Want this as a printable cheat sheet?
Download the Puerto Rican Slang PDF Here 🇵🇷
Want to practice learning the words?
You can learn this list on Memrise here.
Puerto Rican Spanish is part of the:
Caribbean family of Spanish
which means:
it’s fast
rhythmic
musical
energetic
If you’ve ever listened to:
Bad Bunny
Rauw Alejandro
Daddy Yankee
and thought:
“why can’t I understand anything?”
😅
this is why.
Puerto Ricans often:
drop the final “-s”
soften sounds
blend words together
which creates that flowing Caribbean rhythm.
Puerto Rican Spanish is also heavily influenced by:
African rhythms
English
Caribbean culture
And Puerto Ricans often proudly refer to themselves as:
Boricuas 🇵🇷
Now let’s look at some classic:
jerga puertorriqueña 👇
Wepa = yay! / woohoo! / what’s up!
One of the most iconic Puerto Rican expressions.
You’ll hear it:
at parties
in songs
greeting friends
celebrating anything 😂
e.j ¡Wepa! Llegaste justo a tiempo
Woohoo! You arrived just in time
Boricua = Puerto Rican
This comes from:
Borikén
the indigenous Taíno name for Puerto Rico.
e.j Soy boricua, pa’ que tú lo sepas
I’m Puerto Rican, just so you know
You can even intensify it with:
boricuazo
for someone who’s:
VERY Puerto Rican
deeply proud of their roots 🇵🇷
e.j Ese cantante es boricuazo de corazón
That singer is Puerto Rican through and through
Nene / Nena = kid / boy / girl
Very common and affectionate.
e.j Ese nene es mi hijo
That kid is my son
Chavos = money
Classic Puerto Rican slang.
e.j No tengo chavos
I don’t have money
Brutal = awesome / amazing
In Puerto Rico:
brutal
is a compliment 😎
e.j Ese concierto estuvo brutal
That concert was awesome
Corillo = crew / friend group
Used constantly.
e.j Voy con mi corillo
I’m going with my crew
Mamey = easy / simple
If something is:
mamey
it’s easy.
e.j El examen estuvo mamey
The exam was easy
Algarete = crazy / wild / out of control
One of the best Puerto Rican slang words 😂
e.j La fiesta se puso algarete
The party got wild
Janguear = to hang out
This comes from the English word:
hang out
Puerto Rican Spanish mixes in quite a lot of English.
e.j Vamos a janguear en la playa
Let’s hang out at the beach
Acho / Chacho = man / dude / bro
Shortened from:
muchacho
You’ll hear this constantly in Puerto Rico.
e.j ¡Acho, qué calor hace!
Man, it’s so hot!
🇵🇷 Final Thought
Puerto Rican Spanish feels:
energetic
rhythmic
playful
full of personality
And once you start understanding:
jerga boricua
you realise how much:
music
identity
culture
rhythm
shape the language.
So next time you’re:
jangueando with your corillo
listening to reggaeton
or shouting “wepa!” 😎
remember:
Spanish isn’t just grammar.
It’s culture.
If I can help you in anyway on your Spanish journey, ping me a message.
Check out some more resources here.
Un abrazo,
Harrison
Language for living, not just learning.
