A Spanglish verb borrowed from English "to check" and fully conjugated in Spanish. It means to review, verify, or confirm something. One of the most classic examples of how Spanglish absorbs English verbs and Hispanicizes them completely. Common in the US, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean as an everyday word.

An extremely wild, provocative, no-holds-barred reggaeton dance session. It's the maximum level of perreo where everyone lets loose to the beat.

In Puerto Rico, something perfect, crystal-clear, or that went exactly as planned. When everything lands just right and there's nothing to fix, it's nitido.

An apartment or flat inside a building in Colombia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean. It's the same thing as 'departamento' in Mexico, different word, same concept of vertical living.

A strong insult for someone who is treacherous, disloyal, or acts in bad faith, especially by betraying someone's trust. In Spain it can also flip to a term of rough affection between close friends, kind of like calling someone a bastard with a grin.

An affectionate or flirtatious way to address an attractive woman, very common in the Caribbean and Mexico. It has nothing to do with motherhood, it is a compliment that ranges from sweet to intense depending on tone and context.

In a flirty context: attractive, hot, sexy. Nothing to do with money or wealth. When someone says "estás rico/a" with that tone, it is a direct and unambiguous compliment about physical attractiveness. Used across Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.

The big shot who runs the block in Puerto Rican street culture. Bichote comes from the English "big shot" adapted to Boricua phonetics. A bichote has money, commands respect, and has people around him. The word jumped from street life into Puerto Rican trap and reggaeton, where Bad Bunny, Anuel, and others use it constantly.

A Puerto Rican country person or rural farmer, though the term has grown into a symbol of authentic boricua identity. Calling someone jibarito with warmth honors their humble, hardworking roots and deep connection to the island. Born in New York or raised far from the mountains, it does not matter: if the culture runs through you, you are jibarito at heart.

A big, full-blown party with music, food, and dancing until dawn. In salsa and Caribbean culture, a rumbón is more than just any gathering: it implies drums, neighbors joining in, enough food for everyone, and the sound system pushed to the limit. It comes from the musical genre "rumba" but in daily speech it means any high-energy celebration, especially with live music.

A naive, clueless person with poor social skills. In the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, a pariguayo is someone who gets fooled easily or acts awkwardly in situations that call for some basic street smarts or common sense.

To dance reggaeton with full intensity and zero inhibitions. Perrear duro is not casual dancing: it means throwing yourself completely into the rhythm, body and soul, without caring who is watching. The pinnacle of urban Caribbean dance culture.

Brave, bold, and full of character. In the Spanish-speaking Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba), guapo does not just mean physically attractive: it describes someone who is fearless, has a strong temper, and stands their ground. Context is everything with this one.

To show off or pretend to be something you're not, to fake a lifestyle or status that isn't really yours. In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic it's putting on a front for others.

To have fun, joke around, or playfully tease someone in the Caribbean and Central America. It's that game among friends where jokes fly back and forth and nobody takes it personally.

A Puerto Rican verb meaning to have a good time, goof around, relax, or have fun without ceremony. Comes from English "goof" with a Spanish ending. "Estamos gufeando en la playa" means we're chilling on the beach without much of a plan. Used among friends in casual contexts, describing that energy of enjoying the moment without pressure. A quintessential Boricua word, though also heard among Dominicans.

A toxic person who damages others through words or actions while keeping a friendly face. Literally "venomous," the effect is exactly that: slow-acting, subtle damage. The venenoso smiles while spreading rumors, stirs up trouble, then plays innocent.

A summer season focused entirely on enjoying yourself, glowing up, and living drama-free. Born from Megan Thee Stallion's 2019 anthem, a cultural movement about confidence, freedom, and unapologetic fun.

A Peruvian, Venezuelan, and Caribbean verb meaning to eat with gusto, devour a good meal. "Vamos a jamear" means let's go eat seriously. Comes from "jama" (food) turned into a verb. Used without ceremony, casually: when someone proposes jamear, it's understood as a full meal with pleasure, not a snack. A word that survives across several generations of Peruvians and Caribbeans.

An extremely attractive person, someone with a great physique. In Colombia and Venezuela, a 'cuero' is the ideal of physical beauty, they possess a magnetic, almost irresistible charm.

A big talker, someone who brags and exaggerates their stories beyond all recognition. In Venezuela a jablador is all talk, their mouth writes checks their life can't cash.

To do a job sloppily, incompetently, or without the skill needed to do it right. In Mexico and Central America, chambonear is the verb for the clumsy execution that produces work everyone has to fix afterwards.

A home run in baseball, the most exciting hit in the game, when the ball sails out of the park and the batter rounds all the bases in pure celebration. It's the adapted Spanish spelling used across Latin America's baseball-loving nations.

A hard hit, a heavy blow, or a solid impact that really hurts. In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, it's the standard word for getting smacked hard.

To blackmail someone, manipulating them by threatening to reveal damaging information unless they comply. Chantajear goes beyond ordinary pressure; it's calculated leverage, the dark art of weaponizing someone's secrets against them.

The vibe of provocative, sensual dancing that defines reggaeton nightlife, especially in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It's that whole atmosphere where the music takes over, people dance close and uninhibited, and the perreo goes all night. Think of it as the noun for the entire party mood, not just one dance.

To dance with intense sensuality and zero inhibitions, typically to reggaeton or urban music. Born in Puerto Rico and now part of Latin culture worldwide, perrear intenso is the defining dance style of the genre: close, rhythmic, and completely unapologetic.

A small neighborhood shop in Venezuela and the Caribbean where you find basic products and a bit of everything. It's more than a store, it's the neighborhood meeting point where you catch up on local news.

An affectionate way to address a close friend in Mexico, short for 'hermano' (brother). It's the casual, warm greeting you use with your inner circle.

A large, thick fruit that's cooked fried, roasted, in mole, or in slices across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. It's not a banana: plátano is for cooking, banana is for eating raw, and that difference is sacred.