Last updated: 1st December, 2020
Peruvian slang words and phrases, known as jerga, can be heard throughout the country. You’ll also come across plenty of slang in Peru’s trashy and sensationalist tabloid newspapers. Even if you’ve perfected your spoken Spanish, some of these words may have you scratching your head. So, here are a few common slang expressions that you might hear while travelling in Peru.
Updated to include many of the suggestions left by readers. Thanks for the input, keep ’em coming!
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Warning: If you are easily offended, which I hope you are not, please exercise caution when reading the comments at the end of the article. You will find some colorful language down there, but it all fits in with the Peruvian slang theme. Thanks.
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Peruvian Slang Words A-E
- a su madre – a common expression of surprise, often shortened to just “asu!” Despite the presence of the word “mother,” the expression is not rude (but don’t go experimenting with “mother” expressions – you could get in trouble).
- achorado — an aggresive or “low living” person (sometimes used to refer to “undesirable” types from slum areas).
- al toque – right away, straight away. Bear in mind that “right away,” like mañana, could mean a few hours or a few weeks in Peru.
- arrecho (a) — to be horny, turned on (estar arrecho).
- asado – angry, irritated. Literally “roast” or “roasting,” so a visual expression.
- bacán – cool
- bamba – fake, imitation. You might hear this in Peruvian markets, where fake goods and fake money are both in circulation.
- blanca – cocaine. Literally “white.”
- brócoli – a homosexual man. Originates from cabro (below): cabro, cabrócoli, brócoli.
- bróder — friend, amigo (from the English “brother”)
- cabro – a homosexual or effeminate man.
- calabaza — stupid, empty headed.
- calato – naked.
- causa — a close friend.
- cocho (a) — an old person.
- cojudo (a) — an idiot, dumbass.
- conchudo – shameless, rascal.
- costilla – girlfriend. Literally “rib,” a reference to the creation of Eve from Adam’s rib.
- chamba – work, employment.
- chancha – a collection of money between friends, normally to pay for beer. A whip-round (read more about drinking beer in Peru).
- chato – short, used to describe a person (often used as a nickname).
- charapa – the charapa (Podocnemis expansa) is a species of turtle found in the Peruvian Amazon region. The term charapa is used to refer to Peruvians from the jungle regions (generally derogatory, offensive if used in an aggressive or mocking manner).
- chongo – whorehouse, brothel.
- chela – a beer. The standard invitation is to go drink “un par de chelas” (a couple of beers); this normally turns into eight or more and you may find yourself cheleando all night long (find out which Peruvian beer is the best).
- chévere – cool, great, awesome (like bacán)
- chibolo – a young person, generally in their teens.
- chibolero – a man who dates girls much younger than himself.
- choche (also chochera) — friend.
- choro — a thief.
- chupar – to drink alcohol. Literally “to suck,” like “sucking on a beer”.
- churro — an attractive or handsome man.
- doble filo – bisexual. Literally “double edged.”
Peruvian Slang Words F-O
- fercho — chauffer, driver (an example of syllable reversal in Peruvian slang: chofer becomes fercho).
- figureti — a poser, show-off.
- flaco (a) — boyfriend or girlfriend (lit. “skinny”).
- florear — to lie, flatter or exaggerate, usually with the aim of getting something (a floro would be a type of lie)
- fuiste – gone, the moment has passed, missed opportunity. “Ya fuiste!”
- fumón – pot smoker.
- germa — a girl or girlfriend.
- grone – black, or a black-skinned person. An example of Peruvian slang where the order of the syllables has been reversed: negro = grone. You may see this used in graffiti, where Zona Grone means Black Zone, an Alianza Lima football fan tag.
- huachimán – watchman (from the English word). A huachimán in Peru is a private security guard, often one who patrols a specific street or block at night.
- huasca — the state of being drunk, wasted, or otherwise shitfaced (“Cómo vas a manejar si estás huasca?”). Not to be confused with Huascar, which is an Inca ruler, the name of Miguel Grau’s ship, and a bar in Tarapoto)
- jale – a person’s attractiveness or sex-appeal. Literally a person’s “pull”: the ability to draw in the opposite sex.
