Street Spanish Slang: Spanish Speakers Don’t Use These 8 Textbook Expressions!
The stuff you learn in Spanish textbooks is good if you want to get started, but did you know that us native speakers don’t really say most of it when we talk to each other?
In this lesson, we will show you 8 street Spanish slang expressions we took from actual Spanish textbooks.
¡Cien por ciento real! (100% real!) They will have you learn things that native speakers really don’t use. We’ll show you alternatives to make you sound like a true Latino.
Spring Spanish teacher Paulísima will
1. ¿Dónde está la estación de metro más cercana? (Where is the closest subway station?)
he problem with this one is that it is too formal.
No te preocupes. (Don’t worry.)
If you asked this question, people will totally 100% understand you.
Pero estás aquí porque quieres sonar más natural, ¿no? (But you’re here because you want to sound more natural, right?) You can use these alternatives:
¿El metro?
(The subway?)
Disculpe, ¿qué metro queda más cerca?
(Excuse me, what is the closest subway?)
Sí, el Allende. Está a dos cuadras.
(Yes, the Allende. It’s 2 blocks away.)
¿Hay un metro por aquí?
(Is there a subway this way?)
Sí, el metro Balderas, está aquí a la vuelta.
(Yes, Balderas station, it’s around the corner.)
Disculpe, ¿el metro?
(Excuse me, the subway?)
No, no hay metro aquí en Puebla señorita.
(No, there’s no subway here in Puebla ma’am.)
2. ¿Cómo me cobra tan caro? (How come it’s so expensive?)
¿Cómo me cobra tan caro? (How come it’s so expensive? Lit.: How are you charging me so expensive?)
It sounds weird in English as well. This is just not the way people would ask how come something is so expensive. At least not in Mexico.
Me parece un poco “de mala educación” preguntar por qué algo es caro pero … (I find it a little “rude” asking why something is expensive but…) I can think of a couple situations where one might ask this question.
Por ejemplo, si estamos comparando entre dos productos similares. (For example, if we’re comparing between 2 similar products.)
Disculpe, ¿estos cuánto cuestan?
(Excuse me, how much are these?)
Ciento cincuenta pesos.
(150 pesos.)
¿Y estos?
(And these?)
Seiscientos.
(600.)
¿Por qué tan caro?
(Why so expensive?)
Es que estos son originales y estos son imitación, por eso son más baratos.
(It’s just that these ones are original and these are imitation, that’s why they’re cheaper.)
Or in a taxi:
¿Cuánto le debo?
(How much do I owe you?)
Ciento veinte pesos.
(120 pesos.)
¿Por qué tan caro?
(Why so expensive?)
Es la tarifa.
(It’s the fare.)
Disculpe, ¿por qué tan caro?
(Excuse me, why so expensive?)
Es lo que marca.
(It’s what the meters marks.)
Dos cosas, primera: (2 things, first:) Notice how I start most of my questions with: Disculpe (Excuse me). This is very common in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. It is the way we are. Learn more about our strange Mexican ways in this video.
Y segunda: (And second:) If a taxi doesn’t have a meter, you should ask the price before boarding. Learn more about taking a taxi in Spanish in this video.
3. Querría alquilar un coche (I would like to rent a car)
The “querría” is not that common, at least not in Mexico.
Buenos días, ¿para rentar un coche?
(Good morning, to rent a car?)
Claro que sí. ¿Qué tipo de auto?
Of course. What kind of car?)
Buenos días, ¿en qué le puedo ayudar?
(Good morning, how can I help you?)
Si, buenos días, vengo a rentar un auto.
(Yes, good morning, I’m here to rent a car.)
Learn street Spanish slang with Conversation Based Chunking
Okay, let’s stop here for a second!
This is all good and as we mentioned, you can learn these street Spanish slangs with chunks. But what are they really?
Well, lexical chunks are natural occurrences in the language and Spanish is no exception. If you learn with chunks, you’ll naturally learn and remember the most common Spanish phrases, so instead of remembering vocabulary lists, you will incorporate them in your Spanish sentences.
If you’re interested in this method, you can immediately request an Essential Spanish Chunking Kit, where we’ll explain everything there is to know about this method:
✔️ Cheat Sheet with 54 essential Spanish Chunks you’ll hear and use yourself in ANY Spanish conversation (and example sentences). Taken from our YouTube Teacher’s most popular videos!
✔️ 2 Bonus Cheat Sheets with Travel Chunks and Dating/Relationship Chunks
✔️ A Spanish Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the Spanish from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)
4. ¿Hay servicio de habitaciones? (Is there a room service?)
