{"id":144187,"date":"2023-05-31T21:24:21","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T01:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/el-salvador-slang\/"},"modified":"2025-01-08T05:26:44","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T10:26:44","slug":"el-salvador-slang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/el-salvador-slang\/","title":{"rendered":"13 El Salvador Slang Terms to Sound Like a Local"},"content":{"rendered":"

El Salvador a lot to offer.\u00a0Not only is it home to more than a dozen active volcanoes,<\/a> there are Mayan ruins at Tazumal <\/a>and 191 miles of Pacific coastline and beaches.\u00a0Whatever you do in El Salvador, getting to know some local lingo will be important for communicating with the locals during your trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are 13 essential El Salvador slang words and phrases to infuse your Spanish with local color.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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1. Chucho\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 <\/em>Dog<\/h2>\n

Don’t expect to hear the furry little friend with a wagging tail following you around the market called perro<\/em> (dog). You may look at his big, soulful eyes and think perro<\/em> (dog) but you\u2019ll be the only one with that term in mind.<\/p>\n

A dog is always called chucho<\/em> in El Salvador. It doesn\u2019t seem to have a literal translation, but that doesn’t matter\u2014just memorize it, because you’ll be seeing a lot of cute dogs in El Salvador.<\/p>\n

\u00a1Mira! \u00a1El chucho<\/strong> nos sigue!
\n<\/em>Look! The dog is following us!<\/p>\n

2. Casamiento\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Traditional rice and bean dish<\/h2>\n

This word literally means “marriage,” but don\u2019t get nervous if someone offers you casamiento<\/em>\u2014they\u2019re not proposing.<\/p>\n

Casamiento<\/em> is a\u00a0traditional Salvadoran dish<\/a> made with white rice and black beans\u2014and the two components, rice and beans, are said to \u201cmarry\u201d when combined, which gives the dish its name.<\/p>\n

This is a staple food, so it\u2019s likely it’ll be offered at least once. If you\u2019re hungry, accept because while it\u2019s simple fare, it\u2019s very nourishing and tasty.<\/p>\n

Prueba el casamiento<\/strong>. \u00a1Es muy bueno!
\n<\/em>Try the casamiento. It\u2019s very good!<\/p>\n

3. Vaya pues\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 See you later<\/h2>\n

Literally, \u201cgo then,\u201d but the expression is used to say a friendly “see you later.”<\/p>\n

Adi\u00f3s<\/em> (goodbye) is rarely heard when ending a phone conversation or even a transaction in una tienda<\/em> (a shop). Instead,\u00a0vaya pues<\/em>\u00a0is the standard in such situations so it\u2019s a helpful term to keep in mind.<\/p>\n

A chorus of\u00a0vaya pues<\/em> will follow you from any crowd if you\u2019ve made at least one casual connection.<\/p>\n

4. \u00a1Puchica!<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Damn!<\/h2>\n

This is a minor swear word that loosely translated means, “oh, man!” or “damn!” This multipurpose exclamation works in almost any situation that locals use freely.<\/p>\n

Did you drop your phone? Miss the last bus back to the hotel? Find the restaurant all out of pupusas<\/em> for the day?<\/p>\n

Feel free to say “\u00a1Puchica!”\u00a0<\/em>and blend in with the locals.<\/p>\n

5. Cabal\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Agreement<\/h2>\n

The literal translation of cabal is \u201cthorough\u201d but it\u2019s used to show agreement here in El Salvador\u2014a word that replaces \u201cexactly\u201d or “certainly.”<\/p>\n

El costo del caf\u00e9 es demasiado alto.\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe cost of coffee is too high.<\/p>\n

\u00a1Cabal! <\/strong>
\n<\/em>Exactly!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a very useful word and adds to any conversation where two parties are in accord.<\/p>\n

6. Chera \/ chero<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Friend<\/h2>\n

This has no literal translation\u2014it\u2019s simply a word commonly used to replace amigo<\/em> or amiga<\/em> (friend).<\/p>\n

