{"id":144847,"date":"2024-03-02T02:38:45","date_gmt":"2024-03-02T07:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/peruvian-slang\/"},"modified":"2025-01-16T23:18:26","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T04:18:26","slug":"peruvian-slang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/peruvian-slang\/","title":{"rendered":"46 Peruvian Slang Words Used by Locals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Knowing Peruvian slang will help you communicate better and understand more about the rich culture in Peru.\u00a0It’s the gap between speaking Spanish and speaking Spanish like the locals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Below you’ll learn 46 of the most important Peruvian slang terms you should know to sound like a native, then you can take a short quiz to test what you’ve learned!
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1. Pata<\/em><\/h2>\n

Pata <\/em>in standard Spanish means the leg or paw of an animal. However, this is the Peruvian slang replacement for\u00a0amigo<\/em> (friend). Note that it always ends with an a<\/em><\/strong>, whether you’re referring to a male or a female.<\/p>\n

Es mi pata<\/strong>. <\/em>(He’s my pal.)<\/p>\n

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

The currency in Peru is the sol, <\/em>and the slang word is luca.<\/em> According to one source<\/a>, it comes from the Spanish gypsies’ word for money.<\/p>\n

No puedo ir de compras; no tengo luca<\/strong>. <\/i>(I can’t go shopping, I don’t have money.)<\/p>\n

Check out this post for more slang words to describe money in Spanish<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

Spanish speakers from some lands litter their sentences with pues<\/em> (then, well) as a meaningless filler word. Peruvians use the shortened form pe<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Pe<\/strong>, no s\u00e9. <\/em>(Well, I don’t know.)<\/p>\n

4. Jamear\/jama<\/em><\/h2>\n

The slang verb jamear<\/em>\u00a0is common in a few Latin American countries as an alternative to comer<\/em> (to eat). Jama<\/em> is the noun form, so it just means “food.”<\/p>\n

Tengo hambre; necesito jama<\/strong>. (I’m hungry, I need food.)<\/p>\n

5. Chamba<\/em><\/h2>\n

You don’t have a trabajo<\/em> (job) in informal Peruvian jargon, you have a chamba<\/em>.<\/p>\n

S\u00ed, me gusta mi chamba<\/strong>. <\/em>(Yes, I like my job.)<\/p>\n

6. Pitri mitri<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a cutesy, rhyming way to say “Awesome!”<\/p>\n

\u00a1Esta canci\u00f3n es\u00a0<\/em>pitri mitri!<\/i><\/strong> <\/i>(This song is awesome!)<\/p>\n

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

Use this word instead of fiesta <\/em>(party).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hay un tono<\/strong> el viernes. <\/em>(There’s a party on Friday.)<\/p>\n

8. Pisco<\/em><\/h2>\n

This isn’t so much slang as it is an important national beverage that you must be aware of if you’re going to Peru\u2014 brandy made from grapes.<\/p>\n

If you have a high-end pisco, enjoy it straight; otherwise, you’ll want to use it to make the next term…<\/p>\n

Nunca he probado el pisco<\/strong>. <\/em>(I’ve never tried pisco.)<\/p>\n

9. Pisco sour<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is the national cocktail of Peru, and you can instantly spark a fight by suggesting to Peruvians that it might be Chilean.<\/p>\n

Regardless, both countries do a fabulous job with it<\/a>, and it’s famous enough internationally that you can find good pisco anywhere.<\/p>\n

Tomar\u00e9 un pisco sour<\/strong>, por favor. <\/em>(I’ll take a pisco sour, please.)<\/p>\n

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

This is a slang version for verg\u00fcenza<\/em> (shame\/embarrassment).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Me da roche<\/strong> hablar de eso.<\/em> (I’m embarrassed to talk about that.)<\/p>\n

11. Bac\u00e1n<\/em><\/h2>\n

This could be translated as “awesome,” “great,” “cool,” etc. It’s also used in other South American countries like Ecuador<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You’ll often hear “\u00a1Q<\/em>u\u00e9 bac\u00e1n!”<\/em><\/strong> (“How cool!”) in everyday, casual conversations.<\/p>\n

Ese carro es bac\u00e1n<\/strong>.<\/em> (That car is cool.)<\/p>\n

12. Ch\u00e9vere<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is another way to say “cool” in Spanish slang, often used in Latin American countries like Peru and Ecuador.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a1Que ch\u00e9vere<\/strong>! <\/em>(How cool!)<\/p>\n

13. Tirarse la pera<\/em><\/h2>\n

This means to play hooky (truant for you Brits). Literally,\u00a0tirar<\/em> is “to throw,”\u00a0tirarse <\/em>is a colloquial (but not vulgar) word for sleeping with someone and la pera <\/em>is “the pear.”<\/p>\n

Mi hermano se tira la pera<\/strong> a menudo. <\/em>(My brother skips school often.)<\/p>\n

14. Yapa<\/em><\/h2>\n

This means “more” or “extra.”<\/p>\n

\u00bfPuedes darme yapa<\/strong>? <\/em>(Can you give me a bit more?)<\/p>\n

15. Cholo<\/em><\/h2>\n

In Peru, this can be an extremely\u00a0disrespectful way of referring to natives from the Andes, so you’ll probably want to pass on using this word.<\/p>\n

