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Lunfardo Argentino
copyright April 21, 1995 Michael Berglund
All rights reserved
VOCABULARIO ARGENTINO
Lunfardo
común (much is slang, some is necessary vocabulary;
take care to distinguish)
(número) y pico: a little
over (#)
a ver...: um, let’s see
a la pucha, la miércoles:
darn, crap
acordarse: to remember
afanar: to steal
afiche: poster
al pelo: great, perfect
almacén: mercado
atada: kick in the butt
baboso: slobbering, i.e. little baby or a man over a
woman
bajar la caña: to chew
someone out
bardo: trouble, noise i.e. ‘hacer
bardo por algo’ means to give to much importance to something
insignificant
bicho: bug, small animal
bicicletear: to flirt
birome: ball-point pen
bocha(o): head; intelligent person
bochas (las): shuffle-like
game using wooden balls
boliche: bar; dance club
bombachas: work pants; women’s underwear
bonaerense: person from Bs.As.
or the province of Bs. As.
bronca: anger, e.g. me da bronca
Bs.As.: Buenos Aires
cables pelados (los): a
screw loose
cachetada, un bife: slap
cachivache: junk
calcomanía: sticker (adhesive)
canchero, fachero: stylish
person
capo: the chief; stud
cara rota (dura): rude person
cebar (mate): to prepare and serve mate
CEM (el): el Centro de Entrenamiento Misional (not MTC)
chamullar con la percanta:
to flirt with or talk to a pretty girl
chanta: jerk, swindler
chau: bye
che: dude, hey
cheto: see langa
chismosa: gossippy
chocho: happy
chupa media: brown-noser
chupar: to drink (booze or mate)
churro: handsome
chusma: gossip; gossiper
cloacas: sewer
colectivo, micro: transit bus
colimba (la): servicio militar, stands for correr, limpiar, barrer
compinche: good friend
coso (el): thing (generic); whatchamacallit
cuco (el): the boogeyman
cuicui (quiqui): fear, miedo
curandero: local healer (witchcraft)
dar bolilla, bola: to give
the time of day, pay attention
diario: newspaper
drama: problem
empachado: feeling ill (superstitious cure)
facu: university professors, faculty
falluto: someone who doesn’t come through
with a promise
falopa: illegal drugs
flaco(a): guy, dude, (chick)
flor de haragán: slacker,
bum
Fulano, Mengano, Zultano: every Tom,Dick,
and Harry
Fulano: what’s-his-name,
so-and-so
gallego: immigrant from Galicia,
often the brunt of Polack-like jokes
gambas: nice legs
gasolero: persona tacaña porque no gasta
gaucho: good horseman; handsome; unselfish
genio: know it all; stud
guanaco: dork
guita, mango: plata
hacer sapo: to fail, blow
it
hacerse la rata (rabona):
play hooky
hecho bolsa: trashed, beat
up
hincha: bothersome person; fan (of a certain sports
club or team)
jeta: face, lips
kiosko, polirrubro: tiny
convenience store
langa: someone who likes to show off, wears expensive
clothes; pimp
lapicera: ink pen
laucha: mouse
lío: mess
loca: chick (derogatory)
loco: guy, dude
lunfardo: Argentine slang
macana: screw up
macanudo, piola: great,
cool
machete: cheat sheet
malla: bathing suit; bikini
mamado: drunk
mano larga: ‘sticky
fingers’, thieving
marcha atrás: maricón
maricón, mariposón: gay or
effeminate man; weak or timid man
Martín Fierro: popular
novel and character by José Hernández
masa (una): spectacular,
awesome
medias: socks
meter la pata: to stick your foot in your mouth
milico: police agent; soldier
mimado: spoiled
mina: babe, chick
minga: nope
mish, mish: here kitty, kitty
mocoso: brat; snotty-nosed
morfar: to pig out, chow down
morfe(i): grub, food
mouth; to butt in
nafta: gasoline
nena: little girl; babe, chick
no me interesa ni un pepino: it doesn’t interest me at all
omnibus: city-to-city bus
pago: town of origin
paparulo, gil: stupid
person
pata: foot
pavada, locura: nonsense
pera: chin
petiza: small, short
pibe(a): little boy (girl)
pilcha: article of clothing
piloto: trenchcoat
piña: fist, punch
piropo: inuendo, usually
sexual
plata: money
plomo: bothersome person, talks too much
pollera: skirt
porquería: filth, junk, something lousy
porro: marijuana
porteño: person from Bs.As.,
more specifically from the port area; dialect used
potra(o): good-looking girl (guy); wild horse
pozo ciego: septic tank
precisar: to need
prender: to turn on (a light)
quedarse frito, apoliyar: to sleep
rajar: to split, take a hike
re-( ): suffix meaning very
recién: just now
recontra: extremely
regio, diez puntos: fine, great
réquete bien: very good,
all’s well
ruso(a): anyone blond, fair-skinned
S.A.: Sociedad Anónima
(company; incorporated)
sacar el cuero: to rip on
someone
salir: to cost, e.g. ¿cuánto
sale ésto?
