A completely positive, clean energy with no toxicity or negativity, the best possible energy.

A turn or twist when walking or driving, the movement you make at a corner to change direction. In Mexican directions you'll hear 'dale vuelta a la derecha' (give it a turn to the right) to mean 'turn right.' It's the verb you'll hear most when someone tries to guide you somewhere.

To have it in for someone, to carry a grudge or strong dislike that settled in early on and simply will not go away. You cannot always explain where it started, but something about that person just rubs you the wrong way from day one. Used across Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela.

A woman with dark hair or a darker complexion. In Argentina and Uruguay, it is used as a compliment or affectionate descriptor, without the negative undertones that "morena" can carry elsewhere in Latin America. Think of it as the River Plate version of "brunette," but warmer.

To laugh uncontrollably, unable to stop cracking up. This is a vulgar but universally understood Spanish expression used to describe an extreme fit of laughter, where you just can't contain your amusement no matter how hard you try.

An own goal in soccer, when a player accidentally scores against their own team, the worst possible moment in a match. Beyond the field, autogol is used figuratively to describe any situation where someone sabotages themselves, like sending an angry text to the wrong person or accidentally CC'ing your boss on gossip.

To figure it out, to hustle and make money or solve a problem with whatever you have on hand and pure creativity. It's the verb of Latin survival: when there are no resources, there's ingenuity.

The sacred Argentine and Uruguayan herbal infusion shared in rounds among friends. Mate isn't just a drink, it's a social ritual, a way of life, and practically a religion.

To speak one's mind freely without filtering or holding back. Someone who doesn't hold back says everything they think.

An untamed animal or a rough, wild person without any manners. In Argentina and Uruguay 'bagual' describes someone uneducated or difficult to deal with. Also a wild, unbroken horse of the pampas.

To cause total chaos or a spectacular mess that quickly spirals out of control. Used in Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay for both starting a conflict and creating the kind of confusion that is nearly impossible to clean up. The person who arma el despelote often has a natural talent for spectacular disorder.

Bakery pastries and sweet breads in Argentina, everything that accompanies afternoon mate. Medialunas, vigilantes, cañoncitos, bolas de fraile and more: going out to buy facturas is a sacred ritual.

To flirt or show romantic interest in someone in Argentina without being too direct about it. It's the subtle art of signaling attraction, a look, a compliment, or a strategic like on social media.

To have a casual fling or no-strings-attached thing with someone in Argentina and Uruguay. Curtir is going out, having fun, and enjoying each other's company with no labels, no exclusivity, and no relationship drama.

To stand out, dominate, or do something incredibly well, especially in fashion, personal presentation, or performance. It's an anglicism from 'slay' adopted by Gen Z.

A large board where the teacher writes in the classroom, the center of attention in every Mexican classroom. Used to be black slate with chalk; now it's white with markers, but it's still where you copy the homework.

A girl or young woman in Argentina, one of the most porteño and everyday words in the River Plate vocabulary. It's used constantly in daily speech to refer to any young woman naturally and casually.

To cancel someone, meaning to publicly reject and collectively withdraw support from a person because of something they said or did. This is the Spanish equivalent of cancel culture, a social media phenomenon where someone can lose massive public support overnight. Used across all Spanish-speaking countries, especially on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

In Argentina, a snitch or someone so rigidly rule-following that they report everything to authority and ruin the fun for everyone else. The kind of person nobody in the neighborhood trusts with any information.

Internet connection delay that causes stuttering, freezing, and jumps in video games or video calls. The gamer's invisible enemy that makes you die unfairly, and the most reliable excuse when you lose an online match.

To tag someone in a social media post, photo, or comment, linking their name so they get notified. Taggear is one of the most essential Spanglish verbs of the internet age, fully conjugated and used daily by everyone from teenagers to brand accounts across the Spanish-speaking world.

To fail or flunk an exam in Argentina and Uruguay. When you bombed the test so badly there's no coming back, time to call your parents with the bad news.

When someone or something suddenly explodes in popularity out of nowhere: the artist, meme, or video is everywhere and everyone is talking about it. Also used when someone "goes off" loudly or intensely in a reaction, letting loose without restraint.

A girl or woman, the feminine form of "chabón" in Buenos Aires lunfardo slang. Neutral and casual, with roots in Romani "chabo" (kid). No judgment attached, it is simply how you refer to a woman in an informal Argentine conversation.

An arm wrestling match. You plant your elbow on the table and try to force the other person's hand down until it touches the surface. In Argentina and Uruguay it is a classic informal competition at bars and family gatherings, and also used figuratively for any head-to-head showdown between two people.

In Argentina, a special talent or knack for solving problems with grace and skill, a natural dexterity that makes difficult things look easy. Having muñeca means you know exactly how to handle any situation.

A person who's extraordinarily good at something, especially in football or sports in general. It's the highest compliment to recognize pure talent and natural ability that can't be taught.

When two people mutually like each other on a dating app like Tinder and can start chatting. The match is the first step of modern digital romance, that virtual spark that can lead to a date or ghosting.

Refusing to accept an uncomfortable reality and inventing justifications to feel better about it. Calling someone out for "cope" means accusing them of self-delusion. Widely used in online discourse across Spanish-speaking countries.

A Twitch emote and chat slang used across the Spanish-speaking internet to express sadness or disappointment, usually in an ironic or overdramatic way.