{"id":138480,"date":"2019-02-12T05:51:12","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T10:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/paraguay-slang\/"},"modified":"2025-01-25T08:50:14","modified_gmt":"2025-01-25T13:50:14","slug":"paraguay-slang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/paraguay-slang\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Paraguayan Slang Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paraguay has been called\u00a0the world\u2019s happiest country<\/a>. One of the reasons cited is its cultural tendency to focus on the positive aspects of life\u00a0rather than dwell on any negatives.<\/p>\n

If you’re planning on visiting Paraguay, you’ll want to know some Paraguayan slang before you go. Keep reading for 13 of the most common Paraguayan slang phrases you should know!
\n[fluentu-toc]
\n<\/p>\n

1. Chake<\/em><\/h2>\n

Chake<\/em> is a word that you kind of hope you don\u2019t hear often. And if you do, pay attention to whatever\u2019s going on, fast!<\/p>\n

It’s a word of warning<\/strong> that means to look out or beware<\/strong>\u2014something\u2019s about to happen and you may need to duck or get out of the way.<\/p>\n

\u00a1Chake! \u00a1Ese autob\u00fas viene demasiado r\u00e1pido!\u00a0<\/em>(Look out! That bus is coming too fast!)<\/p>\n

2. Bagre<\/em><\/h2>\n

A bagre<\/em> is a type of catfish and while it\u2019s not particularly attractive, it\u2019s also not terribly repulsive.<\/p>\n

However, when the word is used as a slang term, it means that a woman isn’t attractive.<\/strong>\u00a0In other words, it’s a way of saying a woman is ugly.<\/p>\n

\u00bfHas visto a la nueva esposa de Juan? \u00a1Bagre!\u00a0<\/em>(Have you seen Juan\u2019s new wife? Ugly!)<\/p>\n

3. Tranquilopa<\/em><\/h2>\n

Tranquilopa<\/em> means everything’s okay. <\/strong>It\u2019s a combination of both official Paraguayan languages.<\/p>\n

The Spanish word tranquilo<\/em><\/strong> (tranquil) plus the Guaran\u00ed word pa<\/em><\/strong> (everything), forms this creative expression that’s used often and covers many situations.<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1 tu cena? \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1 tu arroz y frijoles?\u00a0<\/em>(How\u2019s your dinner? How are your rice and beans?)<\/p>\n

\u00a1Tranquilopa!\u00a0<\/em>(Everything\u2019s okay!)<\/p>\n

4. \u00bfQu\u00e9 tal?<\/em><\/h2>\n

This slangy greeting is something any visitor is going to hear often in Paraguay. It means \u201cHello\u201d <\/strong>or \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s definitely not specific to Paraguay\u2014lots of Spanish-speaking countries use this expression\u2014but it\u2019s much more common than a formal greeting<\/strong> so it\u2019s a good idea to get comfortable saying and hearing it.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u00bfQu\u00e9 tal?\u201d<\/em> from a store clerk.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u00bfQu\u00e9 tal?\u201d<\/em> from a bartender in the local club.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u00bfQu\u00e9 tal?\u201d<\/em> from the kid who passes you in the street.<\/p>\n

See? It\u2019s one of those expressions that you could hear from anyone, anywhere.<\/p>\n

5. Tembo\u2019i<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is another word you probably don’t want to hear, especially if you’re a male. That’s because\u00a0tembo’i<\/em> refers to small male genitalia. <\/strong>It can refer to the actual physical item itself or it can be used\u00a0as an insult<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In Spanish, we usually add -ito<\/em> or -ita<\/em> to indicate something is small. Guaran\u00ed has a similar rule, where adding i<\/em> to the end of a word signifies that the object or person is little or petite.<\/p>\n

\u00a1El es un idiota! \u00a1Tembo\u2019i!<\/em>
\n(He\u2019s an idiot! Tiny [you-know-what]!)<\/p>\n

6. Haku<\/em><\/h2>\n

Haku<\/em> is a reference to the weather that means it\u2019s hot out<\/strong>. Given that Paraguay has a subtropical climate, this is a very useful expression!<\/p>\n

