Last Updated on June 27, 2022 by Nellie Huang
When I moved to Spain, the first things I learned from my local friends were Spanish swear words. Don’t underestimate the power of curse words!
As you probably know, Spain is my second home. I married a Spaniard and lived in Spain for over 7 years, during which I got to know its people and language really well.
The Spaniards have an alarmingly rich vocabulary of swear words and vulgarities: ranging from one-word cusses to full-sentence chants like “me cago en todo lo que se menea!” (I sh*t on everything that moves!).
Mind you, I adore the Spanish language. When used with expressive hand gestures, it’s full of vigor, passion and emotions. The Spaniards have always captivated my heart with their sultry linguistic demeanors. Learning the language has definitely helped me to make more connections and truly understand their cultural heritage and Spanish cuisine.
Table of Contents
- Learning to Swear in Spanish
- 15 Best Spanish Swear Words
- 1. Joder!
- 2. Mierda!
- 3. Gilipollas
- 4. Qué Cabrón!
- 5. Los cojones!
- 6. Me cago en todo lo que se menea!
- 7. Me cago en dios!
- 8. La madre que te parió!
- 9.Hijo de puta
- 10. Tonto del culo
- 11. Puta madre
- 12. Coño
- 13. La hostia
- 14. Qué te den (por culo)!
- 15. A tomar por culo!
- MY TOP TRAVEL RESOURCES
Learning to Swear in Spanish
When I first started learning the language (15 years ago!), Spanish swear words were the first things I learned. My Spanish friends were more than eager to impart their knowledge on all things vulgar. But as they say, learning to swear is just part and parcel of learning a new language.
If you learn the Spanish language well and understand the different Spanish accents, you’ll come to observe that they tend to use swear words openly in their daily conversation. Words like ‘coño’ (c*nt) don’t contain extremely vulgar connotations, and so are used commonly by people in Spain.
In writing this post, I’m not saying you should go out on a cussing fest and swear everywhere you go in Spain. For one, please don’t use these swear words with your Spanish teachers or host family or newly minted Spanish friends. I recommend learning some Spanish basics (not just cuss words) before any trip to Spain, as most people don’t speak a second language.
15 Best Spanish Swear Words
Here’s a round up of the top swear words most frequently used in Spain. Keep in mind I’m not talking about Spain here, the Latin American countries tend to use slightly different swear words. Without these swear words, life wouldn’t be this colorful or should I say- de puta madre!
1. Joder!
Pronunciation: hho-derr!
Meaning: F*ck
The first Spanish word I learned literally translates to ‘f**k’. It’s not really offensive, and used casually by everyone I know in Spain — even my mother-in-law says it to my 3-year-old daughter!
For example: You forgot to bring your phone out, Joder! They’re not showing your favourite TV show anymore, Joder! Damn I have to wake up early tomorrow, Joder!
It’s used in many power-packed sentences like ‘Jodete!’ or ‘Que te jodan!’ (both means ‘F**k you!’). A lot of people say joder without the “d” as a lazy, shortened version, so it sounds more like ‘jo-eh’.
2. Mierda!
Pronunciation: mi-ehrr-da
Meaning: Sh*t
This literally means ‘sh*t’, and is the most lightweight of all the swear words on this list. Most people use it to express anger or frustration.
Many people tend to elongate the ‘r’ when they’re saying ‘mierda’ for impact.
It makes a perfect combination with many words to give a better impact, such as ‘Come mierda!’ (Eat sh*t!) or ‘se va a la mierda’ (Going downhill)’. For example, este lugar se va a la mierda, means this place is going to sh*t and falling apart.
3. Gilipollas
Pronunciation: hee-li-pohhh-yas
Meaning: Idiot or jerk
Used frequently to describe idiots, the word ‘Gilipollas’ is simply used to describe someone as a dumbass, idiot or jerk. ‘Gili’ just means idiot and can be combined with other words for more impact.
For instance, you can say ‘gilipuertas‘ or ‘gilitonto’ and they all mean more or less the same thing: idiot.
4. Qué Cabrón!
Pronunciation: kehh kah bron
Meaning: What a bastard!
In reality, ‘cabrón’ refers to a big male goat, with giant horns. As the old Spanish saying goes, a man whose wife is cheating on him is called a ‘cabrón’ i.e. his horns are growing.
