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My beloved Chile 🇨🇱

I was in for quite the shock when I arrived in Santiago having learned Castilian Spanish.

Chilean Spanish honestly felt like a completely different language 😂

Even native Spanish speakers from other countries sometimes struggle to understand it.

Why?

Because Chilean Spanish is:

Chileans also use:

I must say though…

Once you get the hang of it, it’s one of the funnest types of Spanish to speak.

The specific slang words from Chile are known as:

Thank you Pancho and Víctor 🇨🇱 for teaching me these 👇

(no direct translation)

One of the most iconic parts of Chilean Spanish.

You’ll hear:

constantly.

It doesn’t really translate — it just adds Chilean flavour.

e.j Sí, po
e.j No, po

The meaning depends entirely on:

It can mean:

Sometimes all at once 😂

e.j Oye, weón, ven pa’ acá
Hey dude, come here

e.j Ese weón es un weón
That dude is an idiot

(This is peak Chilean Spanish 😛)

Very common positive slang.

e.j ¡Qué bacán!
How cool!

e.j Tu polera está bacán
Your t-shirt is awesome

On WhatsApp this is often shortened to:

One of the most useful Chilean expressions.

e.j Voy al tiro
I’ll go right away

e.j Mi polola se llama Juana
My girlfriend’s called Juana

Used constantly when talking about money.

e.j Cuesta tres lucas
It costs 3,000 pesos

e.j Vamos al carrete
Let’s go to the party

e.j La película fue fome
The movie was boring

Used when something is:

e.j Qué cuático tu historia
Your story’s crazy

Very Chilean 😂

e.j Ese carrete estuvo la raja
That party was amazing

Unfortunately very relevant in Santiago 😭

e.j Había un taco terrible
There was a huge traffic jam

Comes from:

which means:

e.j Es así, ¿cachai?
It’s like that, you know?

Apparently inspired by the crying sound babies make:

e.j Tienen una guagua de cinco meses
They have a five-month-old baby

The ultimate vague Chilean word 😂

Can mean basically anything depending on context.

e.j Mira esa wea
Look at that thing

Instead of:

Chileans often say:

You’ll also hear:

Very characteristic Chilean pronunciation.

In Chile, the police are officially called:

But colloquially:

e.j Llegaron los pacos
The police arrived

Very vulgar.

Used constantly as intensifiers.

These change depending on:

e.j Los pacos culiaos
The f*ing cops

e.j Ese weón culiado
That f*ing dude

Often used casually or affectionately.

e.j Warrio es guatón
Warrio is chubby

A very loaded word in Chilean Spanish.

Usually refers to someone seen as:

e.j Ese weón es flaite
That dude is lower-class

The opposite of:

e.j Ese weón es cuico
That dude is snobby

Often heard blurred together as:

A strong insult… but also used casually for shock or emphasis.

e.j ¡Conchetumadre, qué susto!
F*ing hell, what a fright!

e.j Eres un conchetumadre
You’re a motherf****.*

A softer expression.

e.j ¡Pucha, qué pena!
Damn, what a shame!

Stronger version 😂

e.j ¡Chucha, qué pena!
F**, what a shame!*

Classic Chilean exaggeration structure.

e.j La media casa
The massive house

e.j La media fiesta
What a party!

e.j Estoy curado
I’m drunk

e.j Tengo caña
I’m hungover

Extremely common in Chile.

e.j Mi pega es fome
My job is boring

Chilean Spanish can feel impossible at first.

But once your ear adjusts, it becomes:

And sprinkling in even a few chilenismos instantly helps you connect more naturally with locals.

If you want more support with your Spanish journey click here.


Message me if you’re going to Chile and I’ll give you some recommendations.

Un abrazo,
Harrison

Language for living, not just learning.