Spice Up Your Latin American Spanish: How Do You Say It?

Latin American Spanish is incredibly diverse, with each country and even regions within those countries having their own unique ways of speaking. This variety makes Spanish one of the most interesting languages, and names, to study and speak.

Over time, as Spanish mixed with indigenous languages, the speech patterns of different settlers, and the influences of other colonial powers like France and Portugal, it evolved into various regional dialects.

Each country has developed its own vocabulary, often borrowing from indigenous languages, creating words that might be completely unfamiliar to speakers from other Spanish-speaking countries. For example, in Mexico, “popote” means “straw,” while in Argentina, it’s called “sorbete,” and in Spain, “pajita.”

Idiomatic expressions are another area where Spanish shows its regional diversity. Idioms often don’t translate well because they are deeply rooted in the local culture and history. They can be humorous, colorful, and sometimes quite puzzling for outsiders.

For example, in Mexico, you might hear “dar el avión,” which means to pretend to agree with someone just to appease them, literally “to give the plane.” In Venezuela, “estar pelado” means to be broke, literally “to be peeling” and in Peru, “jato” means “house,” borrowed from the Quechua language, whereas in other places, you’d use “casa.”

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At LATV, we had a blast making a video where we explored some typical phrases used in different countries across Latin America. It was amazing to see how the same language can have so many variations, dialects, and idioms depending on the region.

One of the first things we noticed is that Spanish is far from being a uniform language. Each country, and sometimes even different regions within a country, has its unique way of expressing ideas and emotions. These differences make the language colorful and full of life, but they can also be a bit tricky for non-native speakers to understand.

Let’s start with Mexico. In Mexico, if you want to ask someone if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you don’t say, “Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?” Instead, you say, “¿Te pegan o qué?” which literally translates to “Do they hit you or what?” It might sound harsh, but it’s a playful way to ask about someone’s relationship status.

Moving on to Argentina, if someone is being really annoying, you wouldn’t say, “Stop being annoying.” You’d say, “No seas hinchapelotas,” which roughly translates to “Don’t be a ball-buster.” It’s a much more vivid way to get your point across!

In Spain, if someone thinks you’re too old to have kids, they might say, “Se te va a pasar el arroz,” which means “Your rice is going to get overcooked.”

Over in Colombia, if something went wrong, you wouldn’t just say, “That was wrong.” You’d say, “Qué embarrada hombre,” which literally means “What a mess, man.”

In Guatemala, if you’re trying to tell someone not to hold a grudge, you wouldn’t say, “Don’t hold a grudge.” You’d say, “No seas mascado,” which means “Don’t be chewed up.” Back in Mexico, if you want to call someone a loser, you don’t say “Loser.” You’d say, “Rata de dos patas,” which translates to “Two-legged rat.”

In Miami, if something was boring or bland, you wouldn’t say it was boring. You’d say, “Eso es un huevo sin sal,” which means “That’s an egg without salt.” Finally, in Puerto Rico, if you’re really frustrated, you wouldn’t just say “Damn.” You’d say, “Me cago en la madre que te vuelva a parir,” which is a very intense way of expressing anger or frustration, involving someone’s mother in a colorful phrase that translates to “I shit on the mother that gave birth to you again.”