Boludo
Argentine Slang: 30+ Words and Phrases You Need to Know
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Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
Gray or white hairs that come with age. Getting canas young is no longer a big deal, and many people wear them as a badge of character rather than something to hide. Common across Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile.
Examples
“He got a ton of gray hairs from work stress.”
“She has gray hair but still looks young.”
Regional synonyms
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A small glass of draft beer served at bars and terraces all across Spain. Ordering a caña is probably the most basic and sacred social act in Spanish life, the after work ritual that brings everyone together. "Ir de cañas" means going bar hopping for beers with friends or coworkers.
Examples
“Give me a small beer and a tortilla tapa, please.”
“Going for beers after work is a tradition in Spain.”
Word family
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A hangover, the miserable morning after drinking too much alcohol. In Chile and Spain, "tener caña" means you're suffering from headaches, nausea, and deep regret, that awful feeling that makes you swear you'll never drink again, until next weekend.
Examples
“I have a terrible hangover, I shouldn't have drunk so much.”
“Sunday's hangover was so bad I didn't leave bed all day.”
Anonymous
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A hangover in Chile, the inevitable and miserable consequence of having drunk everything at the bar the night before. When your body makes you pay for the excess with headaches, nausea, and pure regret that lasts until at least mid afternoon.
Examples
“Today's hangover is one of the worst I've ever had.”
“You're hungover, that's why you're so quiet.”
Regional synonyms
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A distilled sugarcane spirit, the local equivalent of aguardiente, widely consumed in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru. Drunk straight, mixed with water, or used as the base for traditional cocktails in the region. Rough around the edges and deeply tied to local drinking culture.
Examples
“They poured sugarcane liquor at the end of dinner and the conversation stretched well into the night.”
“A small glass of warm cana is the classic remedy for the cold in those parts.”
Regional synonyms
0
Cana
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nah" (as in "nacho")/
Meaning
The police or jail in Argentina and Uruguay, depending on the context. "Vino la cana" means the cops showed up and ruined everything, while "estar en cana" means being locked up in prison. It's everyday street slang that everyone uses regardless of social class.
Examples
“The cops showed up and all hell broke loose.”
“They threw him in jail for stealing a phone, what an idiot.”
Word family
Regional synonyms
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
In Spain, a small draft beer served at a bar. Ordering "unas cañas" is the go-to social plan at any hour in any city: after work, before lunch, during a game. Cold, cheap, and universally loved.
Examples
“¿Salimos a tomar unas cañas después del trabajo?”
“Want to go grab some beers after work?”
“Pon dos cañas bien frías, que con este calor no hay nada mejor.”
“Get us two ice cold draft beers, nothing beats it in this heat.”
Word family
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
Jail or prison in Argentine and Uruguayan lunfardo slang. Also refers to the act of being arrested. "Caer en cana" means to get caught and end up behind bars, a completely standard expression in River Plate street language.
Examples
“He got caught stealing and ended up in jail that same night.”
“He has been doing time for three years over that robbery.”
Regional synonyms
Showing 8 definitions, sorted by votes
Community
Your word isn't here yet
Join Hablaaa and add the expression no one else has documented.
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
Gray or white hairs that come with age. Getting canas young is no longer a big deal, and many people wear them as a badge of character rather than something to hide. Common across Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile.
Examples
“He got a ton of gray hairs from work stress.”
“She has gray hair but still looks young.”
Regional synonyms
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A small glass of draft beer served at bars and terraces all across Spain. Ordering a caña is probably the most basic and sacred social act in Spanish life, the after work ritual that brings everyone together. "Ir de cañas" means going bar hopping for beers with friends or coworkers.
Examples
“Give me a small beer and a tortilla tapa, please.”
“Going for beers after work is a tradition in Spain.”
Word family
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A hangover, the miserable morning after drinking too much alcohol. In Chile and Spain, "tener caña" means you're suffering from headaches, nausea, and deep regret, that awful feeling that makes you swear you'll never drink again, until next weekend.
Examples
“I have a terrible hangover, I shouldn't have drunk so much.”
“Sunday's hangover was so bad I didn't leave bed all day.”
Anonymous
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A hangover in Chile, the inevitable and miserable consequence of having drunk everything at the bar the night before. When your body makes you pay for the excess with headaches, nausea, and pure regret that lasts until at least mid afternoon.
Examples
“Today's hangover is one of the worst I've ever had.”
“You're hungover, that's why you're so quiet.”
Regional synonyms
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
A distilled sugarcane spirit, the local equivalent of aguardiente, widely consumed in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru. Drunk straight, mixed with water, or used as the base for traditional cocktails in the region. Rough around the edges and deeply tied to local drinking culture.
Examples
“They poured sugarcane liquor at the end of dinner and the conversation stretched well into the night.”
“A small glass of warm cana is the classic remedy for the cold in those parts.”
Regional synonyms
0
Cana
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nah" (as in "nacho")/
Meaning
The police or jail in Argentina and Uruguay, depending on the context. "Vino la cana" means the cops showed up and ruined everything, while "estar en cana" means being locked up in prison. It's everyday street slang that everyone uses regardless of social class.
Examples
“The cops showed up and all hell broke loose.”
“They threw him in jail for stealing a phone, what an idiot.”
Word family
Regional synonyms
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
In Spain, a small draft beer served at a bar. Ordering "unas cañas" is the go-to social plan at any hour in any city: after work, before lunch, during a game. Cold, cheap, and universally loved.
Examples
“¿Salimos a tomar unas cañas después del trabajo?”
“Want to go grab some beers after work?”
“Pon dos cañas bien frías, que con este calor no hay nada mejor.”
“Get us two ice cold draft beers, nothing beats it in this heat.”
Word family
0
Caña
/Sounds like "KAH" (as in "car") + "nyah" (as in "Nyan")/
Meaning
Jail or prison in Argentine and Uruguayan lunfardo slang. Also refers to the act of being arrested. "Caer en cana" means to get caught and end up behind bars, a completely standard expression in River Plate street language.
Examples
“He got caught stealing and ended up in jail that same night.”
“He has been doing time for three years over that robbery.”
Regional synonyms
Showing 8 definitions, sorted by votes
Articles featuring this word
Novela
+5
A dramatic situation that has spiraled into full soap opera territory, with impossible conflicts and unexpected plot twists. Used in Mexico and Central America. When someone says "esto ya se volvió novela," the situation has gone from a normal life problem to something with betrayals, secret revelations, and scenes that belong on primetime TV.