Everyone then started using ‘Que Cabrón!’(What a bastard!), to swear at others. It’s quite a mild cuss, and often used just as a sarcastic remark instead of a real curse.
5. Los cojones!
Pronunciation: los co-hhoh-nehs
Meaning: Balls!
Spanish men are known as ‘machotes’ (macho men who are proud of their balls). They love to show their masculinity by adding the word ‘cojones’ (literally means testicles/balls) to their colorful language.
It tends to be used more like the word ‘Yah right!’ in English, in occasions when someone is trying to give you some crappy excuse, you would respond with ‘Los Cojones!’
It’s also one of the most versatile Spanish swear words. You can also use it to say ‘tienes cojones’ which means ‘you have balls’ or that you are bold.
6. Me cago en todo lo que se menea!
Pronunciation: meh cagon-todo-lo-keh seh-meh-neh-ah
Meaning: I sh*t on everything that moves!
This is a long one, and the most powerful one in my opinion. My personal favorite Spanish swear word of all. It is long yet packs a punch.
I crack up whenever I hear my husband chant this long cuss while driving, and he does that a lot! It literally means ‘I sh*t on everything that moves.’ (strangely unvulgar but can be loosely translated to mean ‘f**k’ in Spanish.)
‘Me cago en…’ is a very commonly used cuss, and can be combined with anything and everything that comes to mind, like ‘Me cago en Dios’ (..on God) or ‘Me cago en tus muertos’ (..on your dead relatives).
7. Me cago en dios!
Pronunciation: meh cagon di-ohs
Meaning: I sh*t on God!
Holy moly — those who believe in God should totally skip to the next swear word! This is one hell of a swear word. It translates literally to mean ‘I sh*t on God!’.
It might sound totally disrespectful, especially in a Catholic country like Spain, but it’s surprisingly common to hear it especially in southern Spain.
Basically, ‘me cago en’ can be used in many different combinations, such as ‘me cago en tus muertos’ (I sh*t on your death!) or ‘me cago en la leche’ (I sh*t on milk). They generally mean the same, bloody hell and f*ck.
8. La madre que te parió!
Pronunciation: la ma-dreh keh te pah-ri-ohh
Meaning: Motherf**ker
In my personal opinion, this is the most vulgar curse ever and something I wouldn’t personally use. It translates literally to mean, ‘the mother who gave birth to you’ meaning you are cursing someone’s mother. It is used in the same way as ‘motherf**ker’ in English.
It’s usually used as part of a sentence for example: ‘Me cago en la madre que te parió!’ (I sh*t on the mother who gave birth to you.). Alberto likes to use this when he’s angry with our daughter and it pisses me off as he’s literally cursing me!
9.Hijo de puta
Pronunciation: ee-hho deh poo tah
Meaning: Son of a bitch!
This translates literally to ‘son of a b*tch!’. ‘Hijo’ means son, ‘puta’ is bitch (which is often used on its own). It’s used in the exact same way as English, except almost ten times the frequency. It is however mostly used to tease someone, especially as a sarcastic or envious remark.
Your friend gets a promotion – hijo de puta! Your brother is going on an epic trip – hijo de puta! He just bought a 40inch plasma TV- hijo de puta!
10. Tonto del culo
Pronunciation: ton-to del kuloh
Meaning: Idiot
Slightly milder than all the previous curses, this translates to ‘an idiot of the ass’ and it’s used to refer to how stupid/silly someone can be. It’s often used with close friends.
For instance, Javier just turned down a great job offer, that tonto del culo!
11. Puta madre
Pronunciation: poo-tah ma-dre
Meaning: Motherf**ker
Literally meaning ‘f**king mother’, it can be used to curse but can also be used positively. As a form of exaggeration, it is commonly used to describe how good something is.
For example: ‘Esta fiesta está de puta madre!’ (This is a f**king good party!). ‘Puta madre!’ is often used to express great satisfaction, eg. ‘Barcelona won! de puta madre!
It’s one of the most commonly used Spanish swear words. Technically it sounds pretty harsh and vulgar, but because it’s used so commonly, it’s pretty accepted everywhere, even when using it with family.