- jama — food (jamear — to eat).
- jato — house.
- jugador(a) – a player, womaniser, promiscuous person.
- lechero — a lucky or fortunate person.
- luca – one Peruvian Nuevo Sol (mil lucas = 1,000 soles).
- mamacita – hot or sexy woman. Literally “little mama,” it’s not the most romantic expression, more an “Oh boy, check out that mamacita!” kind of thing.
- mañoso – a slime bag, a person who is over familiar with women (often in a physical, touchy-feely way).
- miércoles – literally “Wednesday,” but used instead of “mierda” (shit).
- misio — poor, broke.
- monse – stupid, dim-witted, slow.
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Peruvian Slang Words P-Z
- paja — cool, awesome (like chévere).
- pajear — to masturbate (a pajero would therefore be a… you know).
- papaya — used to refer to the female sexual organ.
- pata – guy. Used informally to refer to almost anyone. If there is a possessive involved (such as “mi pata,” “tu pata”) it refers to a friend (“my friend,” “your friend”).
- pendejo (a) – a sly, sharp, but generally untrustworthy person.
- pichanga – an informal football kick-around amongst friends.
- piña – bad luck.
- pituco — a wealthy person (typically implies a rich, arrogant, snobbish person). Read more about pitucos at Streets of Lima.
- por las puras – to do something for nothing, no reason, a waste of time.
- profe – short for “professor,” often used by Peruvian street vendors, shoe-shine guys etc to get the attention of well-dressed, business-like people walking down the street. It’s friendly and not disrespectful.
- pucha – used instead of the much stronger “puta” (“bitch” or “whore”), as an expression of disgust, distaste, surprise, relief etc, not literally (and not in reference to a particular person). The origin of the word is disputed (see comments below).
- roche – shame. “Que roche!” (“What a shame!”)
- suzuki – dirty. A play on “sucio,” the Spanish word for dirty.
- tombo – a policeman.
- tonear — to party, to dance (tono — a party)
- yapa — the extra (when you finish a glass of fruit juice, the vendor may top it up with the yapa, or extra, that remains in the jug).
Add to the Peruvian Slang Dictionary for Peru Travel
The above Peruvian slang words and phrases are some of the most commonly heard in Peru, but there are plenty more out there. Feel free to add to this little Peruvian slang dictionary in the comments box below. If you are looking for an immersive Peruvian experience we suggest you check out Peru Hop. They are a hop on hop off style bus company that take you safely off the beaten track while travelling through Peru. Thanks!
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There’s a reason that Peru ranks highly among many travelers’ bucket lists, and whether it’s Machu Picchu, petting a Lama, or hiking Rainbow mountain, learning a collection of the best Peruvian slang will instantly help you make new amigos when you dealing with locals.
Sidenote: The post is the latest in our Spanish slang series, where we explore the best slang from Spanish speaking countries.
You can read more posts from our slang series here:
- Colombian slang
- Mexican slang
- Venezuelan slang
- Chilean slang
- Argentine slang
- Uruguayan slang
- Guatemalan slang
- Cuban slang
- Honduran slang
- Bolivian slang
- Ecuadorian slang
- Nicaraguan slang
- Panamanian slang
But now, 27 Peruvian slang terms that you’ll hear on the streets of Lima.
1) Al toque
You know when you’re in a hurry or want to do something very quickly, Al toque is the expression to use, as it means right now or immediately.
- Tenemos que ir a su casa al toque – We have to go to his/her house right now.
2) Asado
Peruvian slang for a situation where a person feels very angry or upset.
- No me hables, estoy asado – Don’t talk to me, I’m angry.
3) Bamba
You may hear this word at a Peruvian market, since it refers to fake objects or imitations.
- Ese es un collar bamba – This is a fake necklace.
4) Pata
To visit Peru is a great opportunity to know awesome people and make some patas (friends) on the way.
- Él es mi pata – He is my friend.
5) Chibolo
While talking with your pata, you might hear this word, as it refers to a young person.
- Ese chibolo es un tonto – That kid is dumb.
6) Choche
Just like pata, this is another word for a close friend. If you say chochera you are talking about a group of friends.
