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Spanish profanity
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This article is a summary of Spanish profanity, referred to in the Spanish language as lenguaje soez (low language), maldiciones (curse words), malas palabras (bad words), insultos (insults), vulgaridades (vulgarities), juramentos (oaths - swearing), palabrotas (lit. "big words"), tacos (in Spain), lisuras (in Peru), puteadas (in Argentina), garabatos (gibberish or shootings/firings in Chile), or groserías (impolite words). Spanish profanity varies in Spanish speaking nations, and even in regions of the same nation. Several of these words have linguistic and historical significance.
It is important to note that idiomatic expressions, and this is particularly true for profanity, are very hard to translate into another language, and so most of the English translations offered in this article are very rough and most likely don't reflect the full meaning of the expression they intend to translate.
ChaquetearseChaquetearse is a verb that can be used as to masturbate mainly in Mexico. It is not used in European Spanish. In Chile, it means "to change one's posture rapidly" (compare to English's flip-flop).
Also very common is the use of puñetero, which derives from puño ("fist"), and means to masturbate, as in Me hice una puñeta. This sense requires the use of the word puñeta in singular; when used in the plural, like in vete a hacer puñetas, the meaning is completely different: this could be roughly translated as "Go to hell" and makes reference to the adornments that lawyers and judges wear in the wrist (puño) of shirts. These adornments are very laborious and require many hours of production, so making such adornments (hacer puñetas) is supposed to be unpleasant and tedious labor. Other word for male masturbation, used in Costa Rica, is sobo ("rub") for the physical description of the hand movements. This does not apply to female masturbation, which in the Dominican Republic is referred to as darse dedo (lit. "fingering (-self)"). The word apuñalar(se) (lit. to stab (yourself) with a dagger) means to masturbate in Panama.
It has another possible meaning in Mexican Spanish: "to create false hopes" or "to hallucinate", hacerse una chaqueta mental (literally "To make a mental masturbation"); compare to the English expression "mental masturbation" and to the European Spanish paja mental, which is an almost literal translation of the English phrase.
MierdaMierda is a term which signifies excrement; the connotations are approximately the same as those of "shit", although slightly less offensive, but more offensive than "". Terms such as vete a la mierda, however, means to go to hell. Caca is a less offensive term often used by children, and is loosely comparable to the English "crap", which is not used as a swear word in all countries. Also, the phrases "come mierda" & "come caca" literally translate to "eat shit" in Puerto Rico and Mexico, and often is used as an insult. In Cuba, come mierda may also mean a clueless idiot, someone out of touch with his or her surroundings.
It is also used to describe unpleasant or negative things, such as tiempo de mierda ("shitty weather") or auto de mierda ("fucking/bloody car", "lemon"). A less common use is as a translation of the British profanity "bugger". The euphemisms miércoles (Wednesday) and eme (the letter m) are sometimes used as minced oaths.
MaricónMaricón (lit. "faggot") and its derivative words marica and marico are words used for referring to someone as a gay man, or for criticizing someone for doing something that, according to stereotypes, only a gay person would do. In Spain and Cuba the word has a stronger meaning with a very negative emphasis; akin to "faggot" or "poof" in the English language. In southern Spain the term maricona refers to a male gay queen; which is often used humorously. However, maricona is exclusively used to refer to a lesbian in the Dominican Republic. In Argentina, Chile, and Mexico, maricón or marica is especially used to denote a "chicken" (coward), and it is not considered an expletive. Some examples of the uses of this word are:
- Eres una marica. ("You are a faggot")
- Mano, eres tremendamente maricón. ("Dude, you're really gay!"; note that maricón is actually used as an adjective here)
- Yo sí soy maricón, ¿y qué? ("I am gay, so what?")
- No seas maricón ("Don't chicken out")
- Que Maricon de mierda eh?("What a Faggot!")
One important exception is Colombia, where marica is used as a slang term of affection or as a general exclamation ("ay, marica!" being equivalent to "oh, man!" or "dude!" in U.S. English). This often causes confusion or unintended offense among first-time Spanish-speaking visitors to Colombia. Maricón, however, remains an insulting and profane term for homosexuals in Colombia as well.
