An annoying, clingy person who never leaves you alone. Always has something to ask for or complain about, and nobody wants them around for long. In Colombia "canson" is that exhausting person who is always too much.

A girlfriend, attractive woman, or romantic partner in Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Panama. It's the Caribbean way of saying 'girlfriend' in informal, street-level contexts.

Standard Spanish for a thief or robber, used across the entire Spanish-speaking world in both formal and casual situations. Mexico has more colorful street terms like "ratero" or "chorro," but ladrón is the word you actually shout when someone grabs your phone and runs.

The bill or check at the end of a meal. Asking for la cuenta in Mexico is an art form: you have to catch the waiter's eye, raise your hand, or do the universal pen-on-palm gesture, because it rarely just shows up on its own. Used across all Spanish-speaking countries.

To match with someone on a dating app like Tinder or Bumble, or for two people to simply click and connect naturally. "Matchear" entered Spanish straight from English as apps took over dating culture and is now used without a second thought across Spain and most of Latin America.

If you're not alert and active, you'll fall behind or miss opportunities. The classic Latin proverb your grandma repeats every time she sees you slacking to remind you that life waits for nobody.

A person who ruins the fun, who kills the vibe with their negative attitude or complaints. Nobody wants the aguafiestas at the party because they murder the mood.

To get off a form of transport, whether a bus, subway, pesero, or any other vehicle. On Mexican public transport you'll hear 'bajarse' shouted at every corner, because you have to give the driver advance warning so he actually stops. If you don't speak up, the bus keeps going right past your stop.

An afternoon snack in Colombia, that break between lunch and dinner where you have coffee with bread, cookies, or something sweet. Colombian onces are a social ritual as important as lunch itself.

A fan chant demanding the removal of a player, coach, or executive who disappointed them. In Mexican and Latin American stadiums, a chorus of '¡fuera!' is one of the loudest condemnations a person can receive in their professional life. When the whole stadium yells it together, careers end on the spot.

A shout of approval and pure joy that echoes through stadiums across the Spanish-speaking world. In soccer, the collective olé accompanies every touch when your team is dominating possession and refusing to let the other side near the ball. It is the ultimate form of celebration disguised as disrespect.

In Colombia, 'regalar' isn't just giving a gift, it's also how you ask for something at a store or restaurant. 'Me regalas un café' doesn't mean 'give me a free coffee', it means 'I'd like a coffee, please.'

Corn dough stuffed with fillings and wrapped in plantain or corn leaves, then steamed. Every country has their own version and everyone swears theirs are the best in the world.

A marginal urban neighborhood or low-income area with its own unwritten rules, far from economic power and with little access to services. Across Latin America gueto is also used as an adjective for something rough, raw, or street-level in style. Growing up in the gueto often becomes a source of pride as much as hardship.

A magical Mexican word that can mean right now, in a bit, later, or possibly never, nobody knows for sure. It's famously vague and the bane of anyone who needs a specific timeframe.

To get intensely angry, to lose patience and react with force and emotion. Used in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. When someone se pone bravo, everyone in the room knows things just got serious.

Short for 'suspicious,' which blew up with the game Among Us to flag something or someone as sketchy. When you say 'that's sus' you're saying you don't trust it and something smells off.

Corn dough stuffed with fillings and wrapped in banana or corn leaves, found all across Latin America with a thousand variations. Every country swears theirs are the best.

Completely obsessed with someone, head over heels to the point of not being able to think about anything else. In Colombia and Argentina this goes beyond a simple crush: you are fully consumed by that person and can't get out.

Borrowed from English internet slang and used across Spanish-speaking social media, "caught lacking" means being caught off guard or unprepared when something unexpected hits. That moment of carelessness you can't talk your way out of.

An extremely party-loving person who never misses a single party or pachanga. Always looking for where the party's at, first to arrive and last to leave.

Scoring two goals in a single match, or winning two titles in the same season. A doblete confirms the player or team was completely locked in that day. Used across Spanish soccer culture.

In Colombia, a young and inexperienced person who acts with way more confidence than their track record justifies. Carries a dismissive tone: used to shut down advice or opinions from someone considered too green to have a valid say.

In Ecuador, a wealthy or upper-class person. Unlike in Peru where bacán means "cool" or "awesome," in Ecuador it can carry more of a tone of pointing out someone's social status.

To fall completely, helplessly infatuated with someone, losing all objectivity in the process. In Colombia, enchochar describes that all-consuming state where one person has all your attention and energy, sometimes to a disproportionate degree. Can also apply to a song or show you cannot stop thinking about.

To stick your nose into other people's business without being invited, always with an opinion about things that are none of your concern. Used across most of the Spanish-speaking world.

Fake, low-quality, bootleg, or not the real deal. In Venezuela and Colombia it's used for products, situations, and even excuses that just don't convince anyone.

Something so delicious, tempting, or pleasurable that you feel guilty enjoying it. The word "sin" repurposed for everyday culinary and moral indulgences, from a chocolate cake that is impossible to stop eating to a dish built entirely on butter, cream, and cheese.

The nosebleed section: the highest and cheapest seats in a cinema, theater, or stadium. Called "gallinero" (chicken coop) because you are packed up so high it feels like roosting. You can barely make out what is happening on stage, but at least you made it in.

A crybaby who complains too much, whines about everything, and blows every minor problem completely out of proportion. They always play the victim and never toughen up.