- Eres mi choche – You are my friend.
7) Cholo
Be careful with this one. Although it’s common to hear, it can be used as a disrespectful term for native people from Los Andes.
- Cholo ¿qué pasa? – You, What’s up?
Cocho
Context is everything, as this is Peruvian slang for both a) an old person and b) female genitals.
Once again, context is everything.
- Mañana mis cochos se van a la playa – Tomorrow my parents are going to the beach.
9) Está tranca
An expression used to talk about situations that may be considered very difficult.
- ¡Este examen está tranca! – This test is difficult!
10) Estar huasca
We’ll hear this expression when someone ends up totally wasted, or drunk.
- Después de 4 cervezas estaba huasca – After 4 beers I was drunk.
11) Fercho
Peruvian slang for chauffeur or driver.
- Hay que llamar al fercho – We have to call the driver.
12) Figureti
A word used to describe a poser or a show-off.
- La televisión está llena de figuretis – The television is fill with posers.
13) Florear
A word for when someone is lying to you, but at the same time, they’re trying to be as smooth as possible when doing it.
We can say they are floreando, they’re sugar-coating it.
- Deja de florear y dime la verdad – Stop sugar coating it and tell me the truth.
14) Grifo
Another word for a gas station.
- ¿Sabes donde hay un grifo? – Do you know where’s a gas station?
- El hotel queda después del grifo – The hotel is after the gas station.
15) Hacer chancha
Peruvian slang expression which means to split the bill or collect money for buying something.
- Hagamos chancha para comprar cervezas – Let’s collect money to buy beers.
16) Huevear/Huevón
When you find yourself doing absolutely nothing, the word huevear will describe your situation.
On the other hand, huevon refers to a dumb person.
- Estoy hueveando en mi casa – I’m at my house doing nothing.
- Tu pata si es huevón – Your friend is dumb.
17) Jale
Peruvian slang for a somebody’s sex appeal, or his/her attractiveness.
- Ana tiene jale – Ana has sex appeal.
18) Jama/Jamear
Instead of asking for food, you can ask for jama. As a verb, you can use jamear.
- Claudia fue a jamear – Claudia went to eat.
- Esta jama se ve muy bien – This food looks great.
19) Latear
Slang which means to walk.
- Iré lateando hasta tu casa – I’ll walk to your house.
20) Luca/China/Ferro
Just like you may refer to dollars as “bucks”, in Peru, these three words are used to talk about money. Luca is 1 sol, China is 50 cents and Ferro is 10 cents.
- Tuve que pagar una china por 5 cuadras – I had to pay 5 cents for 5 blocks.
21) Chapar
This Peruvian slang has two meanings 1) to capture something or 2) to make out with someone
(random, we know)
- Voy a chapar el bus – I’m going to take the bus.
- Esta noche chapamos – Tonight we make out.
22) Piña
Normally this word means pineapple, but in Peru, it means a person who has bad luck.
- Mi pata es un piña – My friend has bad luck
23) Pituco
Used to refer to wealthy people (or people who act/look wealthy).
- Mira esos pitucos – Look at those wealthy people.
24) Pura finta
Perhaps someone who lies a lot, or portrays to be someone they’re not.
- Eres pura finta – You’re too fake.
25) Roche
This word means shame or embarrassment.
- ¡Que roche con tu hermana! – What a shame with your sister!
26) Soroche
You may hear this word if you decide to trek to Machu Picchu, since it refers to the altitude sickness.
- Le dio soroche – He got altitude sickness.
27) Tono/Tonear
Tono is Peruvian slang for a party, and tonear is the verb to party.
- Vamos a tonear – Let’s go to a party.
NB: Some of my earliest posts to this forum deal with my never-ending curiosity about language. I would like to take a poll, but I haven’t a clue how best to do it. Maybe someone can advise me, or I will just gather the responses from the replies to the post.
When you address people in Spanish here in Peru, when do you use Usted and when do you use Tú? (I am not neurotic about it, nor all that crazy … just curious.)