12. Coño
Pronunciation: koh-nyoh
Meaning: C*nt
As vulgar as this sounds, it’s actually used excessively in Spain. It’s not usually used to describe someone, but rather as a general swear like ‘Joder!’ to express surprise, anger or frustration.
I have heard it being used amongst my Spanish friends, family (a lot), and even in work environment in Spain.
For instance, ‘¡Coño, qué buena está!’ (Damn she looks good!) and ‘¿Dónde coño estás?’ (Where the f**k are you?). A more powerful version is ‘coñazo’ (meaning big c*nt), which is generally used to describe something that is boring, irritating or tedious.
13. La hostia
Pronunciation: la oz-tiah
Meaning: Holy sh*t
Hold on to your seats ‘cos this one really does pack a punch! The word ‘hostia’ originates from Southern parts of Spain, where it’s used to describe the holy communion used in church.
Since Spain is such a Catholic country, incorporating the holy mother church can be one of the most offensive remarks you can say, depending on how religious a person is.
Hostia can be used one its own to say ‘sh*t’. But it’s usually combined with other words for more impact. For instance, you can say ‘hostia puta’, which means ‘Holy f**k’ or ‘me cago en la hostia’ (I sh*t on the host!).
A super harsh one would be ‘Te voy a dar una hostia! (I’m gonna slap you in the face!).
14. Qué te den (por culo)!
Pronunciation: keh teh-den
Meaning: F**k off!
This literally translates to mean, ‘to give it to you through your ass! ‘Culo’ means ass or butt. In other words, you’re trying to say ‘go f**k yourself!” or ‘up yours!’. You can also simply say ‘que te den’, and it means the same.
15. A tomar por culo!
Pronunciation: keh teh-den
Meaning: To hell with it!
Another one that involves some ass action. This Spanish cuss has two meanings. In general, it’s used to describe ‘to hell with it’ or ‘f**k it!”. For instance, you can say ‘Argh I need to study for my exam, but I’m so tired. A tomar por culo! I’m going to bed!’.
A second meaning for the phrase is actually not vulgar at all — it is used to describe something as very far. For instance, ‘vive a tomar por culo de aqui‘ is an exaggerated way of saying ‘he lives very far from here’.
READ MORE: WHAT IT’S LIKE LIVING IN SPAIN
Do speak Spanish or are you learning Spanish? Don’t forget to check out my 20 language-learning tips! Share some of your other favorite Spanish words with us!
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MY TOP TRAVEL RESOURCES
Over the years (and traveling to 140+ countries), I’ve learned a thing or two about travel planning. I’ve put together this list of travel resources that I personally use to find the best deals and book travel! For more details, check out my travel tips resource page.
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i like it but its the spanish way i think i should post u the 10 mexican ones and ull see we are not conservative at all cheers!!
Im spaniard and i ve lived for two years in Mexico. I agree with you 100%! Viva Mexico cabrones is one of the examples jajajaj
me cago en tus muertos is great. its like 'li mortacci tua' in italian. what a strangely pagan meets catholic thing to say!
Nellie, i must add to the previous comment that mexicans, venezuelans, cubans!, peruvians! and many other latinamerican nationals do swear also quite often. See you soon!
Right. Now I am ready to live in Spain. I was getting bored of verb tables but this has reinvigorated my enthusiasm for learning the language! Great post.
Alex and Antonio – I don't think he meant that they don't have a lot of bad words in other Latin American countries, but in Spain, they say these things in front of their mothers and grandmothers, for the most part w/o offending.
I'm particularly fond of "me cago en la leche" and "me cago en el mar"
In Spain, "carajillo" is black coffee mixed with brandy
Yeah it´s true :)
Me cago en la leche = I shit in the milk (very very used)
But "Me cago en el mar" it´s wrong…it´s better to say "Me cago en la mar" …it´s like … I shit in the sea
Great Post.
By an spaniard ;)
i have been learning spanish for some time and only knew hijo de puta and i think pajero translates to wanker but im not 100% sure. thank you for this blog i now can now swear in spanish which for me is vital in the persuit of fluency. do these swear words apply to latin america, argentina uruguay ect ect?
hey damo thanks for the comment. Yeh these swear words apply to Latin America as well, but they're kinda strong when you use it there. Let's say eg. in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, if you use these cusses, you might look like a total jerk. But whereas in Spain, you could use them anywhere and everywhere (even in front elderlies). Enjoy!
