A penalty kick in soccer, awarded when a foul happens inside the box. The most nerve-wracking moment in any match, where the entire stadium goes dead silent before the kicker steps up.

A Venezuelan word for a snobby, pretentious person from the upper class who treats others with open contempt. The sifrino doesn't just think they're better, they make sure you feel it every time they're around.

To send text messages or chat with someone constantly. An anglicism from the English 'text' that became a verb in Spanish and is used all across Latin America.

An extremely fussy, nitpicky person who obsesses over tiny details and complains about everything. Used in Colombia and Venezuela, a "tiquismiquis" is the person who sends back perfectly good food over a minor issue, or rewrites a message twelve times because one comma feels off.

Moving at full speed, blowing past like a gust of wind. In Colombia and Venezuela, soplado describes someone or something that goes by so fast there is barely time to react. From "soplar," to blow.

The energy, feeling, or atmosphere a person, place, or situation gives off immediately. When something has good vibes you feel great without knowing why; when it has bad vibes you want to run.

A person who seems to have no personality of their own, just repeats what everyone says and acts like a background character in a video game. Zero originality, zero opinions, they just exist to fill space.

Penis, a vulgar but common term in Colombia and Venezuela. Used both literally and as a general intensifier to express surprise, anger or disbelief.

Pajamas or sleepwear in Venezuela. When your Venezuelan mom tells you to put on your mono, it's bedtime and there's no negotiating.

To have it in for someone, to carry a grudge or strong dislike that settled in early on and simply will not go away. You cannot always explain where it started, but something about that person just rubs you the wrong way from day one. Used across Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela.

An own goal in soccer, when a player accidentally scores against their own team, the worst possible moment in a match. Beyond the field, autogol is used figuratively to describe any situation where someone sabotages themselves, like sending an angry text to the wrong person or accidentally CC'ing your boss on gossip.

A close friend, a trusted buddy you can count on for anything in Venezuela and Ecuador. It's the most common and affectionate way to refer to your people, that inner circle who are basically family.

To figure it out, to hustle and make money or solve a problem with whatever you have on hand and pure creativity. It's the verb of Latin survival: when there are no resources, there's ingenuity.

A nerdy, super studious, or overly well-behaved person who prefers books over parties. In Mexico and Colombia it can be either teasing or affectionate depending on the tone.

In Colombia and Venezuela, a vulgar slang term for male masturbation used informally among guys. Everywhere else in the Spanish-speaking world "chaqueta" just means jacket, so context is everything.

Sandals or flip-flops, that open, informal footwear you wear at home, the beach, or when you just can't be bothered to dress up. They're absolute foot freedom and the official weekend uniform.

To cancel someone, meaning to publicly reject and collectively withdraw support from a person because of something they said or did. This is the Spanish equivalent of cancel culture, a social media phenomenon where someone can lose massive public support overnight. Used across all Spanish-speaking countries, especially on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

Internet connection delay that causes stuttering, freezing, and jumps in video games or video calls. The gamer's invisible enemy that makes you die unfairly, and the most reliable excuse when you lose an online match.

To show off something with pride and a touch of swagger, making sure everyone sees and acknowledges it. In Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela, when you chulear something you are not being subtle: you want the recognition and you want it now.

An arrogant person who believes they're superior to everyone and makes sure to show it in every single interaction. In Colombia and Venezuela altanero speaks with condescension and looks down at whoever they consider beneath them.

To blow a deal right when it is almost sealed, sometimes through poor attitude, sometimes by letting a minor detail spiral out of control. Used in Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico for the business version of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The office brown-noser who systematically flatters whoever holds authority to get special treatment or avoid consequences. In Colombia and Venezuela the cepillo always has a compliment ready and would never contradict the boss.

A vulture or opportunistic person who takes advantage of others' misfortune to grab whatever they can. In Colombia and Venezuela the gallinazo always shows up when someone's in trouble to see what's there for the taking.

The pain of unrequited love or a broken heart that drives you to do crazy things. Despecho is the fuel behind the best ranchera, vallenato, and bachata songs ever written.

The US dollar, named after the green color of the bills. In Peru and Venezuela, lechuga is the street slang for American currency, the one everybody wants to have.

A street-smart, cunning person who knows how to navigate any situation and always comes out on top. In Venezuela, a pájaro bravo knows every trick in the book and always lands on their feet.

To cheat on your partner. Used across Spain and Latin America, the "cuernos" (horns) imagery comes from an old European tradition where a betrayed husband was said to grow horns. The betrayal rarely stays secret for long and almost always ends up as the group chat's main topic for weeks.

To give up, to quit trying because you've run out of strength and motivation to keep fighting. It comes from boxing, where the trainer literally threw in the towel to save their fighter from more damage.

Something unexpected, out of nowhere, with no apparent reason. An English loanword adopted across the entire Spanish-speaking world, especially among young people on social media.

A shameless person who says or does whatever they want without any pudor or concern for how it looks. In Colombia and Venezuela the descarado doesn't care, what others wouldn't dare, they do without a second thought.