Other synonyms are: Julai, Julandrón, Mariquita, Afeminado, Invertido (official noun under Spanish dictatorship), Mariposa, Mariposón, Plumón, Sarasa, Desviado, Bámbaro(south of Colombia) Bujarra, Bujarrón, Cabro, Hueco, Pato (Puerto Rico, Panama), Trucha, Joto, Puñal, Trolo (Argentina), Pargo, Parcha, Parchita, Plon, Homogay, Homo, Loca(Cuba), Raro, Rarito, Roscón, Mariconsón, Puto, Tragasable, Tragaleche, Chivo (Peru), Cabro, "Rosquete", "Loca" (Peru), Comilón, Cundango (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba), Pájaro (Dominican Republic, Cuba), Cueco (Panama), colizón, hueco, fleto, maraco, cola (Chile), Playo (Costa Rica). In Cuba, Cundango refers specifically to a male sex partner. ("Tommy has been Robert's Cundango for years")
Probably the strongest profanity referring to a homosexual male is puto; literally male prostitute. it is highly offensive, but is sometimes used by members of the gay community to refer to themselves (to create a comical effect). This corresponds to the use of "bitch" between English-speaking lesbians or gays and in the prison population. Puto can also be used as a masculine equivalent to the term puta, lit. "prostitute/whore", with the closest translation as far as understanding the meaning or impact of the word, being "bitch".
Spanish being a grammatically gendered language, switching the gender of adjectives and/or pronouns when referring to someone of either sex can imply homosexuality, much as in English one might refer to a flamboyantly gay man as her. Some words referring to a male homosexual end in an "a" but have the male article "el", a deliberate violation of Spanish grammar for a paradoxical effect.
PajaPaja directly translates to English as "straw", used in farms for cattle and other animals to lie on. In South America and Panama hacerse la paja (correrse la paja, in Chile and Peru) means to masturbate. In most parts of Central America and the Spanish Caribbean to masturbate is to pajearse. In South America, Spain, and the Dominican Republic paja is more often used as hacerse una paja. Pajero, or Pajillero in Spain, is a masturbator and also can imply a weakling or a fool, due to cultural beliefs that masturbation created mental weakness. In certain countries, such as Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, Pajero (fem. Pajera) can also mean lazy person, and in Guatemala and Honduras it means liar, Vos sos bien pajero = "you're such a liar". In Costa Rica, Venezuela, Honduras and El Salvador, hablar paja can mean either to talk nonsense tú solo hablas (pura) paja = "you're just talking nonsense" or small talk estuve hablando paja con un amigo = "I was making small talk with a friend." After this, calling a person pajoso/a means he/she either lies a lot or speaks nonsense. However, to call someone pajúo/a means he/she is a stupid person.
Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors has a sport utility model called Pajero. The original intention was to call the car after a South American wildcat, but the company's failure to check other uses of the word caused many chuckles. In the Americas and in Spain, the vehicle was rebadged as the Montero. (It has since been replaced in North America by the Mitsubishi Endeavor.)
In Peru , paja can also mean cool: que paja tu carro = "you have a cool/nice car".
PendejoPendejo is etymologically related to the Latin pectiniculus, meaning "pubic hair" or "anal hair". It may be translated as "asshole" in many situations, though it carries an extra implication of rank and willful incompetence. The less extreme version, which is used in most Spanish speaking countries translates more or less as "jackass". The term however, has very high offensive connotations in Cuba and Puerto Rico.
In Mexico, Central and Northern South America, pendejo refers to a stupid person (estúpido), synonymous with idiota (dumbass) or moron, although it carries a much stronger connotation than the words in English may imply. It is a much stronger word in Mexico and Central America than it is in Panama, where, while still impolite, it is not as offensive, especially among younger people. In Peru it means a person who gains benefits from an advantageous situation in an immoral or deceptively persuasive manner (usually involving sexual gain and promiscuity, but not limited to it) and if it used referring to a female, ella es pendeja, means she is promiscuous (but the sense of female con-man can also apply). There the word "pendejada" and a whole family of related words have meanings that stem from these. In South America pendejo is also a vulgar, yet inoffensive word, for children. It also signifies a person with a disorderly or irregular life. In Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, it has different meanings depending on the situation. It can range from Te cogieron de pendejo! = "You were fooled!" (e.g. by a con-man), to Qué tipa pendeja! = "What an asshole!" (as when some unknown woman unexpectedly offends you with no apparent motive, and just leaves turning her back on you). In Mexico and some countries of Central America, especially El Salvador, una pendejada is used to describe something incredibly stupid that someone has done. In many countries, "pendejo" also means coward (with a stronger connotation), as in No huyas, pendejo! = "Don't run away, chicken-shit!".