Eres un gran chero<\/strong>.<\/em>
\nYou’re a great friend [masculine].<\/p>\n

7. Chivo \/ chiva <\/em>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/em>OK, great, cool<\/h2>\n

Chivo<\/em> means “great” or “cool.” If you give something a thumbs up, it\u2019s chivo\/chiva<\/em>. You can also use this to convey “OK” or agreement.<\/p>\n

This is one of my favorite Salvadoran slang words because it\u2019s fun to say and its meaning is so positive! I mean, really, who can say this without smiling?<\/p>\n

\u00a1Qu\u00e9 chiva<\/strong>!
\n<\/em>That\u2019s cool!<\/p>\n

8. Buena onda<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Good vibes<\/h2>\n

Buena onda<\/em> translates literally to \u201cgood wave,\u201d but this phrase is used to show a good feeling about a person, place or situation. In other words, buena onda<\/em> is Salvadoran for \u201cgood vibes.\u201d<\/p>\n

El club est\u00e1 bueno, \u00bfno?\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe club is good, no?<\/p>\n

S\u00ed, tiene buena onda<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>Yes, it has good vibes.<\/p>\n

9. Tener goma <\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Having a hangover<\/h2>\n

The actual translation is \u201cto have glue,\u201d but it\u2019s the slang term for having a hangover and is used in other countries in the region as well.<\/p>\n

This is widely used, so you should tuck this one into your slang kit. You may (or may not, depending on your travel plans!) hear it often.<\/p>\n

Me qued\u00e9 demasiado tiempo en la fiesta. \u00a1Tengo goma<\/strong>!\u00a0<\/em>
\nI stayed too long at the party. I have a hangover!<\/p>\n

10. Bayunco <\/em>\u2014 Crazy<\/h2>\n

Bayunco<\/em> is the slang term for crazy, so don\u2019t expect to hear loco<\/em> (crazy) in El Salvador.<\/p>\n

Honestly, bayunco<\/em> is another fun word that rolls off the tongue and brings smiles. And shared smiles in a foreign country? That\u2019s a win\/win situation!<\/p>\n

\u00a1Qu\u00e9 bayunco<\/strong>!
\n<\/em>It\u2019s crazy!<\/p>\n

11. Bajonear <\/em> \u2014 To eat<\/h2>\n

This verb literally means “to go down,” but Salvadorians use it to mean “chow down” or eat.<\/p>\n

\u00a1Estoy hambriento! Vamos bajoneamos<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>I’m starving! Let’s eat.<\/p>\n

12. Bicho <\/em> \u2014 Children or people younger than you<\/h2>\n

This word’s true meaning is “bug,” but this cute slang word is used to refer to children, or really anyone that’s younger than you.<\/p>\n

Ese bicho<\/strong> siempre quiere pasar el rato.
\n<\/em>That kid always wants to hang out.<\/p>\n

13. Pista<\/em>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Money<\/h2>\n

In Mexico, a\u00a0pista\u00a0<\/em>is an alcoholic beverage, but in El Salvador, it’s one of many slang terms for money.<\/p>\n

No tengo pista.
\n<\/em>I have no money.<\/p>\n

Spanish in El Salvador<\/h2>\n

Spanish is the official language, although it\u2019s slightly different from what most of us learn through mainstream language study.<\/p>\n

Salvadorans use the voseo<\/em> form of verb conjugation<\/a><\/strong> rather than the one most of us know, the tuteo<\/em> form. It simply means that vos<\/em> (you) takes the place of the second person pronoun\u2014instead of\u00a0t\u00fa <\/em>(you). A few other countries use this conjugation variance, most notably\u00a0Argentina.<\/p>\n

Often called Salvadoran Spanish, the speech unique to El Salvador is called Caliche<\/em><\/a>. It\u2019s a mix of standard Spanish and native Salvadoran slang spoken among locals.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Nahuatl is still spoken on a limited basis<\/a>. Historically, it has been referred to as Aztec and at this point, some contend it\u2019s a dying language. Others, however, deem it worthy of continued study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s worth seeing all this in practice, by watching videos featuring native speakers from the area. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which gathers hundreds of videos from around the Spanish-speaking world for natural learning.

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

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