If you're not alert and active, you'll fall behind or miss opportunities. The classic Latin proverb your grandma repeats every time she sees you slacking to remind you that life waits for nobody.

A person who ruins the fun, who kills the vibe with their negative attitude or complaints. Nobody wants the aguafiestas at the party because they murder the mood.

To get off a form of transport, whether a bus, subway, pesero, or any other vehicle. On Mexican public transport you'll hear 'bajarse' shouted at every corner, because you have to give the driver advance warning so he actually stops. If you don't speak up, the bus keeps going right past your stop.

A fan chant demanding the removal of a player, coach, or executive who disappointed them. In Mexican and Latin American stadiums, a chorus of '¡fuera!' is one of the loudest condemnations a person can receive in their professional life. When the whole stadium yells it together, careers end on the spot.

A shout of approval and pure joy that echoes through stadiums across the Spanish-speaking world. In soccer, the collective olé accompanies every touch when your team is dominating possession and refusing to let the other side near the ball. It is the ultimate form of celebration disguised as disrespect.

Short for 'suspicious,' which blew up with the game Among Us to flag something or someone as sketchy. When you say 'that's sus' you're saying you don't trust it and something smells off.

Corn dough stuffed with fillings and wrapped in banana or corn leaves, found all across Latin America with a thousand variations. Every country swears theirs are the best.

Scoring two goals in a single match, or winning two titles in the same season. A doblete confirms the player or team was completely locked in that day. Used across Spanish soccer culture.

Something so delicious, tempting, or pleasurable that you feel guilty enjoying it. The word "sin" repurposed for everyday culinary and moral indulgences, from a chocolate cake that is impossible to stop eating to a dish built entirely on butter, cream, and cheese.

To text or chat back and forth via any messaging app. The most normalized English loanword in digital Spanish, used from Spain to Argentina without a second thought. It fits naturally into everyday speech and everyone knows what it means.

Intense secondhand embarrassment, something so awkward or cringeworthy you want to look away. A viral anglicism that perfectly describes that uncomfortable feeling running through your body.

To lose your mind from stress, frustration, or an absurd situation. Used across the Spanish-speaking world when something or someone pushes you past your limit of patience. Can also flip to mean going crazy with excitement or joy, depending on the context.

An onomatopoeia for something that happens fast, a sharp hit, or a sudden unexpected event. Zas! And it's done: an accident, a slap, a revelation. The sound that accompanies life's instant moments.

An epic comeback in a sports match, especially soccer, where a team overcomes a losing result to win. The most legendary remontadas live forever in fans' memories and are a deeply celebrated part of Latin American soccer culture.

To make a bad impression, fail to follow through on a commitment, or disappoint someone who was counting on you. Across Latin America this carries real social weight: not letting people down is a responsibility that goes well beyond just showing up on time.

A Chinese-Peruvian fusion restaurant or the cuisine itself. Chifa was born when Chinese immigrants adapted their recipes with Peruvian ingredients, an absolute delight.

Internet slang for "facts," used to stamp something as undeniably true. It blew up across the Spanish-speaking internet after Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic "factos" tweet, and has since become the go-to meme for validating any opinion with complete and utter seriousness.

A skewer of marinated, grilled beef heart that's a Peruvian tradition. Anticuchos are eaten on the street with potato and ají sauce, and they're gastronomic heritage.

An upper-class person or someone who acts like one in Peru, with airs of superiority, expensive clothes, and exclusive taste. You can tell by how they talk, dress, and only hang out at certain spots in Lima.

An aggressive, confrontational, and arrogant person who intimidates others with a threatening attitude in Peru. It describes that street bully vibe, someone looking for a fight who mean-mugs you and tries to impose their will by force.

A gamer expression of respect or sympathy when something goes irreversibly wrong. Comes from 'Press F to pay respects' in Call of Duty. Now used far beyond gaming.

A sweet and sour tropical fruit, the base of the most refreshing juice and the piña colada. It's the queen of tropical fruits, perfect for desserts, aguas frescas, and eating on its own with chili and lime.

A soccer move where you pass the ball through your opponent's legs, also known as a "nutmeg" in English. Pulling off a caño is the ultimate act of showboating on the field, it generates louder screams from the crowd than an actual goal and leaves the defender looking completely foolish.

A person who transports drugs from one place to another, whether in suitcases, inside their body, or through other concealment methods. Mulas are usually the most expendable link in the drug trafficking chain.

A thick, hearty soup from the Peruvian Andes made with potatoes, meat, corn, and other comforting ingredients. It's the ultimate soul-warming food for cold mountain nights.

To park your car while you are not using it. In big Latin American cities, finding a parking spot downtown is practically a competitive sport: you circle the block endlessly, race the time limit, and pray you do not come back to a ticket on the windshield.

To stop replying to messages and disappear without any explanation, as if you were an invisible ghost. It's the most cowardly and common way to end any relationship, friendship, or conversation in the digital age.

An alcoholic drink in general or a sip of liquor you have with friends. Going for some tragos is the universal Spanish invitation to go out drinking, chatting, and having a good time regardless of the day.

To get something moving that has been stalled or to take the first step on something nobody has dared to start. When someone finally "arranca el carro," everything that was frozen starts moving. Used widely across Latin America for projects, paperwork, or any paralyzed situation.

To root for two people to get together romantically. Borrowed straight from English "relationship," shipear is internet culture fully absorbed into everyday Spanish across Latin America and Spain. You ship them when the chemistry feels too obvious to ignore.