In Argentina and Chile, pendejo or pendeja refers to a child, usually with a negative connotation, like referring to immaturity or brats.
In Bolivia it refers to a person regarded with an obnoxiously determined advancement of one's own personality, wishes, or views (a smart ass).
In the Philippines, the word pendejo is a very offensive word meaning "cuckold". When said to a certain person, its intent is to degrade that man and rob him of his pride.
In Spain, this word is never used.
PutaPuta literally means whore, and can be extended to any woman who is seen as being sexually loose. The origins of the word are ancient, and it is quite literally an abbreviation of the word prostituta: p'uta.
The word is used in quite a few common expressions. Hijo de puta (lit. "son of a whore") is roughly comparable to "son of a bitch", "bastard" or "motherfucker" in English. The use of puta as bitch has led to its use as slang for the word bitch in the United States by people of immigrant backgrounds.
In Honduras and El Salvador The word "Puta" is a very common part of everyday speech, and it is not such a strong word like it is in the rest of central America.
A very used expression in Spain is me cago en la puta Virgen (literally "I shit in the whore of the Virgin", but a better translation would be "I shit in the fucking Virgin").
Puta madre (lit. "whore mother"), ["de puta madre" is an expression used in Spain, Mexico, Peru and Chile] on the other hand, while vulgar, can also be a term of praise, ("me siento de puta madre", for example can be translated as "I feel motherfucking great"). So, the use of "puta madre" is comparable to how "motherfucker" can be used positively in English, although more uniformly positive: Escribe como la puta madre (in Spain: escribe de puta madre) might be rendered "He writes like a motherfucker"; es una tía de puta madre can mean "she's an awesome chick" There is also a pejorative way of saying it, which is vete conla puta madre que te parió! which means "go to your whore mother that gave birth you!"
The male equivalent puto has different meanings in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world: in many places it is a pejorative for a gay man (this usage is present in Don Quixote), in others it is simply a comment on a man being sexually loose (depending on context or tone, it can be extremely offensive or just a joke). Puto could also be translated as fucking, shitty or bloody; ¡dame el puto dinero! means "give me the fucking money".
Hayao Miyazaki's film ???????? () was marketed outside Japan as merely "Castle in the Sky," as la puta means the whore in Spanish; this expression is used for denoting surprise or just insulting. The name was a reference to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, in which Laputa is the name of a flying island. In the Spanish dubbing of this movie, the flying island was referred as "Lapuntu" as a euphemism.
The expression hijo de puta is often transformed into hijo de la gran puta (lit. son of the great bitch) or simply hijo de la gran (lit. son of the great) to emphatize the insult. Another possible deviation is "hijo de mil putas" (lit. "son of a thousand bitches").
Also, when referring to a specific person rather than arbitrarily blurting hijo de puta, one may proclaim hijo de su puta madre in order to specify a certain person with whom he or she is displeased.
In the Philippines, "Puta" is an easily recognized profane word, specially from its tagalog word Putang ina Mo! or Putang ama ka! (lit. Your mother/father is a whore!)
Other terms- Almeja (clam) and conejo (rabbit) are also used as synonyms of cunt (in Spain).
- Ahueonao/Ahuevado/huevón/boludo (lit. that has balls/big balls; see huevón) is the word for jackass in many Latin American countries. Awebao is the popular Panamanian form, and a good example of one of the most famous qualities of the Panamanian accent: dropping final consonants (and sometimes even vowels). Even though an insult, it's also used, especially in Chile and Panama, the same way as dude in North America (much like güey in Mexico), comparably with Greek malaka. In Mexico, huevón is a pejorative term usually used for a habitually lazy or sedentary male. In Peru and Venezuela, güevón/güebón is the preferred form. In Argentina, the word boludo is extremely widely used and is synonymous with "idiot". In Chile, the preferred form to use is huevón (pronounced hueón) and ahuevonado (pronounced ahueonao).
- Armado (lit. Armed) (viz. "hung"-U.S.) is used in Mexico and South America to denote a man that has a large penis.
- Avión (lit. Airplane) and Avionazo (lit. big airplane) are Dominican equivalents to the English term slut. Cuero (lit. leather), used for describing hotties in Mexico, is used in Dominican Republic to refer to a whore.
