A player whose job is to heal and keep the team alive in a video game. The healer is the unsung hero, nobody appreciates them until they're dead and there's no one to revive them.

To post photos or stories on Instagram, or to spend time scrolling the app without realizing you've already lost two hours. The modern verb of visual procrastination that everyone practices without admitting it.

Extreme exhaustion from overwork that leaves you with zero energy and zero motivation. Used the same way across all Spanish-speaking countries, borrowed directly from English. When getting out of bed feels impossible.

A warning or heads-up that means 'careful' or 'watch out' in Spanish. It's the verbal equivalent of a caution sign, short, direct, and impossible to misunderstand.

Someone who does absolutely everything for a person they like without getting anything in return, losing all dignity in the process. The simp showers their crush with gifts, compliments, and self-humiliation hoping for the tiniest crumb of attention. Borrowed from English internet culture, it is now deeply embedded in Spanish-speaking social media across Latin America and Spain.

Dirty, risque, or with sexual double meaning. A "chiste verde" is an off-color joke you would not tell in every situation or in front of every person. The color green in Spanish carries the same connotation that "dirty" does in English when describing humor.

To post content on social media, forums, or blogs, the borrowed English verb that became standard internet slang across all of Latin America. Nobody says 'publish a digital entry' when they can just say 'postear.'

In Peru, to catch on to what is happening, especially when someone is trying to deceive you. Borrowed from Rioplatense lunfardo, it took on a reflexive form in Peru with the extra meaning of seeing through a trick before it lands.

A childish phrase used ironically when someone complains about something minor or exaggerates an insignificant pain. It's every Latin grandma's magic remedy that cures any wound with words, love, and a kiss.

To screw something up, fail spectacularly, or make an irreversible mistake. When things go terribly wrong because of you or someone else and there's no way to fix it or pretend nothing happened.

A sweater or thick knit top worn for warmth in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. An essential everyday garment in highland areas and on chilly Andean city nights. Chompas range from simple store-bought fleeces to beautiful hand-knitted wool pieces from the sierra.

A dirty, messy person with bad hygiene habits in Argentina, Chile, and the Southern Cone. Calling someone chancho means their cleanliness level leaves a lot to be desired, whether personally or in their space.

A person or thing that is truly precious, special, and hard to find. Used across the Spanish-speaking world with warmth and genuine affection to describe someone whose qualities stand out in the best possible way.

Going all out, full throttle, holding absolutely nothing back. Across South America, "a full" means there is no pause button: maximum energy pushed to the limit until the situation demands a stop. Works for training, partying, working, or anything done at peak intensity.

To sleep very deeply, without moving or noticing anything around you. The most restorative sleep there is, shared across the Spanish-speaking world as a universal expression.

To show off something you have or achieved, flaunt your material possessions or successes for everyone to see. It's the Gen Z version of bragging, straight from English slang.

The police force, the public security body in charge of maintaining order and protecting citizens. In Mexico you can also call them 'la ley' (the law), 'los azules' (the blue ones), or 'la tira' in colloquial street language, depending on the region and how respectful you're feeling.

A long, tedious speech full of empty words with no real substance. In Peru, someone who "echa choro" talks endlessly without actually saying anything meaningful. Politicians, bosses, and school principals are notorious for it. Also used for elaborate excuses that go nowhere.

In Peru, a teenage girl or very young woman. The feminine form of chibolo. Used casually to refer to someone who is young, usually in their early to mid teens.

To be overwhelmed, with more responsibilities or emotions than you can handle at once. Used across Latin America and Spain to describe that feeling of being at your absolute limit, when there is simply no bandwidth left for one more thing.

A communal voluntary work tradition from the Andes where an entire community comes together to help one of its members with a big task, like building a house or harvesting crops. Rooted in pre-Hispanic culture, the minga is still alive in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia as a living expression of collective solidarity.

A person from the United States or any English-speaking Western country, used broadly across Latin America. In some countries it also applies to any fair-skinned or European-looking foreigner regardless of nationality. The tone ranges from neutral and descriptive to mildly teasing depending on context.

An ancient Andean underground cooking technique where meats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other tubers are slow-cooked on hot stones in a pit dug into the ground. Pre-Hispanic in origin and deeply associated with community celebrations in Peru and Bolivia. The result is smoky, tender, and completely unlike anything cooked above ground.

A cap with a visor worn across the Spanish-speaking world. In Argentina it has an extra meaning: 'de gorra' means for free, and a 'gorrón' is someone who always wants everything without paying.

To do something spectacular, to shine brilliantly and knock it out of the park leaving everyone impressed. When someone 'la rompió,' their performance was so good there aren't enough words to describe it.

A cute shortening of "amor" (love), widely used in texts and social media across Latin America. The Spanish equivalent of "babe" or "boo": casual, affectionate, and slightly flirty. Common between couples and very close friends.

A snitch or informant in Peru and Ecuador, someone who reports what others are doing to whoever is in charge without being asked and without warning the group. A sape destroys trust in a team or friend circle by carrying secrets to authority figures. The noun form of the verb "sapear."

In Latin American folk medicine, an illness caused by a sudden intense fright that separates the soul from the body. It's treated with traditional rituals and herbal remedies, especially in indigenous communities.

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.