Burda<\/em><\/h2>\nBurda<\/em> can mean “a lot,” “many,” “much” or “really.” Basically, use it when there’s a large quantity of something or to emphasize a feeling or quality.\u00a0<\/p>\nHay burda de apps para aprender espa\u00f1ol. <\/em>(There are a lot of apps to learn Spanish.)<\/p>\nMe gusta burda las papas fritas. <\/em>(I really like french fries.)<\/p>\n9. Bolo<\/em><\/h2>\nIn Venezuela, the currency is bolivar<\/em>. So\u00a0bolo<\/em> is a slang term for money. It’s best to have some in your pockets\u2014currency exchanging can be dicey in a country experiencing upheaval.<\/p>\nNote that in Spanish countries outside Venezuela, this word has many different meanings. In some places, saying “Voy a mi bola”<\/em>\u00a0means “I\u2019m going to go it alone,” which can be seen as antisocial.<\/p>\nBolo<\/em> is also a slang term for “penis” in many Spanish-speaking countries, so be certain you\u2019re referencing\u00a0your wallet\u00a0correctly when you use the term.<\/p>\nIn a market, let the merchant know you have enough cash to pay for an item by saying, “Tengo bolo para pagarlo.”<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>(“I have enough money to pay for it.”)<\/p>\n10. \u00a1Epa!<\/em><\/h2>\nThis bit of lingo is so versatile, you\u2019ll use it several times each day.<\/p>\n
It’s the casual greeting English speakers know as “Hey!” or “Hi!”<\/p>\n
In a restaurant and need to grab the waitress\u2019 attention? Wave your hand, meet her gaze and say, “\u00a1Epa!”<\/em><\/p>\nWalking down the street and see a friend? A smile and “\u00a1Epa!” <\/em>does the job.<\/p>\n11. Chinazo<\/em><\/h2>\nIn Venezula, the word chinazo\u00a0<\/em>refers to when someone unintentionally says something that comes out differently than how they intended, usually with a sexual connotation.<\/p>\nYou know when you say something innocently and someone else responds with ‘That’s what she said”? Well, you just used a chinazo<\/em>.<\/p>\nYou could say it’s a double entendre, or a word or phrase with a double meaning. So to avoid embarrassment, learn your chinazos <\/em>or you may be the butt of some jokes!\u00a0<\/p>\n12. Perico<\/em><\/h2>\n“\u00bfTienes ganas de desayunar?” <\/em>(“Are you hungry for breakfast?”) makes the slang request for perico<\/em>\u2014or scrambled eggs\u2014perfectly acceptable.<\/p>\nIn a caf\u00e9, your waitress will probably serve your eggs with a side of toast and some jam.<\/p>\n
However, requesting perico<\/em> on the street could get you into trouble because you\u2019d be looking for cocaine.<\/p>\nSo, in the caf\u00e9? All good. On the sidewalk? Nope.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a strange slang word because perico<\/em>\u00a0literally translates to “parakeet”\u2014which has nothing to do with eggs or cocaine!<\/p>\n13. Echar los perros<\/em><\/h2>\nSo, literally, this expression means to “throw dogs at a person,” which makes no sense… but as a slang term, it means “to flirt with someone.”<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re in a club and your friend says, “Le voy a echar los perros a esa chica<\/em>“\u00a0(“I’m\u00a0going to flirt with that girl”) you can give him a pat on the back.<\/p>\nAs in other languages, it just goes to show that sometimes a dog is more than a dog!<\/p>\n
14. \u00a1Ladilla!<\/em><\/h2>\nThis is an all-purpose exclamation that expresses the fact that you’re annoyed that you have to do a certain thing.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t want to catch the next bus? Tired of carrying your buddy\u2019s backpack because he broke an arm?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a1Ladilla!<\/em><\/p>\nThis is your best slang go-to expression in any case where you are annoyed.<\/p>\n
15. Vaina<\/em><\/h2>\nVaina <\/i>is one of the most common Venezuelan slang words and usually means “thing.” It’s extremely versatile and can refer to any object, action, person, situation, occasion…pretty much anything!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here are just a few of the many, many ways it can be used:<\/p>\n