- Bicho is the main vulgar word used to reference to a male penis in Puerto Rico, and also the very less used word pinga, yet in most other countries it is just a reference to an insect, and not a vulgar word. In Venezuela it can be used as an exclamation. In El Salvador it is commonly used as the slang equivalent of "kids". In Nicaragua and some parts of Costa Rica, bicho is used to reference the vagina. In Spain, bicho is applied to people (both male and female) to mean a bad person, often used as mal bicho ("bad bug"). However, in other contexts, specially applied to children, it can mean a naughty boy or girl.
- Bellaco is a Puerto Rican word. It translates into horny.
- Cabrón (literally "big goat"), in Spain, Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico, means a "prick" or a "motherfucker". It may also imply that the subject's significant other is unfaithful, and even worse, that the subject knows it and is either too weak or stupid to do anything about it; a cuckold. The expression ¡Ah cabrón! is used sometimes when one is shocked/surprised by something. Among close friends, the term is often inoffensive; however, it is not a word to be used casually with strangers. As an adjective it is equivalent to "tough" as "it is tough" (está cabrón). To some extent, it can also be expressed as a compliment meaning great, amazing, phenomenal, or bad ass. Such expressions would be said as: "¡Estas cabrón!" or "Yo soy cabrón!". In Panama, it is used as an adjective to mean something/someone very annoying (that pisses you off); it comes from cabrear (to piss someone off). In Peru, cabro means "faggot", hence cabrón is its corresponding superlative (lit. "big faggot"). In Spain and Puerto Rico it additionally refers to a husband who has a cheating wife equivalent to the English word "cuckhold". Hence the man has "horns" like a goat and are aware of the fact and they're either too weak or stupid to do anything about it (extremely insulting). The term cabrón also means a prostitute handler, comparable to pimp in English. The most common way to refer to a pimp is Spanish is by using the term chulo as a noun. In some countries chulo can be used as an adjective somewhat equivalent to "cool" (Ese hombre es un chulo = "That man is a pimp" versus Ese libro es chulo = "That book is cool").
- Cagar means to (take a) shit. It also means to screw (something) up, e.g. ¡Cagaste la radio! ("You screwed up the radio!"). Particularly in Spain, there are a number of commonly-used interjections incorporating this verb, many of which refer to shitting on something sacred, e.g. Me cago en Dios (I shit on God), Me cago en la Virgen (I shit on the Virgin), Me cago en la hostia (I shit on the Host), Me cago en tu madre (Lit. "I shit on your mother"), Cágate en tu madre (Lit. the command "Shit on your mother"), ¡Me cago en la leche! (Lit. "I shit in the milk!"). In Spain and Mexico it also means to make a big mistake la cagaste (Lit. "you did shit it"). In Mexico City it may be used to indicate 'good luck': te cagaste (Lit. "You did shit yourself"). In the latter country, it can also mean "you fucked" or "scolded" somebody: "te cagaste a ese cabrón."
- Carajo means cock in Spain, although it might also mean a small cup of coffee, or the crow's nest, the topmost part of the mast of a ship. In Latin America, carajo is a very common interjection that can be translated to "fuck!" or "shit!", as Nos vamos a morir, ¡carajo! ("We're gonna die, fuck!") or a far away place, likened to hell: ¡Vete al carajo!. The diminutive, carajito, is used in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela to refer to (usually annoying) children, or to scold a person for acting immaturely, e.g. No actúes como un carajito ("Don't act like a brat!"). Caray is an inoffensive minced oath for this word. Ay caray could be translated "Dang it" or "Darn it!" The word caracho is also used in the non-offensive way like caray. The connotation of "far away place" is reportedly based on the name of the Cargados Carajos, which belong to Mauritius. Unofficial odes to both Cuba and Peru are common utterances in both countries: ¡Viva Cuba, carajo! and ¡Viva el Perú, carajo!
- In Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Chile, another common profanity exists: chucha. It is the equivalent to pussy/cunt (coño) and/or damn (coño/carajo). The phrase "Chucha de tu madre!"(lit. "your mother's pussy") actually means "You motherfucker!" Chucha! (alone) means "Damn!", "Cunt!", "Fuck!"...