Anecdotally, as an American non-native speaker of Spanish, I have always had a problem with the use of Usted. When I first arrived in Peru, I preferred Tú and just flat out avoided addressing some new acquaintances in a personal way, just to avoid using the formal form. With a few years of experience under my belt, I’m now more comfortable in business situations.
Here’s how I’ve now made peace with the issue: Tú is for friends and people younger than I am, plus business associates with whom I work closely (regardless of their age). Usted is for the elderly, for people I don’t know or to whom I have not been presented, and for business situations in which deferring some respect will be advantageous to me.
In other countries I have seen different patterns of usage, including places where everyone is Tú. I actually agree with the Argentineans on something … that Vos is a more special formal of the second person pronoun. But we don’t see a lot of that here in Lima. And by the way, the use of Ustedes is something I would like to touch on as a separate issue, later on.
Thank you for any and all input. Tell me your opinions, please!
David
Are you thinking about taking a trip to Peru? Who can blame you? Peru is full of amazing things to see and do.
Peru has plenty of sites to see, from the ancient Machu Picchu to the only coastal capital in South America, Lima, to the colonial-style northern cities like Trujillo with its 1300-year-old adobe city of Chan Chan.
You are probably thinking, “If I’m going to Peru, I should probably learn some Peruvian slang.”
And you’re absolutely right!
In general, Peruvian Spanish is considered to be relatively easy to understand; but just like all Spanish-speaking countries, there’s plenty of Peruvian slang words that would be helpful to know before you start ordering some pisco (a famous Brandy-like drink).
That’s where we come in.
In this article, you can find a list of some of the most typical Peruvian slang words and phrases so that you won’t be caught by surprise.
Peruvian Spanish
There are four significant dialects in Peru: Andean, Coastal, Andean/Coastal, and Amazonic. Coastal Peruvian is considered the “standard” dialect since it’s the version spoken in the capital.
This means that the people from Cuzco will speak a bit differently than in Lima or Trujillo. But this is common in Latin American countries and is part of the fun of learning the language!
In terms of slang, the most important lesson to know is that they incorporate a lot of vocabulary words from Quechua (one of the indigenous languages) into their “standard” Spanish. For example, the term “calato” comes from Quechua and means “naked.”
And that’s what makes Peruvian slang words so unique. So get ready to read up on some of the local terminologies to help you get around the country without trouble.
| Spanish | English |
| Pata | Friend |
| Pue / Pe | Well |
| Chamba | Job |
| Chancha | Splitting the bill |
| Mote | Accent |
| Coca-Cola | Crazy |
| Al toque | Right away |
| Jale | Sex appeal |
| Roche | Shame |
| Asu mare | Wow! |
1. Pata
This word exists everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world, and it means an animal leg or paw. But in Peru, it’s a slang term for “close friend.”
So you can refer to your friend as “mi pata.”
- Oe, mira, es mi pata Juan. – Hey look, it’s my pal Juan
2. Pue / Pe
This is one of the most common interjections you’ll hear in the Spanish language, so you’ll want to get this one down.
It has the same meaning as “well” in English. For example, when you say, “Well, I don’t know….” But, you can use it in other contexts as well.
This is a Spanish slang word that changes almost everywhere you go. It comes from the full-form “pues,” and in Peru, it gets shortened to “pue” or, more commonly, “pe.”
If you go to Peru, you’ll hear this in every conversation. Sometimes it doesn’t even have a grammatical meaning; it’s just added to the end of a sentence (Kind of like how people from California are famous for adding “like” to every other word).
- Pe, no sé qué quiero cenar – Well, I don’t know what I want for dinner
- ¿Qué tal, pe? – What’s up?
3. Chamba
In standard Spanish, you would tell people you have un trabajo, but in Peruvian Spanish, you can say you have una chamba.
It’s a simple word that shouldn’t be too hard to figure out, but if you ever heard it out of context, you might not be able to guess what it is.
- Está todo muy mal, aún no tengo chamba. – The situation is really bad; I still don’t have work.
4. Chancha
This word by itself can mean a lie or pig, according to the RAE. However, when combined with “hacer,” this takes on a very different meaning in Peruvian slang.
