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Ten Spanish words that English should adopt right now
The Local - [email protected]
Published: 30 Jan, 2020 CET.
Updated: Wed 19 Jan 2022 11:08 CET
Some Spanish words are so good at perfectly describing a feeling, experience or person you have to wonder why the English language hasn't adopted them yet. The Local has chosen ten linguistic gems that should be immediately adopted into the English language.
1. Espabilar: To liven up, to come to one's senses, to get one's act together, to wise up, to get a move on, to wake up!
Example: "¡Espabila!¡Qué vas a perder el vuelo!" (Get your arse in gear or you'll miss your flight!)
Photo: Ryan McGuire/Pixabay
2. Maruja: a traditional working-class housewife who enjoys gossiping about her neighbours and eavesdropping on others. She's the informal broadcaster of radio patio, the so-called courtyard radio where most of the chitchat takes place.
Example: "Menuda maruja estás hecha, deja de chismorrear" (You're such a maruja, stop gossiping).
Photo: Nick Karvounis/Unsplash
3. Estrenar: to wear or use something for the first time. It can also be used for new clothing or for a film or play that's premiering.
Example: "Hoy estreno mis nuevas zapatillas rosas" (I'm wearing my new pink sneakers for the first time today).
Photo: Joshua Coleman/Unsplash
4. Cachondeo: Lack of seriousness. This may refer to messing about in both a positive sense and a negative one.
Examples: "Nos pasamos la tarde de cachondeo" (We spent the afternoon mucking about)
"Menudo cachondeo de gobierno." (This government is a joke)
Photo: Eliott Reyna/Unsplash
5. Pagafantas: Literally meaning Fanta buyer, it usually refers to guys who buy drinks for girls and treat them nicely, but never actually get remotely close to sealing the deal in the relationship sense.
Example: "No seas tan pagafantas, deja de mimarla", (Don't be such a pagantas, stop spoiling her).
Photo: Adam Ashtamkar/Unsplash
6. Guiri: (Urban Dictionary def.) a somewhat pejorative term for a foreigner, usually a tourist, who happens to be in Spain and stands out as being pretty obviously not a local.
The term is usually used to refer to fairer-skinned people from the likes of Great Britain, Germany or Sweden, for example.
Example: "Benidorm está lleno de guiris." (Benidorm is full of northern European tourists).
Photo: Marc Pascual/ Pixabay
7. Trapichear: to eke out a living by buying and selling, to carry out shady deals, to wheel and deal.
Example: "Siempre son los mismos trapicheando en la plaza", (It's always the same ones wheeling and dealing in the square).
Photo: Martin Zaenkert/Unsplash
8. Empalagar: To feel sick from eating too many sweet things.
Example: "No me gusta el merenge, es demasiado dulce y empalaga", (I don't like merengue, it's too sweet and it makes me feel sick".
Photo: Ryan McGuire/Pixabay
9. Desvelado: Unable to sleep because you are kept awake by someone or something.
Example: "El llanto del bebé consiguió desvelar a todos" (The baby's crying succeeded in keeping everyone awake).
Photo: Matthew Henry/Unsplash
10. Entrecejo: The space between the eyebrows.
Example: "No tiene entrecejo, es cejijunto." (He has no space between his eyebrows, just a monobrow).
Photo: Engin Akyurt/Pixabay
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1. Espabilar: To liven up, to come to one's senses, to get one's act together, to wise up, to get a move on, to wake up!
Example: "¡Espabila!¡Qué vas a perder el vuelo!" (Get your arse in gear or you'll miss your flight!)
Photo: Ryan McGuire/Pixabay
2. Maruja: a traditional working-class housewife who enjoys gossiping about her neighbours and eavesdropping on others. She's the informal broadcaster of radio patio, the so-called courtyard radio where most of the chitchat takes place.
Example: "Menuda maruja estás hecha, deja de chismorrear" (You're such a maruja, stop gossiping).
Photo: Nick Karvounis/Unsplash
3. Estrenar: to wear or use something for the first time. It can also be used for new clothing or for a film or play that's premiering.
Example: "Hoy estreno mis nuevas zapatillas rosas" (I'm wearing my new pink sneakers for the first time today).
Photo: Joshua Coleman/Unsplash
4. Cachondeo: Lack of seriousness. This may refer to messing about in both a positive sense and a negative one.
Examples: "Nos pasamos la tarde de cachondeo" (We spent the afternoon mucking about)
"Menudo cachondeo de gobierno." (This government is a joke)
Photo: Eliott Reyna/Unsplash
5. Pagafantas: Literally meaning Fanta buyer, it usually refers to guys who buy drinks for girls and treat them nicely, but never actually get remotely close to sealing the deal in the relationship sense.
Example: "No seas tan pagafantas, deja de mimarla", (Don't be such a pagantas, stop spoiling her).
Photo: Adam Ashtamkar/Unsplash
6. Guiri: (Urban Dictionary def.) a somewhat pejorative term for a foreigner, usually a tourist, who happens to be in Spain and stands out as being pretty obviously not a local.
The term is usually used to refer to fairer-skinned people from the likes of Great Britain, Germany or Sweden, for example.
Example: "Benidorm está lleno de guiris." (Benidorm is full of northern European tourists).
Photo: Marc Pascual/ Pixabay
7. Trapichear: to eke out a living by buying and selling, to carry out shady deals, to wheel and deal.
Example: "Siempre son los mismos trapicheando en la plaza", (It's always the same ones wheeling and dealing in the square).
Photo: Martin Zaenkert/Unsplash
8. Empalagar: To feel sick from eating too many sweet things.
Example: "No me gusta el merenge, es demasiado dulce y empalaga", (I don't like merengue, it's too sweet and it makes me feel sick".
Photo: Ryan McGuire/Pixabay
9. Desvelado: Unable to sleep because you are kept awake by someone or something.
Example: "El llanto del bebé consiguió desvelar a todos" (The baby's crying succeeded in keeping everyone awake).
Photo: Matthew Henry/Unsplash
10. Entrecejo: The space between the eyebrows.
Example: "No tiene entrecejo, es cejijunto." (He has no space between his eyebrows, just a monobrow).
Photo: Engin Akyurt/Pixabay
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