- Concha (Lit. shell) is an offensive word for a woman's vagina (i.e. something akin to English cunt) in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. It is commonly heard in the phrase ¡(La) concha (de) tu madre! ("Your mother's cunt", a direct translation of the Arabic profanity kiss ummak), which may be used either as an impersonal interjection expressing anger, surprise or frustration, or as a direct insult. Depending on the context, the phrase may cause massive offense. Chucha/Chuchamadre and Chucha de tu madre (respectively) are the Panamanian and Chilean equivalents. Although Toto would be the Dominican equivalent, semilla (Lit. seed) is often used in a similar context. In Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, chocha or crica imply the word pussy, although the latter in other countries may have a different (non vulgar) meaning. ¡Crica! may also be used as an interjection, expressing anger or frustration, like "May I be damned!" In Venezuela, chocha can mean female genitalia, but it can also mean a type of round seed or a particular type of bird. Chocha is also a game bird in Spain. The painter Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes made a painting with that name depicting some of those hunted birds. The term conchetumadre is very common and very offensive in Chile, as well as in Ecuador.
- is a vulgar word for a woman's vagina. It is frequently translated as "cunt" (and is, indeed, etymologically related) but is in reality significantly less offensive (it is much more common to hear the word coño on Spanish television than the word cunt on British television, for example). In the Dominican Republic it is amongst the most popular of curse words. The word is frequently used as an interjection, expressing surprise, anger or frustration. If you hit your finger with a hammer, ¡Coño! would be like "Shit!" or "Goddamn it!" It is also common to use the expression ¿Pero qué coño? that could be translated as "What the fuck?"
- Cuca (sometimes cucaracha) is the equivalent of "cunt" in Venezuela and Colombia. Slightly milder than coño, and is almost inoffensive in Dominican Republic. However, the term has other meanings. While in the Dominican Republic it is a common term for a parrot, in Chile, cuca is criminal slang for paddy wagon. It is also an inoffensive word for the penis that many children use in Spain. It also has a slightly archaic use in Spain and all Latin America to describe a congenial, outgoing person with a gift for flattery ("Julia is very Cuca") or ("Eddie is so Cuco; look at all the friends he has.")
- Cueco and pato (from Latin Pathus or "sexually submissive") are synonyms for "faggot" in Panama and Puerto Rico.
- Culo is the Latin American Spanish term for arse and the Iberian Spanish term for "buttocks". In El Salvador, "Culero" refers to a male homosexual, while in Mexico it refers to a prick/bastard. The words cola and nalga are inoffensive equivalents to "buttocks"."vete a tomar por culo" is an expresion used in Spain, it's like "vete a la mierda" but more offensive, because means to wish whom is said to be sodomized, as "fuck off"
- Cuero' refers to whore in the Dominican Republic or prostitutes
- ¡Demonios!, "demons", is used as a curse when something malfunctions or a mistake is made; the English equivalent would be "hell!",or "Que demonios!" it would be,"What the hell!"
- Diablo or Diablos, literally the devil and the devils, respectively are used as expletive equivalents to "Hell" in (orig. American, now general) English and is usually translatable to (now limited use) UK slang usage of "devil". No sabemos qué diablo/diablos ese cabrón hará means "We don't know what the hell/devil that jerk is going to do!" Diablo is often added to comparisons to indicate extremes in the Dominican Republic (El examen fue más difícil que el diablo = "The test was extremely difficult" - literally "The test was tougher than the devil"). The phrase "más que el diablo" (which could be translated as "Yeah, right") is also used often in the Dominican Republic right after a statement that is believed to be false is made. (Ese examen fue fácil... más que el diablo. = That exam was easy... yeah right!).
- Diantre is used as a minced oath for diablo. Diañe, and Diache are also used as substitute terms in the Dominican Republic. Its equivalent in English would be "deuce" or "dickens" (example: ¿¡Pero qué diantres has hecho!? - "What the deuce have you done!?").
- Fundillo or Fundío is heard in Mexico and the southwestern United States as the obscene term specifically for the human anus. It carries about the same weight as the American usages of the words "asshole" or "butt-hole" (but note that fundío is only used to refer to the anus and not as an insult towards a person.) ¡Métetelo en fundío! (or in Mexican Spanish Métetelo por el fundillo means about the same as the English expression of reproachful refusal, "Shove it up your ass!" The variant fondillo is also found in Puerto Rico. In the Dominican Republic, the milder term fullín and the very offensive cieso may also be used.
- Gilipollas is a term used in Spain to mean "idiot" or "asshole".