No puedo ir a la fiesta, tengo muchas vainas que hacer. <\/em> (I can’t go to the party, I have too many things to do).\u00a0<\/p>\nP\u00e1same esa vaina.<\/em> (Pass me that thing.)<\/p>\nIt can even be used to ask “What’s up?” by saying “\u00bfQu\u00e9\u00a0<\/em>vaina<\/em> es?”<\/em><\/p>\n16. Vale<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\nYou’ll hear this word all over the Spanish-speaking world, but it can mean different things depending on where you hear it.<\/p>\n
In Venezuela, it’s most commonly used to refer to a close friend in the way we might say “pal” or buddy” in English.<\/span><\/p>\nThis meaning is derived from <\/span>valedor<\/span><\/i> (guardian, protector) and can also be used in the diminutive to sound extra cute: valecito<\/strong><\/em>, valecita<\/strong><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n17.<\/strong> Marico \/ Marica<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\nMarico<\/em> or marica<\/em> is a term used among friends, similar to “dude” or “bro.” It can be considered offensive in certain contexts (the feminine form marica<\/em> is sometimes used to refer to a gay person), so use it with caution.<\/p>\nExample: “\u00a1Qu\u00e9 pasa, marico!”<\/em> (What’s up, dude!)<\/p>\n18.<\/strong> Arrecho \/ Arrecha<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\nThis adjective is usually used to mean “angry” or “upset,” but can also mean “awesome” or “amazing,” as in, “\u00a1<\/em>La nueva pelicula de Batman es arrecha!”<\/em>\u00a0(The new Batman movie is awesome!). <\/span><\/p>\nIn Colombia it means sexually aroused, so pay attention to the context to get the right meaning and avoid an awkward situation if you’re traveling around South America.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThis word comes from the verb arrechar<\/em> which translates to “to arouse\/excite,” so the sexual connotation makes sense, but when used by Venezuelans it means something is really cool or someone is really mad.\u00a0<\/p>\n19. Pela bolas<\/em><\/h2>\nPela bolas <\/em>(noun) or pelar bolas<\/em> (verb) is used when someone’s broke or doesn’t have any money. Either they’ve temporarily run of out money, or they’re always lacking resources.\u00a0<\/p>\nIt’s also used to refer to someone who’s probably going to die soon.<\/p>\n
P\u00e1game el pasaje mi pana, ando pelando bolas. <\/em>(Pay for my ticket my buddy, I don’t have any money.)<\/p>\nNo vayas a comprar con \u00e9l, es pela bolas. <\/em>(Don’t go shopping with him, he’s broke.)<\/p>\nNuestro vecino es muy viejo, va a pelar bola. <\/em>(Our neighbor is really old, he’s going to die soon.)<\/p>\n20. Atraparse con los kilos<\/em><\/h2>\nWhile this phrase literally translates to “to be caught (or to catch someone) with the kilos (kilograms),” it really means to be caught (or to catch someone) red-handed, or in the act.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It’s used for talking about getting busted doing something wrong, like cheating on a partner or staying out past curfew.<\/p>\n
Trat\u00e9 de ir a la fiesta, pero mis padres me atraparon con los kilos. <\/em>(I tried to go to the party, but I got busted by my parents.)<\/p>\n21. Rumbear<\/em><\/h2>\nRumbear\u00a0<\/em>means “to party” or “to go out and have a good time.”<\/p>\n“Vamos a rumbear este fin de semana.”<\/em>\u00a0(Let’s party this weekend.)<\/p>\nThe word rumba<\/em> is a noun that means party, usually in a discoteca<\/em> (club).\u00a0<\/p>\n22. Pata en el suelo<\/em><\/h2>\nPata en el suelo<\/em> refers to the unfortunate state of being broke or without money.\u00a0<\/p>\nNo puedo salir, estoy pata en el suelo.<\/em> (I can’t go out, I’m broke.)<\/p>\nThe literal translation is “paw on the ground.”<\/p>\n
