert / Pay attention
“¡Al loro, que empieza la peli!”
Heads up, the movie’s starting!
36. Cachondo/a – Funny / cheeky (can also mean horny, context matters!)
“Ese tío es un cachondo”
That guy is hilarious.
37. Chinchar– To tease someone playfully.
“Deja de chinchar a tu hermano”
Stop teasing your brother.
38. Descojonarse– To laugh your head off.
“Me descojoné con ese vídeo”
I laughed my head off at that video.
39. Estar como una cabra– To be a bit crazy (in a fun way).
“Mi prima está como una cabra”
My cousin is a total nut (in a fun way).
40. Ir hecho un pincel– To be very well-dressed.
“Iba hecho un pincel a la boda”
He was dressed to the nines at the wedding.
41. Majo/a– Nice / kind
“El camarero era muy majo”
The waiter was really nice.
42. Me parto– I’m dying of laughter.
“¡Me parto con tus historias!”
I’m cracking up at your stories!
43. Salado/a– Charming / funny in a cheeky way.
“Tu hijo es muy salado”
Your son is such a charmer.
44. Puente– Long weekend, especially a holiday-related weekend.
“Nos vamos de vacaciones este puente.”
We will go on holiday this long weekend!
45. Venga– “Let’s go,” “come on,” or “go ahead”.
“¡Venga! ¡Vámonos!”
Let’s go, we are heading out!
46. Ligar– To flirt with someone.
“Ese chico está ligando contigo”
That boy is flirting with you!
47. Tapeo– To eat tapas.
“Vamos de Tapeo el viernes”
Let’s go to eat tapas and have drinks on Friday.
48. Ir a tu bola– Person is minding their own business. Other versions “ir a tu rollo” and “ir a tu aire” are used in the same way.
“El Camarero va a su bola, no está atendiendo a nadie”
The server is minding his own business and not helping anyone.
49. Pavos– Even when it means ‘turkey’, it is a slang term for money.
“La fiesta completa costó 300 pavos”
The cost of the party was 300 bucks.
50. Eres la leche– Amazing / cool. “You’re the real deal!” or “You’re awesome!”
“Ese tío es la leche”
That dude is the real deal!
Spanish slang is the real language of the locals — casual, expressive, and full of personality.
If you’re living in Spain for a few months or planning a longer adventure in Madrid or Málaga, learning common Spanish expressions will help you:
You don’t have to memorize everything — just start with a few fun Spanish phrases. Trust us, locals will love your effort (and probably teach you more Spanish expressions!).
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These Spanish phrases go beyond slang and give you a real feel for how locals think, joke, and express themselves. Some might sound funny when translated, but they make total sense once you hear them in context.
Learn a few of these Spanish expressions and you’ll start sounding a lot more natural (and maybe even get a few laughs).
1. Se me hace agua la boca (my mouth turns into water) = That looks delicious.
Used when you see or smell mouthwatering food. Common in cafés, home meals, or food shows.
2. Llorar lágrimas de cocodrilo (to cry crocodile tears) = To fake sorrow.
Said when someone pretends to be upset—like a child faking tears after being told no.
3. Tomarle el pelo a alguien (to grab someone’s hair) = To fool someone or tease someone.
Like “pulling someone’s leg” in English. Used in playful situations among friends.
4. Ir al grano (to go to the grain) = Get to the point.
Used when someone is rambling. In serious talks or meetings, you might hear “¡Ve al grano!”
5. Estar como una cabra (to be like a goat) = To be a bit crazy (in a fun way).
Describes someone who’s wild or silly—in an affectionate way.
6. Me voy de puente = Taking a long weekend!
In Spain, a puente is when a holiday lands near a weekend, so people take extra days off. Friends might ask: “¿Haces algo en el puente?”
7. Quedar con alguien = To meet someone.
One of the most common Spanish phrases used when making social plans. “Vamos a quedar este fin de semana” = “We’re meeting up this weekend.”
Take it from us: the more you engage with the culture, the more unforgettable your experience becomes.
Whether you’re in Madrid, Seville, Barcelona or a beach town in the south, you’ll find that the better you understand how people talk—through local Spanish expressions and everyday Spanish phrases, the easier it is to feel at home.
At Stepabroad, we’re not just here to help you get a job abroad—we’re here to help you feel confident, supported, and inspired every step of the way.
Master Spanish slang and Spanish phrases for travel to thrive on your working holiday in Spain—connect with locals and experience true cultural immersion.
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