- Goma (rubber, condom) can be used as a minced oath. For example, vete a la goma can replace vete a la verga or vete a la mierda. In Chile, goma is also an offensive term for an assistant. In Puerto Rico, a goma is an automobile tire. In Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Goma means "hangover". For example "Jose esta de goma!" means "Jose is hungover".
- Güevo means cock in Dominican Republic (and to a lesser extent, Puerto Rico). Highly offensive Dominican insults involving this term are mamagüevo (lit. cock-sucker) and mamagüevaso (lit. big cock-sucker). Ñema is used to refer to the penis' head.
- Hueco In most Spanish-speaking countries, the word simply means a hole. In Chile and Guatemala however, it is also a derogatory word for a homosexual.
- Huey/Güey is a common term in Mexico, coming from the word buey that literally means "ox" or "steer" and is equivalent to "stupid" as an adjective or to a "cheated husband/boyfriend/cuckold" as a noun. Like cabrón, it is not as offensive when used among close friends. Young Mexican and Chicano men use this word routinely in referring to one another, like the English word "dude".
- Huevón (big balls) is a common word in South America, especially in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Venezuela (where it is pronounced more like güevón and, often, ueón). Its meaning goes from buddy to idiot. In Mexico it means to be a slacker. In El Salvador it means to be lazy, it can be loosely translated to being a "couch potato". It can also be used as "tengo hueva", or "I'm feeling lazy". In Ecuador there is a typical phrase among youngster in its capital Quito as "Ni cagando huevón" which means "Not even think about it" or "Absolutely not".
- Huevos (literally "eggs"), pelotas (literally "balls"), and albóndigas (literally meatballs) all mean testicles in a profane manner. They are equivalent to cojones in many situations. In Mexico, in a situation where any ambiguity might arise, it is reasonably common to avoid this word for its literal meaning of "eggs", substituting the inoffensive blanquillos (literally "little white ones"). Foreign missionaries in Bolivia are frequently targeted with this as an aggressive suggestion that they are homosexual (since they stay together at all times and are frequently pale, perhaps like the whites of eggs). "Huevos de toro" (bull's testicles) is a common 'meat' dish in Argentina.
- Joto (literally a "jack" or a "knave", from Western card games) is a word used in Mexico and the southwestern United States -- usually pejoratively -- for a male homosexual. Arguably more universally offensive than the similar word maricón, joto carries with it an accusation of utter fecklessness, societal worthlessness, and perhaps the hinted accusation of closeted homosexuality. A Mexican gay man, for example, might refer to himself risibly as a maricón, but probably not as a joto. Recently the use of joto, jota or jotita in Mexico have changed, and it is used widely among the gay community, mainly as an adjective: Es una película muy jota ("It's a very gay movie"). Definitely not to be confused with the word jota, which refers to a traditional Spanish, Mexican or Argentine parlor dance.
- Macha refers to a lesbian/dike. In Costa Rica, macho or macha is not derogatory but common slang for European looking, or similar to saying blondie.
- Madre, depending on its usage (e.g. madrear - to beat, or hasta la madre - full), can be profane in Mexican Spanish, where it gives the biggest offense due to the cultural tendency in that country to mother-ruled homes. Chinga tu madre could be considered the best way to offend someone. This word is not always offensive, though it could be vulgar, like ¡Que poca madre! ("That's terrible!") and Esta madre no funciona ("this shit doesn't work"), also it could be used in a positive way, as in ¡Está de poca madre! ("It's fucking awesome!"). Chingo tu madre en el asno todas las noches (I have anal sex with you mom every night).
- Maldita sea means Damn it. It is commonly used as an interjection and almost universally across Spanish speaking countries. It literally means let it be damned (by God). Despite the literal meaning, it is widely used in Spanish-speaking television, since it is not considered very offensive, it is always much more preferable than a Coño.
- Mal nacido or mal parido ("badly born"), sometimes shortened in one word (malnacido/malparido), is used in many Latin American countries as synonyms for motherfucker, particularly in Colombia.
- Mamañema is also used as an insult sometimes. Both terms are deformations of the Spanish words huevo ("egg") and yema yolk).
- Mamabicho, slang used in Puerto Rico meaning cock-sucker, bicho being a slang for penis. Bicho (bug) is commonly an inoffensive word elsewhere.
