Over the past 2+ months, I have been exposed to Chilean Spanish. This Spanish is not the kind you learn in the classroom- Chilean Spanish doesn’t only vary in accent, but also in vocabulary. There are so many slang words that are widely used by the population, both young and old, that it took awhile to adjust and incorporate them into my own Spanish. These words are referred to as “chilenismos.” Thankfully, we learned a lot in Spanish class as the teachers wanted to get us up to speed quite quickly and be able to talk with locals. I thought I would share some of the most popular, and some of my favorites:
Po: This is always added to the end of a sentence, like “uhh” or “yeah” in the English language. In answering a question, you could say “si, po.”
Cachai: Do you understand? Get it?
Completo: The new invention of a hot dog slathered in sauerkraut, tomato, avocado, and mayonnaise- a street food favorite.
Al tiro: Immediately, in a second.
Manjar: the Chilean word for “dulce de leche,” or caramelized condensed milk.
Tecito/once: Snack time that replaces dinner here, with bread, cheese, tea
Pololo: boyfriend, as “novio,” the normal word in Spanish for boyfriend, means fiancée
Bajonear: Late night munchies, after the discos close and people go eat empanadas
In addition to the Chilenismos, we have been learning a lot of medical vocabulary through our excursions and independent study project work. It’s nice to have a hang of medical Spanish and I hope it comes in handy in the future. In the beginning, we all fumbled a lot to translate specific words and professions in the clinics but now referring to a maternity nurse as a “matrona” is easy, and they are distinguishable by their uniform colors too which is nice.
marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa
