Expanish Volunteer Blog
Volunteer in Buenos Aires and Learn the Language of Lunfardo!
Spanish is the official language of Argentina but the city of Buenos Aires has its own ‘take’ on the language adding a lot of Lunfardo (slang) in everyday talk. If you are volunteering in Buenos Aires and speaking Spanish, it is important and fun to get to know Lunfardo as it will allow you to speak more like a local, impress your friends, and add a little bit of flair when learning Spanish.
Below are a few words to get you started with your lunfardo! (taken from Argentina Spanish Slang Dictionary):
boludo/a
Referring to a person who is silly, clumsy, annoying, stupid; also is a very common way to address friends but be aware as it can also be used to INSULT someone.
bondi
Public urban transportation; comes from English bonds, which is how Rio’s tram service got built and paid (being one of the first in Latin America) by a British company.
che
‘hey!’, ‘hey, you!’; a very common way to address friends or strangers.
loco/a
‘crazy person’; a common way to friendly address someone; similar to the English ‘dude’.
gordo/a
‘fatty’; a common way to friendly address friends or family members. Also, Gordito/a is ‘little fatty’, used in the same way.
mango
currency; pesos. Is used like the word ‘buck’ in English; can be used when describing how much something this.
pendejo/a
Describes a child(boy or girl). Can be used to describe someone who looks young; also, as an insulting term for someone who comes off too young for their age.
Tip: You should always be careful when using slang in another country as to not insult someone or say something inappropriate.
Make sure you are always listening to HOW people are speaking and ask as many questions as possible in order to learn Spanish like local. If you are interested in taking you Spanish to the next level, enroll in Spanish classes in Buenos Aires!
