List of Puerto Rican slang words and phrases

This article is a summary of common slang words and phrases used in Puerto Rico. Idiomatic expressions may be difficult to translate fully and may have multiple meanings, so the English translations below may not reflect the full meaning of the expression they intend to translate. This is a short list and more may be found on the Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española website.[1]

  • Ataque de nervios, a sudden nervous reaction, similar to hysterics, or losing control, experienced in response to something[2]
  • ¡Bendito! - variants are ¡Ay bendito! and dito - “aw man” or “oh my god”; “ay” meaning lament, and “bendito” meaning blessed.[3][4]
  • abombao / abombada - Referring to food; rotten or damaged.[3]
  • Chacho - short for muchacho - Guy, male[5]
  • Al garete -  Wild, off the rails, disastrous. Comes from a French expression.[6]
  • Asicalao -  flawless, clean, immaculate[5]
  • Bembé - a big party.[3][7]
  • Birras - Beer[3]
  • Bochinche- gossip[8]
  • Boricua - The name given to people born in Puerto Rico by Puerto Ricans.[3]
  • Bregar - To work on a task, to do something with effort and dedication.[6]
  • Broki- brother or friend.[5]
  • Chulería-While in other countries this word means "insolence",[9] in Puerto Rico it has an entirely different meaning and is used to describe that something is good or fun or funny or great or beautiful.[10]
  • Corillo - Friend, or group of friends.[6]
  • Dura - Normally means “hard”, but in Puerto Rican slang means that someone is really good at what they do.[3]
  • Embustería - series of lies, something that is completely false, a "pack of lies"[11]
  • Fó- -literally translates to "eww!", it is often used as an exclamation in reaction to a bad smell.
  • Gufear- to act goofy.[3]
  • Janguear -  “to hang out”. Comes from the American expression “hang out”. [6]
  • Jartera- to be full.[3]
  • Jíbaro - A person who lives in the countryside or mountain people.[3]
  • Jumeta - Drunk[3]
  • Limber - Also, "limbel". A home-made flavored frozen treat usually made from natural fruits or sweet milk mixtures and often served on a small piece of water-resistant paper, a plastic or paper cup, or a popsicle stick.[12]:45 The name is said to have originated from the last name of Charles Lindbergh after the islanders noticed how "cold" he was as compared to the warmth of the locals during Lindbergh's visit to the Island in 1928.[13]
  • Mamey - Used when referring to something that is easy to do.[3]
  • Mami and Papi - Terms of endearment; mami when referring to a cute woman, papi when referring to a handsome man, or to address a lover[14][15]
  • Nene / Nena - Boy/girl[3]
  • Panna or Pana- Buddy[16]:57 ("pana" is a name for breadfruit in Puerto Rico)[17]:45
  • Perreo / Perrear -  A way of dancing or a danceable song.[3]
  • Pichea - “forget about that”, Disregard.[5]  
  • Revolú - Used to describe chaotic situations.[6]
  • Soplapote - a nobody, or a worker low on the hierarchy, or an enabler[18]
  • Tapón- traffic

See also

References
  1. "Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico.
  2. Febles, J. (2009). Into the Mainstream: Essays on Spanish American and Latino Literature and Culture. EBSCO ebook academic collection. Cambridge Scholars Press. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-4438-0665-7. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  3. Quinn, Niall. "30 Puerto Rican Slang Terms That Only Make Sense In The Caribbean". Baselang. Baselang. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  4. https://tesoro.pr/lema/bendito
  5. "Puerto Rican slang words and phrases". TranslationDirectory. TranslationDirectory. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  6. Alger, Nate. "Puerto Rican Slangs 10 Words and Expressions To Learn". Spanishland School. Spanishland School. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  7. https://tesoro.pr/lema/bembe-2
  8. "bochinche". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  9. https://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=chuler%C3%ADa
  10. https://tesoro.pr/lema/chuleria
  11. "embustería". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  12. Matos, Jose M. Rodriguez (2011). La Mancha que me Persigue (in Spanish). Bloomington, Indiana: Palibrio. ISBN 9781463313203.
  13. "Origen de la palabra "límber"". Coqui Snacks & Mini Donuts (in Spanish).
  14. "mami". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish).
  15. "papi". Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico (in Spanish).
  16. Sánchez, Marta E. (2009). Shakin' Up Race and Gender: Intercultural Connections in Puerto Rican, African American, and Chicano Narratives and Culture (1965–1995). University of Texas Press. p. 155. ISBN 9780292774780.
  17. Little, Elbert Luther; Marrero, José (2001). Árboles comunes de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes (in Spanish). La Editorial, UPR. ISBN 9780847703838.
  18. https://tesoro.pr/lema/soplapote
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