Thanks, let me think of more interesting Spanish slangs for the next post!
like in spanish, italian has many similar bad swear words which offend all your families from your mam to your sister to your dad or son, not that nice isn'it? but it spanish they sound better to me. i actually have a lot of spanish friends and my favourite in absolute is also "Me cago en todo lo que se menea!" or whatever altervatives eh eh
Not sure how to feel about this list! Could be very dangerous if talking to the wrong person but on the other hand may be a bit of fun. I have heard that the Spaniards don’t swear as much as other European countries such as England and especially Italy
I like the big male goat one which seems like it can be used as around close friends. I think the others could only be used in a bar watching football or even better at a game. I can imagine being very popular with Barca supporters if I started calling the Real Madrid striker a "La madre que te parió!"
Yeh you’d probably be treated like a bro if you said that. ;) The Spaniards probably don’t appear too vulgar, since cuss words are just part of their daily life – like “La madre que te parió, this paella tastes awesome!” or “Cabrón, I haven’t see you in such a long time!’ So the way they use it is really quite different from how the Brits would, not too sure about Italians though.
LOL That’s funny, thanks for sharing. Woo ‘fea perra’ is nasty – time to show her who’s the boss!
hey Anna, thanks for the input. Yes that’s true; actually my list of swear words is from Spain – a result of my Spanish friends who’ve been teaching me swear words since I started learning the language. Why don’t you teach us some Argentinean ones? ;)
Oh definitely – Spaniards are very civilized and polite actually. I didn’t mean to talk only about your swear words, but you gotta admit, your vocabulary of cuss words is huge! ;)
Como mola! Muchas gracias Manu por compartir mas palabrotas!
Nice one Nellie! i only know numbers 8 and 10 since "puta" is always used curse in the Philippines jejeje :D
What a great post! My best friend is Cuban and always says "Me cago en la pinga y cojones" — very similar to what you wrote, literally I shit on my dick and balls. Too funny!
I can't believe "hostia" didn't make the list! I hear this swear word more than anything…followed closely by "me cago en.." Entertaining read!
Hey damo,
Argentina actually tends to allow for alot more vulgarity without really offending. I spent some time living there and didn't realize til I got back to the states and talked with some native spanish-speaking friends here just how vulgar my vocab was haha.
in argentina they also use…
"boludo/a" and "pelotudo/a" — pretty laid back curse word. almost more like saying "crap" than a real cussword. They both mean "idiot", "dummy", "jackass" etc… in other words you did something dumb and potentially funny to everyone but you. boludo can also refer to someone who's socially awkward or inappropriate – usually not said humorously in this case.
Instead of saying "joder" like they apparently do in spain, argentinians use the same verb, but conjugated haha… You could say "jodéte" (i'll put accent marks to indicate where the accent falls even though there isn't an accent mark there) – which means "go screw/fuck yourself". "Te estoy jodiendo" means "I'm just kidding with you"/"I'm just screwing around". "La joda" refers to the party scene.. "¿Te gusta la joda?" would mean, "Do you like to party?"
Culiado/"Culiao" – is the big bad cuss word that will definitely offend in polite company. it's basically like saying "fucker" but literally means "ass-fucked". In the province of Córdoba, Argentina, the word is more accepted and packs a little less punch, but it's generally offensive unless your with close friends. In informal settings with close friends or acquaintances your age, you could call someone (not in the group you're hanging with) this and it could be taken as a joke. You'd better know someone super super well before you call them this to their face as a joke. In my experience, this word is used to tease (see how "hijo de puta" was used when someone experienced good luck or success) or if the person does something really unexpected or inappropriate or if the person is just being a straight-up jerk.
Cagarse is also super common in argentina but they usually use it followed by different expressions… some common ones would be "me cagué de risa" – i shit myself from laughter/laughing so hard". "me estoy cagando de frio" – I'm shitting myself cuz I'm so cold". "Qué cagazo!" is the equivalent of "what a fright" – but vulgar and common, not pretentious sounding haha. "Qué cagada!" is a multi-purpose expression that can express disappointment in a given situation, can express that something you just bought is a piece of shit and doesn't work, or can express the present situation is a MESS.