One would ask this question in a hotel, but we would ask: ¿Hay servicio a la habitación? (Is there room service?) Or you could also say: ¿Tienen servicio a la habitación? (Do you have room service?) Or even: ¿Tienen room service? (Do you have room service?)
Permítame verificar la disponibilidad.
(Allow me to verify the availability.)
Tenemos una habitación con vista al jardín, ¿está bien?
(We have one room with garden view, is that alright?)
Sí, está bien. Disculpe, ¿hay servicio a la habitación?
(Yes, that’s ok. Excuse me, is there room service?)
Claro que sí señorita. Solo tendría que marcar 0 desde la habitación.
(Of course ma’am. You’d just have to dial 0 from the room.)
Sí, está bien. Disculpe, ¿hay room service?
(Yes, that’s ok. Excuse me, is there room service?)
Sí señorita. Las veinticuatro horas.
(Yes, ma’am. 24 hours.)
5. ¿Puede recomendar un platillo típico de aquí? ¿Puede recomendar un buen vino? (Can you recommend…)
¿Puede recomendar un…? (Can you recommend a …?) is not a pattern that a native Spanish speaker would commonly use. I’ve never heard anyone in Mexico asking this question in this way. Instead of trying your own way to say something in Spanish you should try learning by chunks.
Chunks pueden ayudarte a hablar con fluidez más rápido. (Chunks can help you become fluent faster.) Download a list with important Spanish chunks in the link in the description.
We would say:
Si estás pidiendo una recomendación para ti mismo: (If you’re asking for a recommendation for yourself:) ¿Me podría recomendar…? (Would you recommend me…?) ¿Me puede recomendar un platillo típico? (Could you recommend me a typical dish?)
Si estás pidiendo una recomendación para más personas: (If you’re asking for a recommendation for more people:) we would say ¿Nos podría recomendar un vino, un platillo? (Could you recommend us a wine, a dish?) That ME and NOS is what makes all the difference.
Es mi primera vez aquí en Puebla. ¿Me podría recomendar un platillo típico?
(It’s my first time here in Puebla. Could you recommend a typical dish?)
Sí, claro, le recomiendo el mole o las cemitas.
(Yes, of course, I recommend the “mole” or the “cemitas”.)
6. Yo tengo una reserva a nombre de… (I have a reservation under the name of…)
The problem with this is that we wouldn’t put the “yo” (I) in it. Since it’s not necessary, because the conjugation “tengo” (have) implies that we’re referring to “yo” (I)
Buenas noches, tengo una reservación a nombre de Paulísima. Para dos personas.
(Good evening, I have a reservation under the name of Paulisima. For 2 people.)
I don’t use the word “reserva” but I do hear it a lot. It’s just short for “reservación”. Let me know in the comments if you have heard it or use it.
Buenos días, tengo una reserva a nombre de Paulísima. Para cuatro.
(Good afternoon, I have a reservation under the name of Paulisima. For 4.)
7. Una habitación con cama de matrimonio (A room with a “matrimonial bed”)
Nope. Nope. It just doesn’t sound right. Cama de matrimonio suena rarísimo. (“Matrimonial bed” sounds really weird.)
If you want a room with just one bed, that fits two people then you’ll ask for una habitación sencilla (a single room). If you wanted a room with two beds, then you want una habitación doble (a double room).
No tengo reservación, pero necesitamos una habitación doble.
(I don’t have a reservation, but we need a double room.)
Claro que sí, señorita.
(Of course, ma’am.)
¿Tienen habitaciones sencillas?
(Do you have any single rooms?)
No señorita, todas nuestras habitaciones son dobles.
(No, ma’am, all of our rooms are double.)
8. ¿Puedo solicitar una salida tardía? (Can I request a late check-out?)
No, no, no suena nada bien. Nunca he escuchado a alguien decir esta frase. (No, no, no, it doesn’t sound good at all. I have never heard anyone say this phrase.) This is supposed to mean “Can I get a late check-out?”. But it doesn’t sound right, though “salida tardía” literally means “late check-out” we actually use the English word. En México diríamos: (In Mexico, we would say:)
Disculpe, ¿sería posible hacer el check-out más tarde, por favor? Me siento un poco mal y necesito descansar un poco más.
(Excuse me, would it be possible to check out later, please? I’m feeling a little sick and I do need to rest a bit longer.)
Or:
Disculpe, ¿podría hacer el check-out más tarde?
(Excuse me, could I check out (Lit.: “do the check-out”) later?)