If you’re out to dinner with some close friends, you might tell them, “vamos a hacer una chancha.”
In this context, it’s just a common word for splitting the bill. So on your trip to Peru, if you go out with some friends, don’t forget to hacer una chancha.
5. Mote
In the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries, this word means “nickname.” But in Peru, it’s used to refer to someone’s accent.
But beware – it’s one of those slang words and phrases that are usually used negatively. It’s implying that someone has an accent because they don’t speak correctly.
So maybe someone will tell you that you have a mote inglés. For a foreigner, it’s probably not meant to be very offensive unless you upset the locals.
However, if you hear someone refer to someone’s mote charapa or the mote provinciano an older person has, it’s unlikely that they’re saying it positively.
Of course, you probably won’t need to use this word. However, it’s always good to know which Peruvian slang words are used to describe something negatively.
6. Coca-Cola
This Spanish word is an enjoyable one on the list. Of course, Coca-Cola can be the brand name and the drink. In fact, in many parts of Latin America, you can use it to refer to any soft drink, not just this specific brand.
But in Peru, you can use it to describe someone who is crazy or going crazy. Most likely, people use this because it rhymes with the actual Spanish word for crazy, loco.
- No sé qué le pasa, está Coca-Cola. – I don’t know what’s wrong with him, he’s crazy.
7. Al toque
This piece of slang is a classic one, and it’s pretty widely used. The literal meaning is “at the touch,” but the figurative sense isn’t too far off, either.
People say this phrase when they want to describe something immediately. As in, something will happen “at the touch / immediately.”
In the rest of the Spanish world, some people could use “al punto” with a similar meaning, but in Peru, this is a prevalent phrase to hear.
- Hijo, ven a casa al toque. – Son, come home right now.
8. Jale
This is another one of those words and phrases that are purely Peruvian. As a rough translation, jale means charisma. But in reality, it’s applied more to someone’s sex appeal or a person’s attractiveness.
If you go to a club in Lima (and there’s no coronavirus), you might hear people talking about if someone has jale or not.
Someone with jale is attractive, has a good personality, and is probably good at flirting. So if someone in Peru tells you that you have jale, you can definitely take that as a compliment.
9. Roche
It means shame or embarrassment and is usually used as an exclamatory phrase: ¡qué roche!
It comes from the French word for rock, presumably because when something embarrasses you so much, you just crawl into the ground like a rock.
In other parts of the world, people could say “qué pena” or “qué vergüenza,” depending on the context you want to use it in. For example, if someone tells you a story about something awkward they did, you could respond, “qué vergüenza” or “qué roche.”
10. Asu mare
This is one of the tell-tail words and phrases that immediately lets you know someone is Peruvian.
It comes from combining the words from the “a su madre” and refers to something that surprised you. Although “wow” isn’t the most accurate translation in English, you can use both of those expressions in the same context.
But let’s be honest, yelling asu mare is a lot cooler than some of the other standard Spanish phrases you have as options.
On a side note, there’s a hit movie called Asu Mare with two sequels, if you like dramatic comedy movies.
Honorable mentions
Of course, there are plenty of other expressions you’ll hear around Peru. Spanish is a rich language with a lot of diversity, so you’ll learn something new every day.
Some other common examples are:
- Ay, piña – Ah, what bad luck.
- Quiero jamear – I want to eat.
- Me da palta pasar frente a mi ex – I’m embarrassed to come across my ex.
- Muy bien, ¡qué bacán! – Great, that’s cool! (Also used in Colombia and Cuba)
- ¿Qué pasa, huevón? – What’s up, dude? (Also used in Venezuela in a derogative way)
- ¿Pedimos un par de chelas? – Should we order a couple of beers? (Also used in Mexico)
There’s also a ton of words that Peruvians use in their daily life that might have a different meaning than what you’re accustomed to. For example, in Peru, the word for avocado is palta, and another standard greeting is just “habla.”
And last but not least, do you know what the word Peru means? According to a book called the Royal Commentary on the Inca, when the Spanish arrived to conquer the area, they asked an indigenous man what the land was called.