"Puto" – gay guy.
"coger" – literally means "to take, to catch, to pick up, to get"… but in Argentina they use it as a vulgar way to say someone slept with someone – usually a one-night-stand. "se la cogió" would be "he fucked her".
"carajo" – "andate al carajo" (go to hell). "que carajo es eso?!" (what in the world is that??) "que carajo…" (what the hell…?). "se fue al carajo" (everything went to hell). "No me importa un carajo" (I don't give a damn). etc.
"pendejo" – literally means a single pubic hair. but it's used to refer to a dumbass, especially someone younger. but it can also be a term of endearment. To an annoying, idiotic little kid: "andate, pendejo!" (get outta here). Older brother to younger brother, teasing: "Te quiero, pendejo". Eh, this one's hard to think of examples for.
"pija" – dick
"chupapija" – dick sucker.
"chupáme la pija" – "suck my dick"
"maricón" – faggot
"pajero" – wanker. someone who jacks off alot.
"la paja" – to jack off/masturbate.
"verga" – dick or cock
"cajeta" – female sex organ. pussy. (only in argentina).
"Concha" – pussy
"Andate a la concha tu madre" – basically "go fuck your mom"
Yes it’s not true that all Spaniards speak like that, I’m sorry if my article was offensive in any way. I didn’t mean that Spaniards are rude or vulgar, it’s just amusing for a foreigner to see how they incorporate these words in their daily life.
Haha, I’m two years late to this post here, but this list was exactly was I was looking for! Composing a mail full of these babies ;) Too bad they’re mostly Spanish, I want to scream at a Chilean latino :P Oh well, I’ll throw in a couple of tonto and bobo and I guess the message will go through.
Speaking of swearing, you have seen Rita Moreno tell Animal off in the Muppet Show, right? It’s on the net, search for it :)
I'm from Malaga and we use "me cago en dios" A LOT XDDDDDDDDD And Málaga is famous because "Semana santa…" Catholic people use the phrase too.
Me cago en tus muertos is very storngly, but we use it too with friends :D with love~
PD. It's not gilipoyas, it's gilipollas. The etimolgoy is wrong, coños
Jajajajaja! La madre que te parió, que hijo de puta. La recopilación está de puta madre, aunque lo que ha dicho alguien de por ahí de que los sudamericanos también dicen tacos. Pues claro que sí, però tanto como los españoles? Los cojones! A mi me suelen decir que soy muy mal hablada…me hace gracia porque los britanicos también lo son un poco cuando estan en el pub, pero luego piden perdon. En cambio los españoles nos quedamos tan panchos…claro que sí con dos cojones! Con tantos gilipollas y mamones sueltos seria raro no hacerlo. Los tacos…el exemplo más vivo del lenguaje oral.
Hope this helps as a example for what you just have said. Best regards from a Louisiana born girl who is also Spanish, and of course Catalan. By the way, we catalan people swear more than spanish people. :D
Some other expressions that means "what the fuck":
La virgen puta! (great oximoron). Hostia puta! Pero qué coño!
Something boring:
Un coñazo.
Gay:
Maricón, muerdealmohadas (pillow-biter).
Gilipollas (notice that is written with "ll" not "y". = Soplapollas. Gilipollas means literally silly of the dick.
'Me cago en Dios' it's very common, and you need to have very bad luck to ofend seriusly someone with it.
But 'me cago en tus muertos' is very dangerous if you say it to the wrong person, like, i.e. to a gypsy.
¡Joder! ¡Putos subnormales! Os vais a comer una ostia en to'l morro como sigáis hablando mal.
the third expression ("Gilipoyas"), it's not well written, it should be: "Gilipollas"
thats true, some of my friends make up new swearing words each time I hear them, ooh! and there is a mistake with Gilipoyas, Gili doesnt mean 'son' but stupid, so the translation could be dickhead….
The origin of Gilipolllas is:
1.- In s. XVI, the young girls was called "Pollas".
2.- In the same century was a mayor, Gil Imón. He was going to meetings of high society with his daughters, this girls was very stupids. When they appears in the meetings the people said " here is Gil y Pollas".
