Intercambio hispano
5,700 Spanish Slang Words: The Secret Map of How Each Country Speaks
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Add a word/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
To take or grab something with your hand, a completely innocent verb in Spain. The catch is that in Latin America it means to have sex, making it one of the most hilariously awkward language traps for travelers.
Examples
“Can you grab the bus here?”
“Grab two plates from the cupboard, please.”
Regional synonyms
/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
To have sex. In most of Latin America "coger" is the most direct colloquial verb for the sexual act. Important cultural note: in Spain "coger" is completely innocent and just means "to grab or take," so mixing up registers between regions causes more than a few awkward moments.
Examples
“Those two hooked up at the party and everyone found out.”
“In Mexico "coger" does not mean the same thing as in Spain, so watch out for that one.”
/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
In Spain, a completely neutral word meaning to grab, take, or use something. The same word carries an explicit sexual meaning in virtually all Latin American countries, which creates frequent and memorable misunderstandings between speakers from different regions.
Examples
“Coge el autobús de las diez si no quieres llegar tarde.”
“Take the ten o'clock bus if you don't want to be late.”
“Coge ese bolígrafo y firma aquí, por favor.”
“Grab that pen and sign here, please.”
Regional synonyms
/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
To have sex in Latin America. It's one of the words that causes the most misunderstandings between Spaniards and Latin Americans, because the meaning is completely sexual.
Examples
“Are those two cogiendo? I can't believe it.”
“Don't say coger in Spain if you mean this, they'll laugh at you.”
Showing 4 definitions, sorted by votes
Community
Your word isn't here yet
Join Hablaaa and add the expression no one else has documented.
/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
To take or grab something with your hand, a completely innocent verb in Spain. The catch is that in Latin America it means to have sex, making it one of the most hilariously awkward language traps for travelers.
Examples
“Can you grab the bus here?”
“Grab two plates from the cupboard, please.”
Regional synonyms
/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
To have sex. In most of Latin America "coger" is the most direct colloquial verb for the sexual act. Important cultural note: in Spain "coger" is completely innocent and just means "to grab or take," so mixing up registers between regions causes more than a few awkward moments.
Examples
“Those two hooked up at the party and everyone found out.”
“In Mexico "coger" does not mean the same thing as in Spain, so watch out for that one.”
/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
In Spain, a completely neutral word meaning to grab, take, or use something. The same word carries an explicit sexual meaning in virtually all Latin American countries, which creates frequent and memorable misunderstandings between speakers from different regions.
Examples
“Coge el autobús de las diez si no quieres llegar tarde.”
“Take the ten o'clock bus if you don't want to be late.”
“Coge ese bolígrafo y firma aquí, por favor.”
“Grab that pen and sign here, please.”
Regional synonyms
/Sounds like "koh" (as in "coat") + "HEHR" (as in "help")/
Meaning
To have sex in Latin America. It's one of the words that causes the most misunderstandings between Spaniards and Latin Americans, because the meaning is completely sexual.
Examples
“Are those two cogiendo? I can't believe it.”
“Don't say coger in Spain if you mean this, they'll laugh at you.”
Showing 4 definitions, sorted by votes
Articles featuring this word
Tener el santo de espaldas
When nothing goes your way and it feels like the universe has a personal grudge against you. In Mexico and Spain, the image is religious: your patron saint has literally turned their back on you, leaving you to fend for yourself against an endless streak of bad luck.