A traditional vessel made from cow horn used for drinking tereré or mate in Paraguay. A handcrafted piece with deep cultural history that every Paraguayan family keeps at home as part of their daily drinking ritual.

Watch out! or Careful!, a Guaraní-origin warning used in Paraguay to alert someone of incoming danger. 'Chake' is fast, urgent, and unmistakable, it snaps people to attention before explaining why. The word itself sounds like a warning.

Extreme laziness and total lack of motivation that prevents you from doing anything productive in Paraguay. It's that uniquely Paraguayan state of inertia, especially potent in the tropical heat.

A private security guard or watchman, especially one stationed at a building entrance, parking lot, or private property. Borrowed from the English "watchman" and widely used across Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, and Paraguay as the everyday term for this job.

An important or powerful person. From Guaraní, it literally means "big lord" or "great sir." In Paraguay it can be used with genuine respect, dry irony, or open sarcasm depending on who is saying it and why.

Woman or girl in Paraguayan Guaraní, the feminine counterpart of 'kuimba.' Naturally mixed into everyday Paraguayan speech. 'La kuña' can be a girlfriend, a friend, or any woman.

Pretty, good, or nice in Paraguayan Guaraní, one of the most basic words of approval in the language. Saying something is porá means it pleases you: it looks right, it feels beautiful, it hit the spot. Simple, warm, and deeply rooted in Paraguayan everyday speech.

A metal straw with a filter used for drinking mate in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The bombilla is the sacred and non-transferable instrument of the mate ceremony, everyone has their own.

Big, enormous, or of great size in Paraguayan Guaraní. Used in everyday speech mixed with Spanish to describe something notably large. 'Qué tuicha' expresses admiration or surprise at the size of something.

A distilled sugarcane spirit, the local equivalent of aguardiente, widely consumed in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru. Drunk straight, mixed with water, or used as the base for traditional cocktails in the region. Rough around the edges and deeply tied to local drinking culture.

Strawberry in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and other Southern Cone countries. It's the exact same delicious red fruit that Mexico and Spain call fresa, but down there it's frutilla and there's no debate.

The hybrid language most Paraguayans actually speak, a natural mixture of Spanish and Guaraní woven together in the same sentence. Yopara is the true tongue of Paraguay, not 'pure' either language.

A mythological creature from Paraguayan folklore that lives in the forest and watches over nature. The Pombero moves invisibly, whistles eerily at night, and gets blamed when things go wrong in the wild. Parents traditionally warn children about him to keep them from wandering alone into the monte (forest). Rooted in Guarani tradition.

A kid or little boy in Uruguay and Paraguay, from the Guaraní language, used affectionately to refer to children. It's the go-to word for any young person in the neighborhood.

In Paraguay, a young woman or girl. Borrowed from Guarani, where "cuna" means woman and "tai" is a diminutive suffix. In Paraguay, Spanish and Guarani mix daily in what locals call jopara, and cunatai is one of those Guarani words that slips naturally into everyday conversation as an affectionate, respectful way to refer to a young woman.

In Paraguay, something great, excellent, or of the highest quality. Works for clothes, music, food, people, or plans. It is Paraguay's own homegrown way of saying "awesome" or "top notch" without borrowing slang from neighboring countries.

Pig or swine in Paraguayan Guaraní, but mostly used as a sharp insult to call someone dirty, greedy, or shameless. It hits harder because it comes from the indigenous language, making it feel more raw and local than 'chancho'.

An informal, quick goodbye borrowed from the Italian "ciao," used mainly in Argentina, Uruguay, and the broader Southern Cone. Breezier than "adios" and warmer than a simple wave. One syllable and you are out.

Cold mate prepared with ice water or fruit juice, a sacred Paraguayan tradition. It's the perfect drink for surviving the brutal summer heat of the Guaraní lowlands.

In Paraguay, a cold herb drink, basically the iced version of mate. Sipped through a metal straw from a shared container, tereré is a deeply social ritual and a daily staple during the scorching Paraguayan summer.

A grilled meat cookout shared among family or friends outdoors, typical across the Southern Cone. It's the perfect excuse to get together on a Sunday, crack open some beers, and spend hours grilling.

Playing dumb, faking ignorance to dodge responsibility or accountability. From Guaraní, ñembotavy is a very Paraguayan art, the strategic performance of not knowing.

The sidewalk where pedestrians walk next to the street. In Argentina, Uruguay, and the Southern Cone, nobody says "acera", vereda has always been the go-to word for the path from your house to anywhere.

A large, prized freshwater fish found in the Paraná and Paraguay rivers. The surubí is the star catch of sport and recreational fishing in Argentina and Paraguay. Grilling it with lemon is a beloved ritual of the riverside region.

In Paraguay, the devil or an evil spirit from Guarani tradition. Used to warn about supernatural punishment or danger, and appears in strong expressions like "aña memby" (son of the devil), one of the most serious curses in Paraguayan Spanish.

A child in Paraguayan Guaraní. It's the most tender, natural, everyday way to refer to little kids, and every Paraguayan uses it affectionately regardless of whether they speak more Spanish or Guaraní.

Guaraní word used naturally in Paraguayan Spanish for a young woman or girl. From "kuña" (woman) plus a diminutive suffix. Saying kuñataí instead of "chica" immediately signals you are genuinely Paraguayan, and it appears in conversation, songs, and everyday speech without any formality.

The Guaraní word for "what," "thing," or "matter," used in Paraguay as part of Jopara: the everyday natural blend of Guaraní and Spanish that most Paraguayans speak. You will hear "mba'e" woven into sentences that are otherwise entirely in Spanish, a reminder that Guaraní is a co-official language very much alive in daily life.

A Paraguayan expression to confirm or affirm something enthusiastically, born from mixing Spanish and Guaraní. It's the Paraguayan way of saying 'for sure' or 'that's right.'

A thin, crispy Paraguayan flatbread made from manioc starch and cheese, one of the country's most iconic traditional foods. Mbejú comes from pre-Columbian Guaraní cuisine and is the quintessential Paraguayan breakfast: eaten warm, ideally alongside a cold tereré. The texture is completely unique and impossible to describe without trying it.