This article is a summary of common slang words and phrases used in Puerto Rico. Idiomatic expressions may be difficult to translate fully and may have multiple meanings, so the English translations below may not reflect the full meaning of the expression they intend to translate. This is a short list and more may be found on the Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española website.
List
a sudden nervous reaction, similar to hysterics, or losing control, experienced in response to something
variants are áAy bendito! and dito - âÂÂaww poor youâ or âÂÂoh my godâÂÂ; âÂÂayâ meaning lament, and âÂÂbenditoâ meaning blessed.
Referring to food; rotten or damaged.
Wild, off the rails, disastrous. Doing something rash. Comes from the Arabic phrase meaning "adrift" (Arabic: ùÃÂàúÃÂñ ÃÂïà(), romanized: ealaa ghayr hudaa).
flawless, clean, immaculate. From standard Spanish
a big party.
Important person. From English .
Beer.
gossip
The name given to Puerto Rico people based on the TaÃÂno name for the island (Borikén or Boriquen).
To work on a task, to do something with effort and dedication.
brother or friend.
a lowlife. Comes from Arabic (Arabic: ÃÂçÃÂñ (), romanized: Kafir).
A badass, hunk or hottie. An influential person. From English .
person who should be ashamed of their actions but isn't; a stubborn person
short for - Guy, male,
in mexico this can mean dude or guy relating to someone younger but in puerto rican slang, it is used in replacement of dinero/money
While in other countries this word means "insolence", in Puerto Rico it has an entirely different meaning and is used to describe that something is good, fun, funny, great or beautiful.
Friend, or group of friends.
Normally means âÂÂhardâÂÂ, but in Puerto Rican slang means that someone is really good at what they do.
series of lies, something that is completely false, a "pack of lies"
literally translates to "eww!" or "yuck!" it is often used as an exclamation in reaction to a bad smell.
shameless person
The flower of the sugarcane.
steep slope
to act goofy.
àâÂÂto hang outâÂÂ. Comes from the American expression âÂÂhang outâÂÂ.
to be full.
boyfriend / girlfriend
A person who lives in the countryside, mountain people, the agricultural worker, who cuts sugarcane, for example. From a Taino compound word ("Jiba" meaning mountain or forest, and "iro" meaning man or men) though commonly mistaken for originating from the Arabic (Mofarite Arabic: ìèñà(), romanized: Jabre), in the Mofarite related Ethiopian Semitic languages áÂÂá á¬(), romanized: Gabre).
Drunk
Lackey, brownoser;toady, sycophant.
to peep
Peeping Tom
Also, "limbel". A home-made flavored frozen treat usually made from natural fruits or sweet milk mixtures and often served on a small piece of water-resistant paper, a plastic or paper cup, or a popsicle stick. The name is said to have originated from the last name of Charles Lindbergh after the islanders noticed how "awfully cold as ice" he was as compared to the warmth of the locals during Lindbergh's visit to the Island in 1928.
Used when referring to something that is easy to do.
Terms of endearment; mami when referring to a cute woman, papi when referring to a handsome man, or to address a lover
Boy/girl In standard Spanish it means "niño/niña".
Friend / Buddy ("pana" is also a name for breadfruit in Puerto Rico) From .
to get away with murder or to get away with it
A way of dancing ("grinding") or a danceable song.
âÂÂforget about thatâÂÂ, Disregard. ÃÂ
Expression of admiration, to say that something is outstanding or beyond good.
Used to describe chaotic situations.
to get away with murder or to get away with it
a nobody, or a worker low on the hierarchy, or an enabler
traffic jam. In standard Spanish, "a bottle top" or "a clog".
a lowlife.
Typically used at parties, dances, or general hype events to express of joy or excitement, hence the direct translation "That's awesome!"
See also
References