Regardless, it’s good to know what it means because you might hear it used neutrally or positively in the right contexts. For example:<\/p>\n

Cholo<\/strong>, \u00bfqu\u00e9 pasa? <\/em>(Hey dude, what’s up?)<\/p>\n

16. Mote<\/em><\/h2>\n

This word can denote both an accent and a speech defect. You’ll likely have a mote extranjero<\/em><\/strong>,\u00a0or foreign accent.<\/p>\n

Your Peruvian friends might have a mote provinciano<\/strong><\/em> (provincial accent), mote norte\u00f1o<\/strong><\/em> (northern accent), mote serrano<\/strong><\/em> (highland accent) or mote charapa<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(jungle accent).<\/p>\n

The word comes from Quechua, and be careful as it’s often a disrespectful way of saying that someone isn’t speaking right. Probably another word that you should avoid using, but is good to know in case you hear it flying around.<\/p>\n

Me dijo que tengo mote<\/strong>. <\/em>(He told me that I have an accent.)<\/p>\n

17. Porfa<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a shortening of por favor<\/em> (please). You may also hear porfis<\/em>. This slang word isn’t unique to Peru, but you may hear it there in casual conversation between friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfPuede ayudarme\u00a0<\/em>porfa<\/strong>?<\/i> (Can you help me please?)<\/p>\n

18. Tombo<\/em><\/h2>\n

In proper Spanish, this would be la polic\u00eda<\/em> (the police) but in the Andes, they’re informally known as el tombo<\/em>.<\/p>\n

No queremos econtrarnos con el tombo<\/strong>. <\/em>(We don’t want to run into the police.)<\/p>\n

19. Coca cola<\/em><\/h2>\n

You’ve heard of the drink, but probably not its fun usage as a way to describe someone. Estar coca cola<\/em> <\/strong>in Peru means to be going crazy or out of your mind, while un coca cola <\/em><\/strong>is used to refer to a crazy person.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Debes estar coca cola<\/strong> si quieres que te voy a comprar un carro. <\/i>(You must be crazy if you think I’m going to buy you a car.)<\/p>\n

20. A su madre<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is an expression of surprise that you may hear shortened to\u00a0“asu!” <\/em>Say your friend jumps out and scares you. You might exclaim:<\/p>\n

\u00a1A su madre! <\/strong>\u00a1Me asustaste!<\/em> (Ah! You scared me!)<\/p>\n

21. Al toque<\/em><\/h2>\n

This means “right away,” to express a sense of urgency.<\/p>\n

Necesito un m\u00e9dico al toque<\/strong>. <\/em>(I need a doctor right away.)<\/p>\n

22. Br\u00f3der<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a term of endearment that’s derived from the English word “brother.”<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 pasa br\u00f3der<\/strong>? <\/em>(What’s up, brother?)<\/p>\n

23. Asado<\/em><\/h2>\n

This literally means “roast” but is used to say that someone is angry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mi padre est\u00e1 asado<\/strong> porque llegu\u00e9 tarde a casa. <\/em>(My dad is angry because I came home late.)<\/p>\n

24. Calabaza<\/em><\/h2>\n

While this word translates directly to “pumpkin,” it’s also a way to call someone dumb or empty-headed.<\/p>\n

Sara es una<\/strong> calabaza<\/strong>; se olvid\u00f3 de su tarea. <\/em>(Sara is dumb, she forgot about her homework.)<\/p>\n

25. Bamba<\/em><\/h2>\n

This slang term refers to something false or fake.\u00a0You’ll hear it most often in markets where they frequently sell cheap knock-offs of luxury items.<\/p>\n

Ese bolsa no es de dise\u00f1ador, es\u00a0<\/em>bamba<\/strong>.<\/i> <\/i>(That purse isn’t designer, it’s fake.)<\/p>\n

26. Figureti<\/em><\/h2>\n

You can use this word to talk about someone who’s a show-off.<\/p>\n

Ella s\u00f3lo es agradable cuando la c\u00e1mara est\u00e1 cerca, es una\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>figureti<\/strong>.<\/i> <\/i>(She’s only nice when the camera is around, she’s a show-off.)<\/p>\n

27. Hacer chancha<\/em><\/h2>\n

When you need to split the bill amongst friends, you’ll refer to it as hacer chancha.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Si no quieres hacer chancha<\/strong>, puedo pagar.<\/em> (If you don’t want to split the bill, I can pay.)<\/p>\n

28. Chibolo<\/em><\/h2>\n

This word is used to refer to kids or young people. You may also hear it used for someone who’s acting like child.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No me gustan los chibolos<\/strong>. <\/em>(I don’t like kids.)<\/p>\n

29. Choche<\/em><\/h2>\n

Spanish has many words for “friend,”<\/a> and this is another one that’s used in Peru.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Voy a ir al cine con mi choche<\/strong>. <\/em>(I’m going to go to the movies with my friend.)<\/p>\n