ser un pesado, pescado, metido: always bothering others
soreno moreno: chill out,
relax
tacaño, codo: cheapskate,
stingy
tarado: dense person
tener fiaca: to be tired; feel
lazy
tener buena onda: to be positive, cool
tener mala onda: to be negative, to have bad vibes
tipo: person; dude
tomar el pelo: to pull
someone’s leg
tomarlo a pecho: to take
something very seriously
trompada: smack, punch
truco (jugar al): poker-like
card game
turco: Arab
vago: bum; lazy person
vaquero: jeans
viejo(a): dad (mom)
villa miseria: slum
vivo: crafty person; dishonest person
vos: tú
yanqui: anyone from the U.S.
yuyos: weeds, wild grass; herbs
zafado: persona sin vegüenza
zafar de...: tratar de salir de una situación
¡chau picho!: done!, that’s
all!
¡fah!: wow!
¡flor de (noun)!: what a
(noun)!, for something big or great
¡qué lomo!: ¡qué cuerpo!
¡qué porquería!: that sucks!
¡qué asco (asqueroso)!: how disgusting!
¡qué barbaridad!: incredible!
¿y qué?: so what?
NEW Additions to the list!
allegro- buzzed (word for happy)
blanca: cocaine
boliguayo: mix about bolivian
and paraguayan people
bolita: bolivian people
bondi: bus
BONDI: significa colectivo,
omnibus, micro, etc.
bondinero: bus driver
burrero: a horse race aficionado
burro: butthead
cabeza: person that doesn´t
thinks and make
cajeta: female sex organ
camorrero: argumentative person
caño: cigarrette of
marijuana
chapar: embrace
Chiche: le decimos a los juguetes
chimento: gossip
Cholulo (a) There is a word in Argentinean Spanish,
which defines a person who is =always following stars, famous people, etc.
He/She follows their work on =TV, cinema or whatever, tries to get in contact
with them, know all =about them, try to get photographs and autographs of them,
etc
chorro: stealer
choto: a decadent person
Cocoliche
: Mix ( that comes from an italian origin)
copado!: cool!
culo: pavo: butt
escorchar: to molest
estar en pedo: drunk
falopa: merca: drugs
fayuto: false and coward person
fifar: to make love
forro: condom
fulero: something, person or bad situation
gallego: spanish people
gallo, garzo: mucus spit
gato: a slut
guita: money
guita: tela: música: mosca: teca: money, bucks
hechar un fierro: to have
sex with a woman
iupa ioto: gay
jori: synonym about 'cabeza'
Lavorare, lavoro- working,
work
limado: mad man.
linyera: a raggedy dressed
homeless
Mangare- to eat
maraca: gay
marote: zapallo: cuca: balero: frasco:
head
metejon: to be in love
Moralidad- the cops
mozaico: waiter
ojete: jerk
patear: to walk a lot
pebeta: chick, babe
pedo: fart
pendejo: a kid who makes 'boludeces'
piantado: crazy.
pirar: to go away, to run
away
pituco: a well dressed man
poronga: male sex organ
Portranca- chick (derogatory meaning slut)
quilombo(Que...!): what a
mess!
Quilombo: poor man/woman that lives in 'la viya'
quilombo: to make a lot of troubles
rajar: run
sorete: shit, person that shit on you.
taba: (game) with an ancle bone of the cow, also movio
las tabas: he or she moved
the legs
tachero: taxi driver
tamangos: shoes
tano: italian people
terumpio: shit
tortazo: a slap
traga: nerd
trola: prostitute girl
trucho: something not legal
vieja al agua: person who
likes rolling stones
viya: place like a neigborhood
where the 'cabezas'lives.