\u00a1Haku!\u00a0<\/em>(It\u2019s hot!)<\/p>\n

7. Purete<\/em><\/h2>\n

Purete<\/em> means \u201ccool\u201d but has absolutely no connection to the weather. It\u2019s a cool way to say “\u00a1No hay problema!”<\/em><\/strong> (“No problem!”)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When la camarera<\/em> (the waitress) realizes she\u2019s goofed on your breakfast order, just wave a hand and say, “\u00a1Purete!”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

8. Guapo \/ Guapa<\/em><\/h2>\n

Literally translated,\u00a0guapo<\/em> or guapa<\/em> means \u201chandsome\u201d or \u201cbeautiful\u201d but in Paraguay it\u2019s a slang word for “hard-working.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00bfMi hermano? \u00a1\u00c9l es guapo!\u00a0<\/em>(My brother? He\u2019s a hard worker!)<\/p>\n

9. Chipa<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a traditional Paraguayan cheesy bread<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00bfQuieres probar chipa?\u00a0<\/em>(Do you want to try chipa<\/em>?)<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Terere<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is actually Paraguay’s national beverage. It’s a cold drink that is made from yerba mate and has even been recognized for its cultural significance by UNESCO.<\/p>\n

Terere es mi bebida favorita.\u00a0<\/em>(Terere<\/em> is my favorite drink.)<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0Chisme<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a slang term for gossip or rumors.<\/p>\n

Les gusta difundir los chismes.\u00a0<\/em>(They like to spread rumors.)<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0Ahata-ayu<\/em><\/h2>\n

Since there’s so much Guaran\u00ed influence, it makes sense that words from this language would make their way into daily use. Most Paraguayans will use this to say goodbye.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ahata-ayu, \u00a1hasta luego!\u00a0<\/em>(Goodbye, I’ll see you later!)<\/p>\n

13.\u00a0Chera’a<\/em><\/h2>\n

Another Guaran\u00ed word, this means “my friend.”<\/p>\n

\u00bfEst\u00e1s lista para ir,\u00a0chera’a?\u00a0<\/i>(Are you ready to go, my friend?)<\/p>\n

What to Expect from Paraguayan Spanish<\/h2>\n

Paraguay is a bilingual country that has\u00a0two official languages: Spanish and Paraguayan Guaran\u00ed<\/strong>. The majority of the population speaks the indigenous language, Guaran\u00ed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Guaran\u00ed is a very old language that has survived mostly due to Paraguay’s relative isolation. Paraguay is located between Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia and is completely landlocked, resulting in minimal outside influence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Paraguayan Guaran\u00ed is taught in schools, many people speak what\u2019s called Jopar\u00e1<\/strong>\u2014an everyday mix of Spanish and Guaran\u00ed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition to its heavy Guaran\u00ed influence, Paraguayan Spanish includes the use of the voseo\u00a0<\/i>verb conjugation<\/strong>. This means that vos<\/em> (you) takes the place of the second person pronoun\u2014instead of tu<\/em> (you).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Check out our post on Paraguayan Spanish<\/a> to learn more about this unique variety of Spanish.<\/p>\n

How to Practice Paraguayan Slang<\/h2>\n

There are plenty of ways for you to practice Paraguayan slang, and the best method is to start speaking Spanish and seeing how slang makes its way into your speech!<\/p>\n

Try to find someone from Paraguay that you can have a conversation with and notice how they use slang, then try using some yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about things you don’t understand as most native speakers are happy to help!<\/p>\n

You can also practice listening to Paraguayan Spanish with resources like YouTube videos, music, podcasts, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another option is\u00a0FluentU<\/a>, which will have Spanish videos that natives would watch, including some videos with Paraguayan speakers.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

\r\n

For instance, if you have a short friend named Lupe, you might call her Lupe’i. <\/em>Just remember that this word can be easily confused with the word tembi\u2019u<\/a>,<\/em> which is a casual food term.<\/p>\n