30. Pituco<\/em><\/h2>\n

Use this one to talk about someone who looks or acts like they’re rich.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Todos los pitucos<\/strong> viven en ese barrio.<\/em> (All the rich people live in that neighborhood.)<\/p>\n

31. Pura finta<\/em><\/h2>\n

While bamba<\/em> is used to call things fake, pura finta<\/em> is used to call a person fake.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elena habla mal de sus amigas, es pura finta<\/strong>.<\/em> (Elena talks bad about her friends, she’s fake.)<\/p>\n

32. Chato<\/em><\/h2>\n

This word is used to refer to a short person, most often as a nickname.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Este es Jose, pero lo llamamos chato<\/strong>. <\/em>(This is Jose, but we call him shortie.)<\/p>\n

33. Latear<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is slang for “to walk.”<\/p>\n

Est\u00e1n lateando<\/strong> a tu casa. <\/em>(They’re walking to your house.)<\/p>\n

34. Huasca<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is what you use if you need to say you’ve had a little bit too much to drink and are feeling the effects. In other words, you’re wasted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Estoy huasca<\/strong>, necesito beber agua. <\/em>(I’m drunk, I need to drink water.)<\/p>\n

35. Estar tranca<\/em><\/h2>\n

If you need to say something is difficult, use this slang term.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Est\u00e1 tranca<\/strong> abrir esta puerta. <\/em>(It’s difficult to open this door.)<\/p>\n

36. Por las puras<\/em><\/h2>\n

Use this term if you feel like you did something that was a complete waste of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hemos caminado todo este camino por las puras<\/strong>. <\/em>(We’ve walked all this way for nothing.)<\/p>\n

37. Soroche<\/em><\/h2>\n

A pretty common experience for travelers that come to Peru, you may need this word to tell your doctor or trek guide that you have altitude sickness.<\/p>\n

Es com\u00fan sufrir de soroche<\/strong> en Machu Picchu. <\/em>(It’s common to suffer from altitude sickness at Machu Picchu.)<\/p>\n

38. Fercho<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a slang term for a driver or chauffeur.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mi\u00a0<\/em>padre contrat\u00f3 un\u00a0fercho<\/strong>.<\/i> <\/i>(My dad hired a driver.)<\/p>\n

39. Chela<\/em><\/h2>\n

If you want to grab some beers with friends, this is the word you’ll use.<\/p>\n

Tomar\u00e9 una chela<\/strong> porfa. <\/em>(I’ll take a beer please.)<\/p>\n

40. Florear<\/em><\/h2>\n

Florear\u00a0<\/em>is a common word for lying, but not just any lie. This is more like when someone is lying to you, but really trying to make things sound good. Almost like flattery or sugar-coating.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Est\u00e1s tratando de florearme<\/strong> sobre tu noche, pero no te creo. <\/em>(You’re trying to lie to me about your night, but I don’t believe you.)<\/p>\n

41. Cojudo<\/em>\/Cojuda<\/em><\/h2>\n

Along with words for “friend,” Spanish is also in no short supply of words for “idiot.”<\/p>\n

Rob\u00f3 en el supermercado y le\u00a0pillaron, qu\u00e9 cojudo<\/strong>. <\/i>(He stole from the supermarket and got caught, what an idiot.)<\/p>\n

42. Costilla<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a fun little way to call someone your girlfriend.\u00a0It literally means “rib,” a reference to Eve coming from Adam’s rib.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mi costilla<\/strong> se va de vacaciones conmigo y mi familia. <\/em>(My girlfriend is going on vacation with me and my family.)<\/p>\n

43. Flaco<\/em>\/Flaca<\/em><\/h2>\n

This word literally means “skinny” or “thin.” But keeping in theme with names for significant others, it can be used for a boyfriend or girlfriend. Just remember to change the ending to reflect the gender.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfDonde conociste a tu flaco<\/strong>? <\/em>(Where did you meet your boyfriend?)<\/p>\n

44. Huevear<\/em><\/h2>\n

You can use huevear\u00a0<\/em>to describe when you’re doing absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n

Estamos\u00a0hueveando<\/strong>, deber\u00edamos salir.<\/em> (We’re doing nothing, we should go out.)<\/p>\n

45. Huev\u00f3n<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is similar to the last word, but it means something totally different. Huev\u00f3n\u00a0<\/em>refers to a dumb person.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Amo a mi amigo, pero es huev\u00f3n<\/strong>.<\/em> (I love my friend, but he’s dumb.)<\/p>\n

46. Pi\u00f1a<\/em><\/h2>\n

I’m sure you’re thinking of the delicious yellow fruit, but this slang term doesn’t always mean “pineapple” in Peru.\u00a0In this country, a\u00a0pi\u00f1a\u00a0<\/em>is someone with bad luck.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Es un pi\u00f1a<\/strong>, siempre pierde las llaves. <\/em>(He has bad luck, he always loses his keys.)<\/p>\n

Quiz on Peruvian Slang<\/h2>\n

Now that we’ve gone over some Peruvian slang terms, it’s time to test what you’ve learned! Take the short quiz below (without looking at the answers above!) and just refresh the page if you want to start over or retake it.<\/p>\n