Cheeks, especially when they're chubby and squeezable. The part of the face that grandmas always want to pinch while telling you how big you've gotten, a universal Latin American experience at family gatherings.

To give someone the runaround, waste their time with vague detours, and never actually resolve anything. In Colombia, "embolatar" is what bureaucracies do best: you go in with a simple question and come out two hours later more confused than when you started. It can also mean distracting someone while something shady happens behind their back.

Someone completely drained of energy and motivation, moving through life with total apathy and no drive to get anything done. Used in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador to describe a person who cannot seem to react to anything, whether due to bad news, burnout, or just chronic laziness.

Something difficult, complicated, or extremely tough to solve in Colombia. When a situation gets yuca, brace yourself because it's not gonna be easy getting out of that mess.

A cunning, clever, and calculating person who always finds a way to get what they want without anyone noticing. The zorro of the group is the sharpest one, always with a plan and never on the losing side.

A social blunder or foot-in-mouth moment that causes awkwardness or offense without meaning to. The classic metida de pata is the one you do not notice until it is already too late to take back. Widely used across Latin America and Spain.

A privileged woman who demands to speak to the manager, complains about absolutely everything, and believes the world revolves around her. The internet meme became a real word describing a universal archetype.

To sell something on informal credit without immediate payment, trusting the customer's word that they will pay later. It is the trust-based economy that keeps neighborhood shops alive across Latin America, where the owner jots it down in a little notebook and knows you will be back.

A lively, loud party full of energy where everyone's having an amazing time. It can be spontaneous or planned, but it always has great music, dancing, and that vibe you never want to end.

A bullet or gunshot in Colombia and Venezuela. 'Darle plomo' means to shoot someone, it's the raw, street-level vocabulary of violence in these regions.

To go out partying, to hit up a pachanga or event with music and dancing. It's the verb for those nights where the plan is to dance, drink, and have a blast until your body gives out.

A round corn dough bread filled with different ingredients like cheese, meat, or beans. It's the most representative food of Venezuela and Colombia, a symbol of national identity eaten at any hour.

To deceive someone into giving up money or goods through elaborate, convincing lies. It's theft disguised as legitimate business that leaves you broke and with a painful life lesson.

Doing specific things to gain social status points, charisma, or online prestige. It's the perfect blend of gamer lingo with the aura meme: every action adds or subtracts points from your reputation.

Cool, quality, excellent, Peru's go-to positive adjective for people and things. Bacán shares roots with Colombia's bacano but in Peru it's been fully localized: it covers a wide range from 'that's nice' to 'that's genuinely impressive.' Reliable, versatile, and very Peruvian.

A ban or block of your account on a platform, game, or online community as punishment for breaking the rules. A baneo can be temporary (days or weeks) or permanent depending on the offense. The digital punishment everyone dreads: you get kicked out and, in serious cases, there is no coming back.

An affectionate and tender way to say grandma in Mexico and several Latin American countries. The abuelita is the most spoiling person in the family: food is always ready when you arrive, she has a home remedy for every ailment, and her love is completely unconditional no matter what you have done.

To be broke or in a really bad financial spot, flat on the canvas like a knocked-out boxer. The image comes from boxing: the person on the canvas has gone down and is not sure they can get back up. Used across Latin America for hitting economic rock bottom.

To take action and actively step in to resolve a problem instead of just watching it unfold. It is the moment when someone stops waiting and does something concrete about the situation.

Traffic congestion that paralyzes streets and eats up hours of your day. In Latin American megacities like Bogota, Mexico City, or Lima, tráfico is legendary: what looks like 20 minutes on a map can easily become two hours of sitting still.

Quick-witted, sharp, and street-smart. In Colombia, Venezuela, Spain, and Ecuador, avispado describes the person who reads every room instantly, catches on before anyone else, and never gets caught off guard. From "avispa" (wasp): alert, fast, and not someone you want to try to fool.

A laborer who hauls heavy sacks and loads at market plazas, the informal porter whose back keeps the market economy moving. In Colombia, coteros are a fixture of traditional markets, doing physically brutal work for modest pay.

To be running on empty, nearly out of something: money, energy, patience, or health. The absolute final limit where there is nothing left to give. Used across most of the Spanish-speaking world.

To have no money, to be completely broke without a single peso to spend on anything. Used when your wallet is empty, whether it's a temporary situation before payday or a chronic state that seems endless.

An annoying, off-putting, or unpleasant person who has a special talent for irritating others without doing anything extraordinary. Used across Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador for someone who consistently rubs people the wrong way, often without even realizing it.

Rush or urgency to do something quickly. In Colombia this is the standard word for being in a hurry, and saying "yo afán no tengo" is the perfect phrase to slow someone down when they are pressuring you to move faster.

Short-form videos on Instagram for quick, snappy content. Reels currently generate the most organic reach on the platform and are the most direct way to grow your audience. Everyone is watching them, even if the content is completely useless.

To pull someone's leg, tease them, or playfully trick them into believing something false. It's light-hearted deception, the kind where everyone laughs eventually, including the person being fooled.

To view something with more emotion and beauty than it objectively has, or to transform ordinary everyday life into something cinematic and meaningful. A Gen Z self-care practice and creative mindset.

An affectionate term for girls, young women, or a romantic partner across the Spanish Caribbean. "Mi nena" can be your daughter, niece, girlfriend, or best friend: the warmth is in the tone. In Puerto Rico it is so common that teachers use it for young students.