Through many hand signals, they were able to communicate with the native who told them:
“Si me preguntáis cómo me llamo, yo digo Berú y si me preguntáis dónde estaba, digo que estaba en el río.” (If you ask me for my name, I’m called Berú and if you ask me where I am, I say I’m at the river.)
Since the Incan word for river was “pelú” and his name was “Berú,” the Spaniard, who obviously couldn’t understand him well, combined the two words and assumed that the land was named Perú. So, when the region fell under Spanish control, it was officially named so.
Of course, that’s just one version of the story. But as a fellow language learner, I’m sure you can sympathize with someone misunderstanding something due to a language barrier.
But now when you go there, you can impress your friends and locals with a little bit of history.
Use what you learned
Do you feel like you’re ready to start talking like a native Peruano?
This list is just the start of the slang you can learn while you travel through Peru. Go ahead, start learning some new expressions from our list and then watch some videos or speak to some natives to get used to the Peruvian accent.
Each region has its own peculiarities, so the best way to get used to the accent is by jumping right into it! So go ahead and remember, if you’re looking for the support of an incredible teacher, we can help.
Try a free private class or sign up for a 7-day free trial of our group classes so you can practice what you learned.
We’ll see you next time.
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By
Last updated:
October 12, 2022
Knowing Peruvian slang will help you understand more about the rich culture in Peru and be able to communicate better with the locals.
This post will show you 46 of the most important Peruvian slang terms you should know to sound like a native!
Contents
- 1. Pata
- 2. Luca
- 3. Pe
- 4. Jamear/jama
- 5. Chamba
- 6. Pitri mitri
- 7. Tono
- 8. Pisco
- 9. Pisco sour
- 10. Roche
- 11. Bacán
- 12. Tirarse la pera
- 13. Yapa
- 14. Cholo
- 15. Mote
- 16. Porfa
- 17. Tombo
- 18. Coca Cola
- 19. A su madre
- 20. Al toque
- 21. Bróder
- 22. Asado
- 23. Calabaza
- 24. Bamba
- 25. Figureti
- 26. Hacer chancha
- 27. Chibolo
- 28. Choche
- 29. Pituco
- 30. Pura finta
- 31. Chato
- 32. Latear
- 33. Huasca
- 34. Estar tranca
- 35. Por las puras
- 36. Soroche
- 37. Fercho
- 38. Chela
- 39. Florear
- 40. Cojudo/a
- 41. Costilla
- 42. Flaco/a
- 43. Chévere
- 44. Huevear
- 45. Huevón
- 46. Piña
- Practicing Peruvian Slang
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1. Pata
Pata in standard Spanish means the leg or paw of an animal (pierna is only used for human legs).
However, this is the Peruvian slang replacement for amigo (friend).
Note that it always ends with an a, no matter whether you’re referring to a male or a female.
Es mi pata. (He’s my pal.)
2. Luca
The currency in Peru is the sol (as of this writing, one American dollar is worth about three soles).
The slang word is luca. According to one source, it comes from the Spanish gypsies’ word for money.
No puedo ir de compras; no tengo luca. (I can’t go shopping, I don’t have money.)
3. Pe
Spanish speakers from some lands litter their sentences with pues (then, well) as a meaningless filler word.
Peruvians use the shortened form pe.
Pe, no sé. (Well, I don’t know.)
4. Jamear/jama
The slang verb jamear is common in a few Latin American countries as an alternative to comer (to eat).
Jama is the noun form, so it just means “food.”
Tengo hambre; necesito jama. (I’m hungry, I need food.)
5. Chamba
You don’t have a trabajo (job) in informal Peruvian jargon, you have a chamba.
Sí, me gusta mi chamba. (Yes, I like my job.)
6. Pitri mitri
This is a cutesy, rhyming way to say “Awesome!”
¡Esta canción es pitri mitri! (This song is awesome!)
7. Tono
Use this word instead of fiesta (party).
Hay un tono el viernes. (There’s a party on Friday.)
8. Pisco
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— brandy made from grapes.
If you have a high-end pisco, enjoy it straight; otherwise you’ll want to use it to make the next term…
Nunca he probado el pisco. (I have never tried pisco.)