- Manflor and its variant Manflora are used in Mexico and among Spanish-speaking Americans to refer, usually pejoratively, to a female homosexual or Lesbian. It is used very much the same way as the English word dyke. As with this English word, monflora can be extremely offensive - or relatively benign, if used between friends, especially within the G/L communities. Oye, güey, no toques a esa chica; todos ya saben que es monflora. ("Hey, dude, don't hit on that girl; everyone knows she's a dyke."). However, the most popular prejorative way to call a lesbian is tortillera ("tortilla maker"). Lesbian sex is often referred to as tortillear or hacer tortilla ("make tortillas"). Lesbians can also be called patas (female ducks), pájaras (female birds), or cundangas in the Dominican Republic. It is common to refer offensively to LGBT community people by terms that imply some sort of flying.
- Mariposa (literally "butterfly"), maricón/marica/mariquita or puto (literally "male prostitute") all mean "faggot". A common variation, especially in Spain and Mexico, is mariposón.
- Commonly in Panama, micha is used to refer to the female pussy/cunt (Micha is also a type of bread). Picha is the equivalent to the male dick/cock.
- Ojete is derived from ojo ("eye"), and literally means "eyelet"; it is the name for the anus in some countries, but it also is used as an adjective to qualify the morality or behaviour of a person, not unlike the word "asshole": Se portó muy ojete conmigo ("He was a really bad person with me, or he was an asshole to me"). A popular naughty graffito in Mexico among schoolchildren is "OGT". When one pronounces the letters individually, they sound like ojete.
- Panocha In Mexico, panocha refers generally to sweet breads or cakes, or, more specifically, to a raw, coarse form of sugar produced there. It is also a fudge made with brown sugar, butter, cream or milk, and nuts. In New Mexico it means a sprouted-wheat pudding. In the southwestern United States (and northern Mexico, perhaps?), however, it often refers to the female genitalia (pussy). Use of this word has been known to cause embarrassment among Mexicans from Mexico and their American-born relatives. Etymology: Spanish penuche, panoja: ear of corn, from the Latin panicula whence comes the English word "panicle": pyramidal loosely branched flower cluster.
- in Cuba, the word "papaya" has multiple meanings: in some regional dialects, it means cunt. There are tales of North American tourists who asked a grocer for a papaya (fruit) and being angrily informed that he was not a pimp.
- in Venezuela, the words papo and chocho also mean cunt.
- In Panama, the word pipí (lit. piss/urine) is used to refer to the dick/cock. Example: Se me paró el pipí (My dick has become erect).
- Pinche literally means a cook's assistant, and is an expression of mediocrity. It is often aimed at another person, as in pinche guey, or to any particular object, which is usually of poor quality, esta muy pinche (it is very low quality). In Mexico, it is often equivalent to the English terms "damn", "freakin'", or "fuckin'", as in estos pinches aguacates están podridos... ("These damn avocados are rotten..."), pinche Mario, no ha venido... ("freakin' Mario hasn't come yet"), or ¿¡Quieres callarte la pinche boca!? ("Would you like to shut your fuckin' mouth?" or "shut the fuck up!"). Sometimes pinchudo(a) is said instead. In Puerto Rican and Dominican Spanish pinche is a hairpin.
- Polla (lit. chicken, or hen), in Spain (and in Puerto Rico, to a lesser extent) the word polla is used as slang for 'dick' and also for a (young) girl (as in chick).
- A verga is a part of a ship's mast (a yardarm), but its slang meaning is the penis in most Spanish dialects, and as a Latin word, in other Romance languages such as Italian. In Venezuela and Mexico the word is used quite commonly. In the former country it can be used as a generic stand in for an object that is being referred to, but also as an exclamation. A common expression in Mexico is ¡Vete a la verga!, meaning "get the fuck out of here!". In Mexico can be used as bad or ugly Esta de la verga!, This is ugly, or Sabe a verga!, this tastes bad. In Guatemala, it also refers to a state of drunkenness as in "Esta bien a verga", meaning "he's really drunk!". It can also be used to express greatness as in ¡Se ve bien vergón!, which means "It looks great!". In Honduras it is used in the expression "No vale la verga", meaning "no good".
- Puñeta In Puerto Rico means to masturbate "me hice una Puñeta".
See also
External links- - Lists many of these words in its dictionary
- - Different variations of chingar
- - Many variant forms of profanity in Spanish. Includes some usage indications
- - Video explaining different bad words, especially hijo de puta
- - Spanish swear words-- contain explicit content
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