Bad Bunny & Puerto Rican Slang phrases and words in English
Bad Bunny didn't just take reggaeton global — he made millions of people want to learn Puerto Rican Spanish. His lyrics are a crash course in island slang: words for hanging out, partying, your crew, your girl, and that very Boricua way of turning English into Spanish. These ten phrases pull straight from how Benito and his island actually talk, so you can sing along, get the jokes, and sound like you grew up in la isla del encanto.
10 phrases · meanings & example sentences
“Perreo / perrear”
The signature reggaeton dance — close, hip-grinding, unapologetic — and the verb for doing it. 'Perreo' comes from 'perro' (dog), and 'un perreo' is also just a name for the party itself. Bad Bunny built whole tracks and tours around it ('Un Verano Sin Ti' is basically a perreo manifesto). It's the word that captures reggaeton's whole physical, joyful, slightly scandalous spirit. Learn it and you understand the genre.
- Esta noche hay perreo hasta abajo. — Tonight we're dancing all the way down.
- Ponte a perrear, no te quedes ahí. — Get dancing, don't just stand there.
- El perreo es cultura, no lo critiques. — Perreo is culture, don't knock it.
“El corillo”
Your crew, your squad, the friend group you roll with. 'El corillo' is one of the most beloved words in Puerto Rican Spanish and all over Bad Bunny's music — it's about loyalty and the people you came up with. Where a Spaniard says 'la pandilla' and a Mexican 'la banda', a Boricua says 'el corillo'. It teaches a core truth of island culture: nothing happens alone, you move with your people.
- Salí con el corillo anoche. — I went out with the crew last night.
- Mi corillo siempre me respalda. — My crew always has my back.
- Trae al corillo completo a la playa. — Bring the whole squad to the beach.
“Janguear”
To hang out — and a perfect example of 'Spanglish', the Puerto Rican habit of turning English words into Spanish verbs. 'Janguear' is literally 'to hang (out)' with a Spanish '-ear' ending and an island spelling. A 'jangueo' is a hangout or night out. It tells you something deep about Puerto Rico: with one foot in the US and one in the Caribbean, the language itself is bilingual. You'll hear it in countless lyrics.
- ¿Vamos a janguear esta noche? — Wanna hang out tonight?
- El jangueo estuvo brutal. — The night out was awesome.
- Llevo semanas sin janguear con nadie. — I haven't hung out with anyone in weeks.
“¡Wepa!”
The all-purpose Puerto Rican shout of joy, hype and celebration — like 'woohoo!', 'let's go!' and 'nice!' rolled into one. You yell it when the beat drops, when good news lands, when the team scores. It has no real translation; it's pure island energy. Learning 'wepa' is learning the sound of Puerto Rican happiness, and it'll make any Boricua instantly smile when a foreigner uses it right.
- ¡Wepa! ¡Llegó el fin de semana! — Woohoo! The weekend's here!
- Metió el gol y todos gritaron ¡wepa! — He scored and everyone yelled 'wepa!'
- ¡Wepa, mi gente, vamo' arriba! — Let's go, my people, turn it up!
“Una jeva / un jevo”
A girl/girlfriend or guy/boyfriend, Caribbean style. 'Jeva' is hugely common in Puerto Rican and Dominican Spanish for a girl or a partner, and 'jevo' is the male version. It's casual and affectionate — somewhere between 'girl', 'chick' and 'my girl' depending on tone. Across reggaeton you'll hear endless songs about 'la jeva', so this word is the key to understanding roughly half of all the lyrics about love and crushes.
- Esa es la jeva de mi corillo. — That's my friend's girl.
- Salí con una jeva bien chévere. — I went out with a really cool girl.
- ¿Ese es tu jevo nuevo? — Is that your new guy?
“Brutal”
In Puerto Rico, 'brutal' doesn't mean cruel — it means amazing, incredible, the best. It's the island's go-to hype word: a brutal party, a brutal song, brutal food. This flipped meaning is a classic slang move (like English 'sick' or 'wicked') and a perfect example of how Caribbean Spanish reinvents standard words. Once you hear it as a compliment, you'll catch it everywhere in interviews and lyrics.
- El concierto estuvo brutal. — The concert was incredible.
- Esa canción nueva está brutal. — That new song is amazing.
- Comimos brutal en ese sitio. — We ate incredibly well at that place.
“Bregar”
To deal with, handle or sort something out — one of the most Puerto Rican verbs there is. You 'bregas' with a problem, a person, a tough situation. 'Brega' as a noun is the daily hustle and struggle of getting by. It carries a whole philosophy: life throws stuff at you and you handle it, you 'bregas'. Few words say more about the island's resilient, roll-with-it attitude, and it appears constantly in conversation.
- Tengo que bregar con esto mañana. — I've got to deal with this tomorrow.
- Él sabe bregar bajo presión. — He knows how to handle pressure.
- La brega del día a día cansa. — The daily grind is tiring.
“Los chavos”
Money, in Puerto Rican Spanish. Where a Spaniard says 'la pasta' and a Mexican 'la lana', a Boricua says 'los chavos' (originally small coins). 'No tengo chavos' = 'I'm broke'. Learning regional money words is a fast way to place a Spanish speaker on the map, and 'chavos' instantly marks the Caribbean. It's practical too — money comes up everywhere, from buying a coffee to the themes running through half of reggaeton.
- No tengo chavos hasta el viernes. — I'm broke until Friday.
- Eso cuesta un montón de chavos. — That costs a ton of money.
- Junté los chavos para el viaje. — I saved up the money for the trip.
“Diablo / acho”
Two reflex exclamations that pepper every Puerto Rican conversation. '¡Diablo!' (literally 'devil!') expresses surprise, shock or admiration — 'wow', 'damn', 'no way'. 'Acho' (short for 'muchacho') is a softer filler, like 'man' or 'dude', dropped in to start or punctuate a sentence. Together they're the connective tissue of island speech. Sprinkle them in and your Spanish immediately gains a Caribbean rhythm.
- ¡Diablo, qué calor hace hoy! — Damn, it's hot today!
- Acho, no me digas eso. — Man, don't tell me that.
- ¡Diablo, esa jugada estuvo brutal! — Whoa, that play was insane!
“Debí tirar más fotos”
'I should have taken more photos' — the title of Bad Bunny's 2025 album and an instant island catchphrase about nostalgia and not appreciating moments until they're gone. Grammatically it's a goldmine: 'debí' (I should have) plus an infinitive is exactly how you express regret in Spanish. Beyond the grammar, it captures a real Puerto Rican ache — watching your island and your memories change. A phrase that's pure feeling.
- Debí tirar más fotos de mis abuelos. — I should have taken more photos of my grandparents.
- Debí estudiar más para el examen. — I should have studied more for the exam.
- Se acabó el verano… debí tirar más fotos. — Summer's over… I should have taken more photos.