P.S. Sorry for my English
In Andalucia we say "una polla" aswell. It means literally "a dick" and it's used like "I can't believe it" or to say "no"…
Gilipollas is written this way. In my country, is a regular expression "Me cago en Dios". I Shit on God…influence of de miners in the north of Spain and their relationship with the Catholic Church
Ahh, I love my language. Spanish is the best for swearing, and if any one disagrees…
¡Que me coma las pelotas a botijillo!
Hey Nelly, besides all the people saying “in my country/region we swear more” or “wo, you missed this one” the list is pretty cool! Actually a lot of my foreign friends tell me that I shouldn’t speak that bad when I speak english, but I guess I’m just too used to my mother tongue :P
Ok, I'm spanish, some warnings: the use of these words is very tricky and they also change according to the region (hostia being popular in Barcelona and absolutely disgusting in other parts, converserly with mierda (shit), in general, the curse words form part of the culture so foreigners are not expected to use them and if they do so, usually sounds to us more unpolite than if it were a spanish person saying the same. Beware the reactions of spaniards when hearing you curse these words, most would laugh, but think you are really bad educated or too rough
There are a lot more than those, and I would like to add one I really like: ¡A tomar por culo!. I always laugh when I hear it… Its translation should be something similar to Fuck it! We use it when something someone's trying to do hasn't got the effect he/she wanted to have.
Examples: You explain your friend the directions he/she has to take while driving, but he/she does the opposite thing… ¡A tomar pot culo!
You are organizing some papers on a table, but forgot to close the window before starting and the wind takes all of them to the ground again… ¡A tomar por culo!
You're out with some friends, drinking beers, when you start feeling a bit tipsy and you see guy is staring at you, you think: ¡A tomar por culo, voy a hablar con él!
Enjoy our fantastic language!!!
hi! here an spanish getting this list bigger with a few more palabrotas (traduction: big words):
– chupamela: suck my dick
– huevos: mean eggs but also means nutballs. Its very used like "a lot" and pronunced harder with the "hu" like a "w" (webo). It takes me a lot: me cuesta un webo. its very informal. another: "tener los huevos de corbata"= to be scared… literally it means to have your nutballs as a tie.
– imbecil: very used…just the same meanning as tonto or gilipollas
– subnormal: another one… the prefijo "sub-" means under and normal doesnt need to be traduced…so it means retarded
-capullo:dont know where this comes from…its just like imbecil
cojones: again this means nutballs like the admin said. "me importa un cojon/mierda"= it minds me a nutball/shit" . "acojonar" = make someone get scared.
– ostia: is the name of that oblea that you can eat on the church but we use it as a…mmm i dont know how to say it. when you fight someone and you win you say "le meti una ostia" ostia = porrazo = golpe. you can also use it like mierda when you use it with puta. "ostia puta!"
umz…i think this would never end…i hope you enjoy it. adioooos cabroooneeesssss me cago en la puta que os pario mamonazos que os falta un herbor mongoloooosss aaaajajajajjaja me cago en vuestros muertos y en toda vuestra familia subnormales que me vais a comer la pollaaaa. Si os veo por la calle os parto la cara y me importa una mierda si venis todos juntos a por mi!! sabeis por que?? eh?? quereis saberlo??? POR QUE ME SEGUIRE CAGANDO EN VUESTRASS PUTAAS MADREEEEEESSSS UUAUAAAAHAHAJJAJAJAJAJJAJAAJAJJ
Hahaha i've laughed a lot with this. So true! (i'm Spaniard)
Actually I think you should create a full post about all the uses of "Cojones" because it's far from being only one — just as Puta Madre, it can be either good or bad.
When you let a place running without time: " me voy cagando leches "
Oh, they are not just swear words, they are a way of living. i think that you can make a list of 40 or 50 swear words and even make a top ten different swear words in each spanish city. My fav is "que te den por culo" makes you feel fine when u're angry or makes a situation funny when u're being pissed by sb.
greets from spain!
We have a rich vocabulary in general, not only vulgarity words. Using swear words to speak is not elegant. Only we have to use to express better a bad felling but not frequently in normal use. Unfortunately, it is very common or acepted to say that words. Sometimes couse of the speaker don’t know express himself with another alternative words.
Note: “Gilipollas” is wrote with “ll” not with “y”.
Sinonimes of “gilipollas” are “imbécil”, “subnormal”, “retrasado”, “pringado”.
