Fine here, rude there: Spanish words that change by country
Some everyday Spanish words are rude in other countries. Coger means to catch or grab in Spain, but it's a vulgar word for sex in most of Latin America. Concha is a seashell, and vulgar in Argentina and Chile. Bicho is a bug, and vulgar in Puerto Rico. When in doubt, say tomar or agarrar instead of coger.
Spanish slang grew up separately in each country, and some ordinary words picked up a second meaning along the way. Nobody will be offended when a learner slips, but you'll probably get a laugh. Here are the ones worth knowing.
Coger
The big one. In Spain coger is everywhere: coger el autobús (catch the bus), coger el teléfono (pick up the phone). In Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela and much of Latin America, it's a vulgar word for sex.
| Instead of | Say | Means |
|---|---|---|
| coger el autobús | tomar el autobús | catch the bus |
| coger el teléfono | contestar el teléfono | answer the phone |
| coger la mano | agarrar la mano | take someone's hand |
Tomar el autobús is understood everywhere, Spain included. In Mexico, it's tomar el camión, since a bus there is a camión.
The rest
| Word | Usually means | Rude in | Rude meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| concha | seashell | Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru | female genitals |
| cajeta | goat's milk caramel (Mexico) | Argentina, Uruguay | female genitals |
| papaya | papaya | Cuba | female genitals |
| bicho | bug | Puerto Rico | penis |
| pico | beak, peak | Chile, Bolivia, Costa Rica | penis |
| palomita | little dove, a piece of popcorn | Peru | penis |
| pinche | kitchen helper (Spain) | Mexico | damn, as a swear word |
A few of these flip both ways. Cajeta is a sweet everyone loves in Mexico, so an Argentine might do a double take at the dessert menu. And pinche in Mexico isn't about sex at all; it's just a swear word, used a lot.
One that's just funny: guagua
In Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Canary Islands, a guagua is a bus. In Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia, it's a baby. So "I'm getting on the guagua" lands very differently in Havana and in Santiago.
How not to worry about it
- Learn the safe word first. Tomar for catch, agarrar for grab. Nobody blinks at them.
- Listen to where you are. If people around you say coger all the time, you're probably in Spain, and you can too.
- Laugh it off. Plenty of Spanish speakers have a story like this from another country. It's a mistake people like hearing about.
Questions
Is coger a bad word?
Depends where you are. In Spain it's completely normal: to catch, grab or take. In most of Latin America, including Mexico and Argentina, it's a vulgar word for sex. Use tomar or agarrar there.
What does coger mean in Mexico?
It's a vulgar word for sex. Mexicans say tomar or agarrar for catch or take: tomar el camión, catch the bus.
What does concha mean in Argentina?
It's vulgar there, a slang word for female genitals. Everywhere else it's a seashell, and in Mexico it's also a sweet bread shaped like one.
What does guagua mean?
A bus in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Canary Islands. A baby in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia.
Sources
- coger. Wiktionary.
- concha. Wiktionary.
- guagua. Wiktionary.
- Spanish entries and their regional labels. Wiktionary.
Keep going
- One thing, many words: Spanish by countryHow do you say straw, bus, beans or popcorn in Spanish? It depends on the country. The everyday words that change across the Spanish-speaking world, where each one is said, and which to learn.
- Spanish false friendsThe Spanish words that look like English and aren't: how to say actually, sensible, eventually, to assist and more, with the real meaning and what to say instead. With sources.
- Vosotros vs ustedesVosotros is "you all" in Spain. Almost everywhere else, including all of Latin America, it's ustedes. Where each one is used, the forms, and whether you need to learn vosotros.