When someone gives you something, don't criticize its quality. Be grateful, period, even if it's not what you expected, because generosity always matters more than the object itself.

A crushing victory in soccer by a wide goal margin that leaves the losing team completely humiliated. A goleada is not just winning, it is a full display of dominance on the field, the kind of result that haunts a team in memes and highlights for weeks across all of Latin America and Spain.

To step on the gas, push harder, or bring more intensity to something. Used all across Latin America, "meterle gas" is the call to stop coasting and start driving: a project near its deadline, a car that needs to speed up, or any effort that needs a real, sustained push.

A tender corn cob cooked in water or grilled over coals, from the Quechua word "chuqllu." Choclo is a staple of Andean cooking in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, served alone, in soups, or alongside almost anything. Peruvian choclo in particular is known for its large, starchy kernels, nothing like the sweet corn you find elsewhere.

A mosquito, an insect that bites and transmits diseases. The arch-nemesis of any summer night in the tropics.

An unexpected turn of events in real life, borrowed straight from movie language. When life throws a plot twist at you, nobody saw it coming and everything suddenly looks different. Used across Latin America and Spain by anyone who watches enough Netflix.

A person missing one or more teeth. Whether the gap came from a fall, a fight, or just time and neglect, the nickname lands fast and tends to stick for life.

Same meaning as in English: the child of a famous or powerful person who got their career through their parents' connections rather than their own merit. Spanish speakers adopted the term as-is and use it widely on social media to call out celebrities who were born on third base.

To get on or board a form of public transport like a bus, subway, or pesero (minibus). Boarding public transport during rush hour in Mexico City requires strategy, elbows, and sometimes a bit of luck to find a spot. It's a contact sport that locals have perfected over years of practice.

A minor seismic event, less intense than an earthquake, that slight shake that makes you pause and wonder if it was real. In seismic countries, you learn to tell tremors from the real thing.

An automated account on social media that isn't a real person but a program that posts or comments automatically. Also used as an insult for someone who plays video games so badly they seem programmed.

To send messages on WhatsApp, the verb that defines all modern communication in the Spanish-speaking world. Nobody calls anymore, everything gets wasapeado, from plans to breakups to love confessions.

In a little bit, soon, any minute now, but with zero guarantee of when exactly. 'En un ratito' can mean 5 minutes, 3 hours, or never, depending on the country, the person, and how lazy they're feeling.

Casual athletic footwear, like sneakers or tennis shoes. In Argentina, Spain, and Chile, 'zapatillas' is used instead of 'tenis' (Mexico) or 'championes' (Uruguay) for this type of casual, comfortable footwear.

A little extra, a freebie thrown in by the seller as a gesture of goodwill. The ñapa is a beloved tradition in Colombian and Venezuelan markets, a small bonus that makes you feel valued as a customer.

Negative energy transmitted by a person, place, or situation, that uncomfortable feeling that something just isn't right. When you detect mala vibra, your instinct tells you to get away as fast as possible.

A shady, underqualified, or unethical lawyer who handles minor matters sloppily and is not to be trusted with anything serious. In Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia the term carries a well-established contemptuous meaning.

To not have a single cent in your pocket, completely tapped out and without resources. When you're seco, your bank account is crying and you can't even afford bus fare.

From "delusional": someone who has completely convinced themselves of a romantic scenario that exists only in their imagination, usually involving a person who barely knows they are alive. Used with humor across the Spanish-speaking world and sometimes worn as a badge of honor.

A person who abuses their power or position to mistreat, humiliate, and walk all over others. The one who thinks that having authority means they can treat anyone however they please without consequences.

A close friend, a trusted homie, Peru's most personal term for someone in your inner circle. Causa literally means 'cause' but in Lima street slang it means the person you'd go to war for: your ride-or-die, your real one. Using it says you're from Peru before you say another word.

To be physically or emotionally destroyed after a devastating experience. When you can't take anymore and feel like a truck ran you over, in both body and soul.

To get straight to the point without beating around the bush or wasting time with unnecessary introductions. When you want someone to stop rambling and just say what they mean already.

Putting the ball through an opponent's legs in soccer, the most entertaining humiliation on the pitch. It triggers screams on the field, applause in the stands, and eternal shame for whoever gets nutmegged.

A small rural farm or plot of land where crops are grown or animals are raised. The term can also refer to something rustic or unsophisticated.

A party, a wild night out to have an amazing time with friends in Peru. It's a night of fun with drinks, dancing, and music until your body says enough is enough.

To watch series or movies on Netflix for hours on end without interruption. It's the verb for the modern ritual of binge-watching that replaced going out on Friday nights.

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.

Accidentally on purpose. A phrase from the beloved Mexican TV show El Chavo del 8, used to describe something done with plausible deniability but a little bit of hidden intent. You did it, but you claim it was unintentional. Used across Latin America and Spain wherever El Chavo reruns aired.

In Spanish-speaking cultures, to unnecessarily complicate things or play hard to get, putting up obstacles that don't need to exist and making everyone else work harder for a simple yes.