23. Tropicalizado<\/em><\/h2>\nThis is an adjective meaning “tropicalized” and is used to describe someone or something that’s been in Venezuela for enough time to have assimilated with or adapted to the culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you’re a foreigner living in Venezuela, you might hope that people say you’ve become tropicalizado.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n24. <\/strong>Carajito \/ Carajita <\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\nThis word means “kid” or “child” in Venezuelan slang. It’s neutral in connotation until you put it in context. For example, you can say “\u00a1Que carajitos tan lindos!”<\/em>(What cute kids!) to refer to the kids in a positive way.<\/span><\/p>\nBut it can also be used when a child or children are bothering someone or being naughty. If a parent catches their kid drawing on the walls, they might yell, “Que haces, carajito!?”<\/em>\u00a0(What are you doing, kid?!)\u00a0<\/p>\n25. Sapo<\/em><\/h2>\nSapo<\/em> means “snitch” or “tattletale.” It’s a derogatory term for someone who informs on others or spreads rumors. <\/span><\/p>\nDon’t get caught being a sapo<\/em>!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n26. Guayoyo<\/em><\/h2>\nGuayoyo<\/em> refers to black coffee without milk or any other additives. The word also refers to the traditional Venezuelan way of preparing coffee, which is by filtering the coffee through a cone of cloth.<\/p>\n“Un guayoyo caliente en la ma\u00f1ana me despierta.”<\/em>\u00a0(A hot black coffee in the morning wakes me up.)<\/p>\n27. Echarle pich\u00f3n<\/em><\/h2>\nThis phrase means to strive or work hard for something. So if a friend or family member is competing for something, you can encourage them by yelling “\u00a1\u00c9chale pich\u00f3n!”<\/em><\/p>\n28. Tipo tranquilo<\/em><\/h2>\nTipo tranquilo<\/em> is used to describe a situation where you can relax and spend a nice, chill night. Your Venezuelan friend might invite you to a get-together at their house using this phrase.\u00a0<\/p>\nNow you’ll know they don’t mean a big rumba<\/em>, just a relaxed night in.\u00a0<\/p>\n29. A pata de mingo<\/em><\/h2>\nThis phrase means that you’re really close to or near a certain location. It’s also used to say that something or someone is close to you.<\/p>\n
Estoy a pata de mingo de tu casa.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>(I’m really close to your house.)<\/p>\n30. Momentico<\/em><\/h2>\nWhile momentico<\/em> is the diminutive of momento<\/em> (moment), it actually means the opposite. When someone says they’ll arrive in un\u00a0momentico,<\/em> it really means they’ll take some time to get there.\u00a0<\/p>\nSo if your friend says “Llego en un momentico”<\/em> (I’ll arrive momentarily), don’t expect them to show up right away.\u00a0<\/p>\n31. Guachim\u00e1n<\/em><\/h2>\nThis word refers to a security guard or watchman of an establishment.<\/p>\n
If you’re living in Venezuela and going out to rumbear<\/em> (party) in the discotecas<\/em> (clubs), you may want to make friends with the guachimanes <\/em>(security guards) there.<\/p>\n32. Hacer ojitos<\/em><\/h2>\nThis is like the English phrase “to make eyes at someone.” It means to make a person notice that you want something with him or her.<\/span><\/p>\nEsa chica me estuvo haciendo ojitos toda la noche. <\/em>(That girl was making eyes at me all night.)<\/p>\n33. Labia<\/em><\/h2>\nLabia <\/em>is used in Venezuela to mean that someone speaks well or uses the lexicon well, usually in a charming or convincing way.<\/p>\nSo if your friend tells you to “meterle la labia”<\/em> with someone, it just means speak nicely and try to charm them.<\/p>\nSpanish-speaking countries also use “tener labia”<\/em> to say that someone is a smooth talker, as in “Manuel tiene labia.”<\/em> (Manuel is a smooth talker.)\u00a0<\/p>\n34. Hacer una vaca<\/em><\/h2>\nThis phrase isn’t just used in Venezuela, but it’s one you should know if you’re going there. Hacer una vaca<\/em> means to raise money among all those interested in buying something or contributing the money to something.<\/p>\nIt’s often used when a group of friends wants to buy a case of beer or a bottle of liquor. So if you’re asked to hacer una vaca<\/em>, now you know what you’re agreeing to!\u00a0<\/p>\n35. Mango bajito<\/em><\/h2>\n