Gringo Lingo, Learning Spanish in Buenos Aires

Helpful Phrases in Argentine Spanish

Kristin Dean

By | September 13, 2020

Learning the slang unique to Argentina is key if you’re planning to converse with the locals in Buenos Aires. Master these distinctly Argentinean phrases to improve your comprehension and try peppering a few into the conversation yourself.

No matter where you travel, you’ll notice differences in local lingo. Argentina is no exception.

Upon my arrival, I quickly realized that the Spanish spoken in Buenos Aires is a different monster. At first I blamed Lunfardo, but I was wrong (at least partially). After a while, I came to realize that much of that which I was not quite catching onto was a series of words and phrases that, when directly translated, didn’t make much sense. Once I recognized that these were common phrases that required a more loose translation, I quickly noticed an improvement in my ability to communicate and understand.

To help all you lovely LandingPadBA readers get over that initial hump of comprehension, here’s a list of these phrases, and their varying uses. And if you’re thirsty for more check out Helpful Spanish phrases in Argentina part 2 and part 3.

Che
1. Often times, che is used in the same way that English speakers use the words buddy, dude, man or mate. “¡Che! ¿Qué pasó anoche?” (Dude, what happened last night?)
2. Equally often, che is used to get the attention of another during a conversation, in the same manner that English speakers use “hey” or that other Spanish speakers use “oye.” “Che, dame las llaves.” (Hey, give me the keys.)

Todo bien
1. When greeting a friend or a friendly portero (doorman), it is common to say “¿Todo bien?” and then reply with the same, “Sí, todo bien.” In Buenos Aires, this greeting is used often, replacing the “How are you?” Think more in terms of “Everything good?” or “All’s well”

Bueno…
1. This word is used all the time in Argentina. Of course, it is used in the more canonical manner in order to say that something is good.
2. Often, bueno is also used to mean “well,” or “alright.” “Bueno, salimos a las once” (Well, let’s go out at 11:00)
3. “¡Que bueno!” can be used to replace the English expressions, “How great!” “That’s awesome!” or “Right on!”

Tal cual
1. Another one of the most frequently heard phrases here in Buenos Aires, tal cual is a real doozie. In conversation, it is used to mean “I agree,” “yes, exactly,” or “I couldn’t agree more.”
Buenos Aires es la ciudad mas linda del mundo; !Sí, tal cual!” (Buenos Aires is the most beautiful city in the world; Yea, I couldn’t agree more!)

Dale
1. Don’t bother looking it up in the dictionary, this one is confusing. In Buenos Aires, most of the times you hear “dale,” it will be used much in the same manner as English speakers use, “ok.”
2. Sometimes, dale can also be used to hurry another person along. “Bueno. Dale, dale!” (Alright. Hurry up, come on!)

Ojo!
Often this will be accompanied with a gesture near the eye it means “Be careful!” or watch out for something. “Ojo! Hay algo pasando en la esquina.” (Careful! There’s something going on at the corner.)

Mira vos
Mira vos is used in the same way that English speakers use “Wow!” “Go figure!” or “Look at you!” “Ayer gané mil dolares!” (Yesterday, I won a thousand bucks; Wow, no kidding!”)

Pasa que
This one is common and it’s best just to sink it into your memory and use it all the time. Meaning, “The thing is…,” you’ll find it useful when making statements such as, “Quiero salir esta noche. Pasa que no tengo plata.” (I want to go out tonight, but the thing is I don’t have any money.)

Keep your ears perked, you’ll hear these phrases sooner or later!

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