Excellent article!
You explained it very well! It´s not that people from South America and México don´t have as much bad words and nasty expressions as we have in Spain. We share a lot of them but we Spanish use them much more often. I have friends from Peru, Colombia, México, El Salvador, Panama … and they all get very surprised about how Spanish use these bad words for almost everything.
However I must warn you that it won´t be a good idea to say these three in front of your mother and it will be a real offense for most of grandfathers and grandmothers.
Me cago en Dios! – I have a shit in god!
Hostia! – Host!
Copón! – This is the large cup where the priest puts the hosts.
It´s also important that in the different communities of Spain we don´t use them the same. I´ll give you two examples.
In Andalucía is very common to hear the word Chocho! (Pussy!) Referring to a girl! And it´s ok for most of them. But don´t ever tell Chocho to a girl in Navarra or Basque Country because she will give you a good “hostia” (we also use these one for punch).
And as I said Me cago en Dios! is one of the strongest, but not for the Basque Country. They spend most of the day having a shit on god while in Andalucía is much more offensive.
And remember that in Spain your best friend is the biggest cabrón, hijo puta, maricón (gay), desgraciado (unlucky), malnacido (these means he is a very bad person), chupa poyas, retrasado (retarded), sopla gaitas (one of the good ways of calling him sucker). And you can remember that to him every time you believe he is forgetting about it (Which is about every 3 minutes).
hey Morte, great insights! Love how you Spaniards refer to your best friend as the biggest cabrón, hijo puta, maricón etc. ;) It never fails to make me laugh. My husband is from Granada – so you can imagine the amount of palabrotas I hear on a daily basis. It intrigues me even more than the palabrota you use differs according to which part of Spain you’re from! That’s true ingenuity. Which part of Spain are you from? I’d love to hear more palabrotas from various regions in Spain. Cheers. ;)
Ooh, excelente, me he reído muchisimo. Al autor del post, te lo has currado mucho, todo bien explicado y con el significado correcto. Me gustaría recalcar que no todo el día estamos diciendo palabrotas eh, hablamos un poco mal, pero no somos tan maleducados… jajajaja
English translate by google :P
Ooh, excellent, I laughed a lot. The author of the post, I've carefully worked a lot, all well explained and the correct meaning. I would like to stress that not every day we are swearing eh, we talked a little bad, but we are not so rude … jajajaja
Regards!!!
Hola Fran! Muchas gracias por el comentario. La verdad me encantan las palabrotas españolas y la manera que las usáis. Claro, no sois maleducados, lo se. ;) Bueno, ya que este post os he hecho gracias, estoy pensando en escribir otro post relacionado a este tema. No te lo pierdas! Besos. ;)
Cagamentos! It’s the first time I’m hearing that, interesting! So what other vulgarities do you frequently use in Asturias? I’d love to do a post on the different swear words used in various Spanish regions.
HAHA. Like your post. Quiet nice for people actually staying some time in Spain like myself. You just forgot one I often encounter here in the east of Spain. Chupa mi polla! You say it if you think something like ´go fuck yourself´. A classic here!
It's alright. I see you're quite used to the spanish language! xD Anyway, I identify some of the cusses more with the south than with the north. I'm from the north and I usually use "joder", "mierda" or "de puta madre". Plus, I would say that number 6. could be simplified to "Me cago en [any Noun Phrase connected with your trouble]". "¡Me cago en la leche (or "cagoenlaleche")!" is veeeeeery common too!
Maybe you could come up with a Master Thesis with this xD
Yes Im from Venezuela, when i was in Argentina, everybody was calling me "hija de puta" (daughter of a bitch) and i was very insulted, however Verga (dick), Coño (pussy) and Mierda (shit), are very normaly used here, to refer to any person, object or situation hehehe. One very use its "Que de bolas!" (what big balls you have, or how dare you?) and Mama huevo (Ball sucker) as they said before.
Im from Venezuela and my boyfriend is Turkish and we had a big fight, when he saw one of my conversations with a venezuelan friend, he used the google translator and was thinking i was going to fuck some dicks and pussys haha, i will show him this page so he finally understands :D
Thats a funny story! Such language mishaps always amuse me. ;) Thanks for sharing Daniela!
Hehe, a very funny list.
