Spain Slang phrases and words in English
The Spanish of Spain has its own unmistakable flavor — peppered with 'tío', 'vale' and 'guay', and a love of vivid, slightly dramatic expressions. It's the everyday language of bars, group chats and street corners from Madrid to Barcelona, and it sounds noticeably different from Latin American Spanish. Learn these ten and you'll stop sounding like a textbook and start sounding like someone who actually hangs out in Spain.
10 phrases · meanings & example sentences
“Tío / tía”
Literally 'uncle' and 'aunt', but in Spain they're the everyday words for 'dude' and 'girl' between friends — and a filler like 'man'. '¿Qué pasa, tío?' is 'what's up, dude?'. It's the single most Spanish way to address a friend, and you'll hear it in every casual conversation.
- ¿Qué tal, tío? — How's it going, dude?
- Esa tía es muy maja. — That girl is really nice.
- Tío, no te lo vas a creer. — Man, you won't believe this.
“Guay”
The quintessential Spanish word for 'cool', 'great', or 'awesome'. A plan, a person, a song — if you like it, it's 'guay'. Simple, upbeat, and instantly recognizable as Spain rather than Latin America, it's one of the first slang words that makes your Spanish sound native.
- ¡Qué guay! — How cool!
- Esa peli está muy guay. — That movie is really cool.
- Lo pasamos guay anoche. — We had a great time last night.
“Molar (me mola)”
A slang verb meaning 'to be cool' or 'to like' — 'me mola' is the trendy way to say 'me gusta'. 'Mola mucho' means 'it's really cool'. It teaches a neat grammar pattern (it works just like 'gustar') while sounding far hipper than the textbook version.
- Me mola tu chaqueta. — I love your jacket.
- Esta canción mola un montón. — This song is super cool.
- ¿Te mola la idea? — Do you like the idea?
“Flipar”
To freak out, be amazed, or lose your mind — in a good or bad way. 'Estoy flipando' means 'I can't believe it', and 'es flipante' means 'it's mind-blowing'. It's wonderfully expressive and exactly the word Spaniards reach for when something is shocking or incredible.
- Flipé cuando vi el precio. — I freaked out when I saw the price.
- Es flipante lo bien que canta. — It's mind-blowing how well she sings.
- Vas a flipar con esto. — You're going to lose it over this.
“Currar / curro”
'Currar' is to work and 'el curro' is your job — the everyday Spanish stand-ins for 'trabajar' and 'trabajo'. 'Me voy al curro' is 'I'm off to work'. They carry a down-to-earth, slightly weary working-life vibe that the formal words just don't have.
- Tengo que currar mañana. — I have to work tomorrow.
- Me ha salido un curro nuevo. — I landed a new job.
- Estoy harto del curro. — I'm fed up with work.
“Chungo / chunga”
Means dodgy, dicey, sketchy, or just plain bad — a tricky situation, an iffy neighborhood, a difficult exam are all 'chungo'. 'La cosa está chunga' means 'things are looking bad'. It's a brilliantly flexible word for whenever something feels off or hard.
- El examen estuvo muy chungo. — The exam was really tough.
- Ese barrio es un poco chungo de noche. — That neighborhood is a bit sketchy at night.
- La cosa está chunga este mes. — Things are looking rough this month.
“Mogollón”
Means 'a ton', 'loads', 'a whole lot' — 'había mogollón de gente' is 'there were loads of people'. It's casual, emphatic, and very Spanish. Swapping 'mucho' for 'mogollón' in the right spot instantly turns a flat sentence into something that sounds like real spoken Spain.
- Había mogollón de gente en la fiesta. — There were loads of people at the party.
- Te quiero mogollón. — I love you tons.
- Tengo mogollón de cosas que hacer. — I have a ton of things to do.
“Guiri”
The affectionate (and slightly teasing) word for a foreign tourist, especially a sunburnt one from northern Europe. If you're learning Spanish in Spain, you'll probably be called a 'guiri' at some point — knowing the word lets you laugh along, and it's a fun peek at how locals see visitors.
- La playa estaba llena de guiris. — The beach was full of foreign tourists.
- Pareces un guiri con ese sombrero. — You look like a tourist with that hat.
- Los guiris adoran el barrio. — The tourists love this neighborhood.
“Botellón”
A very Spanish institution: a 'botellón' is a big outdoor gathering where young people bring their own drinks to a park or square instead of paying bar prices. The word literally means 'big bottle'. It's a window into Spanish nightlife culture and a term you'll need the moment someone suggests one.
- Hacemos botellón en el parque antes de salir. — We'll have a botellón in the park before going out.
- El botellón está prohibido en algunas ciudades. — Outdoor drinking is banned in some cities.
- ¿Te vienes al botellón? — Are you coming to the botellón?
“Cutre”
Describes anything cheap, shabby, tacky, or run-down — a grimy bar, a low-budget gift, a sketchy-looking hotel. 'Qué cutre' is the perfect dismissive verdict. It's one of those impossibly handy descriptive words that English needs a whole phrase to match, and Spaniards use it constantly.
- El hotel era bastante cutre. — The hotel was pretty shabby.
- Qué regalo más cutre. — What a cheap, tacky gift.
- Es un bar cutre pero la comida está buena. — It's a dingy bar but the food is good.