9. Pisco sour
This is the national cocktail of Peru, and you can instantly spark a fight by suggesting to Peruvians that it might in fact be Chilean.
Regardless, both countries do a fabulous job with it, and it’s famous enough internationally that you can find good pisco and instructions anywhere.
Tomaré un pisco sour, por favor. (I’ll take a pisco sour, please.)
10. Roche
This is a slang version for vergüenza (shame/embarrassment).
Me da roche hablar de eso. (I’m embarrassed to talk about that.)
11. Bacán
This could be translated as “awesome,” “great,” “cool,” etc.
You might say “qué bacán” to indicate that you agree with someone, or that they’ve said something that you think is interesting or great.
Ese coche es bacán. (That car is cool.)
12. Tirarse la pera
This means to play hooky (truant for you Brits).
Literally, tirar is “to throw,” tirarse is a colloquial (but not vulgar) word for sleeping with someone and la pera is “the pear.”
Mi hermano se tira la pera a menudo. (My brother skips school often.)
13. Yapa
This means more or extra.
¿Puedes darme yapa? (Can you give me a bit more?)
14. Cholo
In Peru, this can be an extremely disrespectful way of referring to natives from the Andes, so you’ll probably want to pass on using this word.
It’s good to know what it means, regardless, because you might well hear it used neutrally or positively in the right contexts. For example:
Cholo, ¿qué pasa? (Hey dude, what’s up?)
15. Mote
This can denote both an accent and a speech defect. It’s likely that you will have a mote extranjero, or foreign accent.
You might have a mote norteamericano (North American accent) or mote inglés (English-speaker accent).
Your Peruvian friends might have a mote provinciano (provincial accent), mote norteño (northern accent), mote serrano (highland accent) or mote charapa (jungle accent).
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 opt to not use, but is good to know in case you hear it flying around.
Me dijo que tengo mote. (He told me that I have an accent.)
16. Porfa
This is a shortening of por favor (please). You may also hear porfis.
¿Puede ayudarme porfa? (Can you help me please?)
17. Tombo
In proper Spanish, this would be la policía (the police) but in the Andes they’re informally known as el tombo.
No queremos ver el tombo. (We don’t want to see the police.)
18. Coca Cola
You’ve heard of the drink, but probably not its fun use as an adjective.
Estar Coca Cola in Peru means to be going crazy, going out of your mind.
Las madres se están Coca Cola por Bad Bunny. (The moms are going crazy over Bad Bunny.)
19. A su madre
This is an expression of surprise that you may hear shortened to “asu!”
Say your friend jumps out and scares you. You might exclaim “¡a su madre!”
20. Al toque
This means “right away,” to express a sense of urgency.
Necesito un médico al toque. (I need a doctor right away.)
21. Bróder
This is a term of endearment similar to calling someone your brother.
I’m sure you noticed it actually sounds similar to “brother.” This is because it’s derived from the English word!
¿Buenos días bróder, qué pasa? (Good morning brother, what’s up?)
22. Asado
This literally means “roast” but actually is used to say that someone is angry.
Mi padre está asado porque llegué tarde a casa. (My dad is angry because I came home late.)
23. Calabaza
While this translates directly to “pumpkin,” this is also a way to call someone dumb or empty-headed.
Sara es una calabaza; se olvidó de su tarea. (Sara is dumb, she forgot about her homework.)
24. Bamba
This slang term refers to something that is false or fake.
You’ll hear this most often in markets as they frequently sell cheap knock-offs of luxury items.
Ese bolsa no es de diseñador, es bamba. (That purse isn’t designer, it’s fake.)
25. Figureti
To talk about someone who is a show-off, you would use this word.
Ella sólo es agradable cuando la cámara está cerca, es una figureti. (She is only nice when the camera is around, she’s a show-off.)
26. Hacer chancha
When you need to split the bill amongst friends, you will refer to it as hacer chancha.
Si no quieres hacer chancha, puedo pagar. (If you don’t want to split the bill, I can pay.)
27. Chibolo
You might hear young people be referred to by this name.
No me gustan los chibolos. (I don’t like kids.)
28. Choche
Spanish has many words for “friend,” and this is yet another!
