To pre-game, getting together to drink before heading out to the actual party, like a social warm-up with alcohol. In Argentina, Chile, and Peru, the previa is practically mandatory.

Someone with visible, well-defined muscles from consistent training. When your abs show, your arms have real definition, and every muscle looks sculpted, you are marcado. Used across Latin America for that lean, shredded physique that does not happen by accident.

The way you answer the phone in Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, and other Latin American countries. It's the standard greeting equivalent of 'hello?' when your phone rings.

A passionate, die-hard fan of a soccer team who supports them unconditionally through wins and losses. Being a hincha means your team is part of your identity, their victories are yours and their defeats hurt like personal failures.

Something extremely expensive or difficult to achieve, when the price or effort is so absurdly high it makes you question all your life decisions. The expression for a cost that hurts your soul.

Something super easy to do that requires zero effort or special preparation. When a task is pan comido, you could do it asleep, with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back.

To backstab someone or undermine their position covertly, usually to take their job or place in a group. The classic workplace betrayal: smiling to someone's face while quietly sawing the floor out from under them.

The casual short form of "televisión," used across all Spanish-speaking countries. The Spanish equivalent of "the TV" or "the box." Nobody actually turns it off when there is a soccer game on.

To waste time, do nothing productive, and just be lazy. In Chile it's the art of doing absolutely nothing, and a huevón is someone who's made it a lifestyle.

A fine, persistent drizzle typical of Lima that isn't quite rain but still gets you wet. It defines Lima's gloomy winter weather, not dramatic enough for an umbrella but annoying enough to ruin your hair.

The short, casual way to say computer in Argentina and other Latin American countries. It's the natural abbreviation everyone uses because saying "computadora" in full sounds way too formal.

Working remotely from home or anywhere that isn't the office. It blew up during the pandemic, and many discovered they're more productive in pajamas.

A car, any personal motor vehicle. Across Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Andean countries, "carro" is the default everyday word for a car, replacing the "coche" you hear in Spain or the "auto" common in Argentina.

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.

Freeze-dried potato: an ancient Andean staple preserved by leaving potatoes out in the extreme highland cold overnight, then stomping out the moisture. In Bolivia and Peru, chuño has been solving food scarcity in the altiplano for centuries and is still eaten daily. Also used informally to say someone looks shriveled from the cold.

To drink alcohol, to booze. It's the most direct and popular way to say 'drinking' in Mexico, Argentina, and Peru, 'chupar' sounds more intense than just 'having drinks.'.

Peru's all-purpose exclamation of surprise, shock, or disbelief. It is a softened substitute for something much stronger, widely used because it packs the same emotional punch without any vulgarity. "Asu mare" comes out when something completely unexpected happens: great news, a scary moment, a wild story, or catching yourself trip on the sidewalk in public.

An emphatic full stop that doesn't allow for any reply or discussion, the last word in any debate. From the exaggerated English 'period,' and when someone says 'periodt' they're declaring their opinion is law.

To be in serious trouble, in a tough spot, or under heavy pressure, when everything is going wrong at once. In Colombia and Peru, saying you're en llamas (on fire) is not the good kind: it means the situation is burning out of control and you're in the middle of it.

The wide, colorful skirt worn by Andean women as part of traditional dress, a proud symbol of indigenous and mestizo identity in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. In Bolivia the pollera is the most visible element of the chola look: elaborately embroidered, regionally distinct, and worn daily with dignity.

To gather the courage needed to do something difficult or scary. That moment of mental preparation right before the moment of truth, when you take a breath, decide to go through with it, and actually do it.

A traditional Peruvian drink made with purple corn, pineapple, quince, cinnamon, and cloves. Deep violet-colored, sweet, and subtly spiced, it is one of the most iconic beverages in Peruvian cuisine and the classic pairing for ceviche.

To have guts, courage, and the determination to face something difficult without chickening out. When someone has 'huevos,' they dare to do what others won't, they go all in when it matters.

To go beyond the minimum, to put in the extra effort that separates good from great. Used across Latin America for that distinguishing quality in someone who consistently does more than what is expected.

An exclamation for intense cold from the Quechua-influenced Spanish of the Andes. Used in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia when the mountain cold hits without warning, it is the local equivalent of "brrr!" or "it's absolutely freezing!" So perfectly expressive that even non-Quechua speakers pick it up naturally.

Your current state of mind or something that perfectly represents how you feel at this exact moment. When you see an image, meme, or situation that captures your emotional state and say: that's me.

To illegally access computer systems to steal data or cause damage. Also used casually to mean finding a clever shortcut or creative solution to an everyday problem.

A pig or hog in Argentina, Chile, and southern countries. Also used to describe someone dirty, messy, or with bad table manners, because nobody wants to be called chancho.

A Quechua exclamation used in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to express how cold it is. It's the instinctive shout when freezing air hits you and your body reacts before your brain does.

The energy or feeling a place, person, or situation gives off, more expressive than just saying 'vibras.' When a place has good vibes you feel comfortable, happy, and never want to leave.