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/Sounds like "ah" (as in "art") + "chah" (as in "chat") + "CHYE"/

Meaning

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.

Examples

Brr! How do you shower with ice-cold water that early?

Achachay, it is seriously freezing in Quito today.

Regional synonyms

/Sounds like "ah" (as in "art") + "chah" (as in "chat") + "CHYE"/

Meaning

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.

Examples

Brrr! It's freezing, close the window!

It's so cold up in the mountains, I can't feel my fingers.

Word family
Regional synonyms

Showing 2 definitions, sorted by votes

A thick blanket for protection against the cold in Argentina, Chile, and Peru. The southern blanket that wraps you up when the temperature drops suddenly and you don't want to leave bed for anything in the world.