Helpful Phrases in Argentine Spanish, Part III

Argentinean Spanish, or what the locals refer to as Castellano, has its own unique brand of slang. Even for advanced Spanish students, there are many common expressions that you’ll probably never have heard until you arrived to Argentina. Here is part 3 of the most common phrases in Argentinean Spanish and how to best use them.

Make sure to catch up on part 1 and part 2.

Saying “maybe” in Argentina can maybe vary. Quizás and tal vez are used, but here are some more common words and phrases that are used:

Puede ser
1. “could be” or “it’s possible”
2. maybe, might, we´ll see.
3. Also, the most polite way to ask for the check in a restaurant or a pack of gum at a kiosk is adding this phrase: “La cuenta, puede ser?” (Could you give me the bill?)

Hot tip: Tipping at restaurants is generally 10% in Argentina. For more info on tipping in argentina

Capaz
1. maybe, might….most similar to the way quizás and tal vez are used elsewhere

Some more phrases or words that simply do not translate directly are:

A full
1. Full capacity or to the max
Ellos estaban peleando a full! Or, they were fighting like crazy!

Re
1. One of the most commonly used words in Argentina. It is a synonym for the word muy , but is used in the same way in English we use “so” (very or really, as in excessive): El estaba re borracho. Or, he was soooooo drunk.

Onda: The cool kids will say this…
1. Literally meaning wave, as in ocean wave
2. Que onda, what’s up with that
3. Onda que, such that
4. Tiene onda, she’s or he’s cool
5. Mala onda, bad vibes

Now if you’re prepared to dive into the more complicated local lingo there is always Argentinian reverse slang!