10 Phrases You Won’t Learn in Spanish Class

I studied Spanish for years and taught it for several as well. The problem with formal education of a foreign language is you never get to learn the good stuff. Now that I am no longer on any education-related payroll, I can finally impart my knowledge of malas palabras en Castellano, Castellano being the type of Spanish spoken in Argentina. Remember, these are just for Argentina, many of these won’t have the same or any meaning in other Spanish speaking countries. Here are my top 10, use them carefully and have fun!

1. Andáte a la mierda

   Literal translation: “Walk yourself to the shit”.
   Practical use: Use it the same way you would use “Go to hell.” This is a handy phrase in the streets and the clubs when creepsters attempt to converse with you.

2. Sos un forro

   

   Arm yourself with angry words for crazy cab drivers.

   Literal translation: “You are a condom”.
   Practical use: Use it like you would use “You’re an asshole/jerk/idiot”. Excellent for cab drivers who almost run you over.

3. La puta madre

   Literal translation: “The mother slut”.
   Practical use: Something to say when you are frustrated or angry. For example, if you are arguing with someone and get really exasperated you can say “¡La puta madre!” to show your frustration.

4. Maldito

   Literal translation: “Cursed”
   Practical use: You can throw “maldito/a” in front of nouns, such as “malditas llaves“, which means “the damned keys”. You can also say “maldita sea” to simply say “Damn it”.

5. Pelotudo

   Practical use: Dickhead, asshole, jerk

6. Gil

   Practical use: Idiot, moron

7. La concha de tu madre

   Literal translation: “The shell of your mother”
   Practical use: “The cunt of your mother”. This is pretty strong. You can throw this one out there if someone has truly pissed you off. All you have to do is yell the phrase and your anger will be heard, loud and clear.

8. Mandar fruta

   Literal translation: “To send fruit”
   Practical use: Use in the same way you would use “bullshit”. For example, “No me mandes fruta” means “Don’t bullshit me”

9. _____de mierda

   Literal translation: “_____ of shit”
   Practical use: Use this to call anything a piece of shit or shitty, such as “auto de mierda” (piece of shit car) or “día de mierda” (Shitty day).

10. La puta que te parió

    

    Photo by Jorge Farah

    Literal translation: “The slut/bitch that birthed you”
    Practical use: This is one of my all time favorites. This is an excellent thing to yell at jerks on the street, cabs that clearly see you but pass you up anyway, and basically anyone who you has pissed you off.