It's true that there are many swear words in spanish, hundreds. And they can be combined in any imaginable way.
Anyway, you should maybe put more emphasis on the fact that you have to know when, where and with whom you can use them. I've already seen more than once foreigners getting in trouble or in akward situations by saying things like "tu puta madre" ('your fucking mother') when trying to say "de puta madre" ('this is fucking great!') .
haha an excellent example! It’s amazing that “de puta madre” and “tu puta madre” may seem the same, but they make a whole world of difference!
I haven't thought about it… but you're f***ing right! It's funny how people in Spain use swear words in such a positive way. They can use them both to insult you or to tell you that you're great! It is difficult not to swear when speaking Spanish in the street.. it's part of the language itself.
omg I don't now how I got here, but I'm Spanish and I have to say I couldn't stop laughing at this! It's so right, we curse far too much!
But thanks for making me have such a great time reading this! :P
I'm very familiar with Hijo de puta. Since the Philippines was also colonized by Spaniards, we use a lot of Spanish words too. "Yudiputa" as short-cut, is used positively and negatively, as an exaggeration for something so good and as an expression of anger..widely used in Negros Occidental and Panay provinces of the Philippines..seems the strongest of the swear words. "Yudipuga" is a variation..to make the impact lighter. :D
Hahaha yudipuga this post is fun!! :D
Gracias Apola! Oh yes my Filippino friends often tell me about the Spanish vulgarities they use. You also use the Spanish numbers to count, dont you?
yes yes! :D
Hahaha so funny. I am from Mexico and some of those word we dont use then that often. This is more like form Spain like hilipollas that one i had not heard before. But good post man! Keep the good work!
haha i am half spanish half australian n i didnt know any of my swear words in spanish because my foster family refused to teach mei learnt SOME swearing when i was dating my previous bf but seeing wat was said here is a total crack up lol muchas gracias guys made my day XO
This is a pretty naughty post! I've learned a fair bit of spanish, but never how to swear – perhaps my overly polite Canuck demeanour? :P perhaps just laziness! ha
ha! Swear words were the first things my Spanish husband taught me when we met! ;)
I use Colombian Spanish, as I have lived in Colombia. "Gillipollas" is not used. Rather, instead of gillipollas,, what you hear is "pendejo." In Latin America, especially Colombia and Venezuela pendejo is used. You will not hear gillipollas.
Another expression you hear mostly in Mexico and Central America is the verb "chingar," "Chinga tu madre" means "f**k your mother." You will also hear "chinga tu madre, hijo de puta." I've also heard Mexicans say "chingale" or "f**k it.".
Go to Caracas, Venezuela and you will hear the expression "no joda" used a lot. It is used as "oh f**k" or "don't screw or f**k around." It is one of the most common expressions used in both Colombian and Venezuelan Spanish. Also, Colombians use "hijo de puta" top express surprise, disgust, or anger, and it is very commonly heard. For example, get stuck in rush hour traffic in Bogotá and "hijo de puta" will be uttered multiple times.
Another vulgar expression I have never heard in Spain, but hear a lot in Colombia is "estoy mamado." It means "I am tired.," but translates as "I am sucked off",: or "I am sucked dry" "Estoy más mamado que un chupo de guardería." It means I am as used up ("as sucked off") as a daycare pacifier.
But Joder isn't hard here in Colombia,because means disturb,for example if you want to say here no joda,it means don't disturb.In return if you say puto de mierda or gonorrea con ojos wooo.Really it's hard.There means gonorrhea with eyes.
I love finding out the literal translation for common offensive phrases in languages other than English.. so hilarious! – Thanks for the extensive background of each of them.. makes it much better to use them :P
I am a Spaniard and this is just hilarious! I have read it like 4 times only today and still laugh when I read it. Exceptionally writen and very well explained. I have just forwarded it to a British colleague who is doing a roadtrip in Spain this week. I am sure it will help! Great great article.
Thanks Irene! I might have offended quite a few Spaniards with this article, but I’m glad you like it. :)
Thanks Nellie, I think I can talk to my Spanish mother now, sorry I mean "poo-tah madre" :-)
Hah! I really enjoyed this post. Spanish swear words are by far the funnest to say in my opinion. They just roll of the tongue somehow! Thanks!