yuta: cana:
rati: boton: cobani: police man
Palabrotas: bad words (should never be used)
cojer: to have sex in a vulgar
sense*use agarrar (to grab) instead of cojer*use elegir instead to escoger estar jodido:
to be screwed, messed up
concha: female organ (vulgar) *use caracol for sea shell or snail
forro: condom; a person who uses you
joderse: to feel terrible, rotten; to be screwed
boludo, pelotudo: stupid
(means balls of a bull)
La comida típica
(pan de) flauta: italian
bread
a la parrilla: on the grill, BBQ’ed
albóndigas: meatballs
alfajor: type of sandwich cookie with chocolate and dulce de leche
amargo serrano (cuyano): bitter herbal drink
ananá: pineapple (not piña)
asado: BBQ
avestrús: South American ostrich (ñandú)
batata: sweet potato
berlineza, bomba: large
donut ball
bola de fraile, suspiro de monja: berlineza (vulgar)
bombilla: silver straw to drink mate
budín: pound cake
buñuelo: fritter
café (de) malta: postum-like
hot drink (safe for members)
calabaza: squash
caldo: bouillon, broth
caramelos: hard or chewy candy
chimichuri: spicy salsa to put on asado
chinchulines: intestines
choripán: chorizo and bread sausage
chorizo: spicy sausage
churro: thin fried pastry, usually filled with dulce de leche
confitería: pastry shop; night club
cordero: lamb
dulce de batata: sweet
potato jam
dulce de membrillo: quince
fruit jelly
dulce de leche:
caramel-like filling
durazno: peach (not melocotón)
empandas: meat turnovers
ensalda rusa: potato salad
estofado: meat stew, usually lamb
facturas: pastries, donuts
fiambre: cold cuts
fideos: pasta, noodles
flan: caramel custard
frutilla: strawberry (not fresa)
galletitas: cookies
guiso: stew
hígado: liver
licuado: milkshake with fruit
liebre: hare, rabbit
maní: peanut (not cacahuate)
manteca: butter (not mantequilla)
masas finas: rich pastries
matambre: type of fiambre
mate:(1) the drink itself; (2) cup, chalice to drink yerba
medialuna: croissant
merluza: codfish
milaneza napolitana: fried
steak with cheese and salsa
milaneza: fried steak
mondongo: cow stomach
morcilla: blood sausage
mortadela: fiambre de caballo
ñoquis: pasta made from potato flour
pan integral: whole wheat bread
pan dulce: similar to fruit cake
peludo: armadillo
pochoclo: popcorn with sugar
polenta: corn meal; also means strength
pollo al disco: chicken and vegetables cooked in wine
in a wok
pomelo: grapefruit (not toronja)
porotos: beans (not frijoles)
puchero: stewed vegetables and meat in a soup
puré de papas: mashed potatoes
queso quartirolo: soft
white cheese
riñones: kidneys
sacramento: croissant-like sandwich
sandwich de miga: hors’devour
seso: brain
ternera: veal
tortilla: egg and potato omelette
tuco: tomato sauce
turrón: peanut or almond nougat
vizcacha: furry rodent
yerba mate: hot herbal tea drink
zapallo: small squash
Other Important Language Considerations When Visiting
Remember Apodos: It is very common for Argentines to use nicknames for friends or relatives. Many examples are included in the list of Lunfardo above, i.e., ruso(a): anyone blond, fair-skinned, flaco(a): guy, dude, (chick). A nick-name given me while living in Coronel Pringles, Bs. As. was Verdugo, which means executioner (rymed with the Argentine pronunciacion of my last name and I chastised those whom I served).
El voseo: the familiar tense
(use only with small children and pets if you’re a missionary) Example: ¿Cómo andás?: How’s it going? Instead of using tú (second person singular) in
(Reference Holt and Dueber, 211-212, for the
following)
Present Indicatives--ar, er,
and ir verbs (Drop the r off the infinitive, add a s,
and accent the last syllable)
vos cantás = tú cantas
vos vendés = tú vendes
vos escribís = tú escribes
and
vos sos
= tú eres
Present Subjunctive (optional)
vos cantés (cantes) = tú cantes
vos vendás (
vos escribás (escribas) = tú escribas
Radical or stem-changing verbs do not show the normal second person change,
since the stress is on the ending.
vos volvés
= tú vuelves
vos tenés = tú tienes
vos venís = tú vienes (
vos volvás = tú vuelvas
vos tengas
vos vengas (Pres. Subj.)
The affirmative command forms for vos are the same
as those for vosotros with the final d dropped and an
accent added to the final syllable.
cantá
rather than cantad
volvé rather than
volved
The negative commands are the same as the present subjunctive forms for vos, or the normal tú form may be
used.
no cantés
or no cantes
no volvás or no vuelvas
(Reference Holt and Dueber, 211-12, for the above)
The reflexive and object pronoun te
remains the same. e.g. ‘Llevate tu perro con vos.’
(Canfield, 29)
Mandatos. (some vos common commands)
Here are some examples I heard often while in
andá: go away, take a hike
vení: come here
salí: get out, leave
dejá: quit it
fumá, borrate: get lost
andá a freir mondongo: go jump in a
dejá de hinchar, dejá de joder: quit bugging me,
leave me alone (crude expression)
El accento
The ll and y sounds are altered in much of
ella sounds like eszha (
playa sounds like plaszha or plasha
Works Cited
Canfield, D. Lincoln, ed. 1987. The
of
Holt, Marion P. and Julianne Dueber.
1986. Barron's 1001 Pitfalls in Spanish. Barron's
Educational Series, Inc.:
Additional Contributions: Ana Olsen, Raquel Decker, Claudio Salerno, Wally Auman, Natalia Ausman, and numerous e-mail contributions, Jose L. Tomsig
I can be found at the following...
Huntington Beach, CA 92647-2099
E-mail:
Internet:
http://www.geocities.com/mmlund_2000
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