Voy a ir al cine con mi choche. (I’m going to go to the movies with my friend.)
29. Pituco
Use this one when you want to talk about someone who looks or acts like they are rich.
Todos los pitucos viven en ese barrio. (All the rich people live in that neighborhood.)
30. Pura finta
While we learned how to call things fake with bamba, use this one if you want to call a person fake.
Elena habla mal de sus amigas, es pura finta. (Elena talks bad about her friends, she’s fake.)
31. Chato
If you want to call someone short, use this word.
You’ll hear this most often as a nickname.
Este es Jose, pero lo llamamos chato. (This is Jose, but we call him shortie.)
32. Latear
This is slang for “to walk.”
Están lateando a tu casa. (They are walking to your house.)
33. Huasca
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.
Estoy huasca, necesito beber agua. (I’m drunk, I need to drink water.)
34. Estar tranca
If you need to say something is difficult, use this slang term.
Está tranca abrir esta puerta. (It’s difficult to open this door.)
35. Por las puras
Use this term if you feel like you just did something that was a complete waste of time.
Hemos caminado todo este camino por las puras. (We have walked all this way for nothing.)
36. Soroche
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.
Es común sufrir de soroche en Machu Picchu. (It’s common to suffer from altitude sickness at Machu Picchu.)
37. Fercho
This is a slang term for a driver or chauffeur.
Mi padre contrató un fercho. (My dad hired a driver.)
38. Chela
If you want to go grab some beers with friends, this is the word you’ll use.
Tomaré una chela porfa. (I’ll take a beer please.)
39. Florear
Florear 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.
Estás tratando de florearme sobre tu noche, pero no te creo. (You are trying to lie to me about your night, but I don’t believe you.)
40. Cojudo/a
While Spanish is in no short supply of words for “friend,” it is also in no short supply of words for “idiot.”
Robó en el supermercado y le pillaron, qué cojudo. (He stole from the supermarket and got caught, what an idiot.)
41. Costilla
This is a fun little way to call someone your girlfriend.
In fact, it literally means “rib,” a reference to Eve coming from Adam’s rib.
Mi costilla va a venir de vacaciones con mi familia. (My girlfriend is going on vacation with my family.)
42. Flaco/a
Keeping in theme with the names for significant others, this one can be used for a boyfriend or girlfriend as long as you remember to change the ending to reflect the gender.
¿Donde conociste tu flaco? (Where did you meet your boyfriend?)
43. Chévere
This is another way to say “cool” in Peruvian Spanish.
¡Que chévere! (How cool!)
44. Huevear
If you are doing absolutely nothing, you can use huevear to describe your situation.
Estamos hueveando, deberíamos salir. (We are doing nothing, we should go out.)
45. Huevón
This is similar to the last word, but it means something totally different.
Huevón refers to a dumb person.
Quiero mi amigo, pero es huevón. (I love my friend, but he’s dumb.)
46. Piña
I’m sure you’re thinking of the delicious yellow fruit, but this slang term does not always mean “pineapple” in Peru.
In this country, a piña is someone with bad luck.
Es un piña, siempre pierde las llaves. (He has bad luck, he always loses his keys.)
Practicing Peruvian Slang
Now that you know all this Peruvian slang, how are you going to practice it?
Well, the best way is always to practice speaking. Find your Peruvian friends and start a conversation.
Listen to how they throw slang into their speech and then try it yourself!
If you don’t have immediate access to a Peruvian conversation partner, you can also try and immerse yourself at home.
Try watching videos on YouTube made by Peruvian creators. YouTube is a platform that will surely have lots of slang as it’s so casual.
By watching Peruvian YouTubers, you can see how they incorporate slang in a fun and entertaining way.
You can also use FluentU to watch even more clips that Peruvians would watch to see how they speak Spanish and use slang.
These clips include everything from vlogs to sports to news and more!
Plus, they come with interactive subtitles and other learning tools to help you really grasp the content!
You can find FluentU on iOS and Android.
Well, now you have 46 more slang terms in your word bank than you did before.
Practice with some Peruvians, and soon you’ll sound like a local!
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