Peruvian Spanish Vocabulary Words

Front 1

anticucho

Back 1

typical food consisting almost always of grilled chicken or cow heart.

Front 2

disforzarse

Back 2

to be anxious

Front 3

calato

Back 3

nude

Front 4

chicotazo

Back 4

whiplash

Front 5

fresco/a (or conchudo/a)

Back 5

shameless person

Front 6

fregar (or joder)

Back 6

to bother, to ruin

Front 7

gallinazo

Back 7

a turkey buzzard or black-headed vulture. Scavenger bird of Perú.

Front 8

garúa

Back 8

tenuous rain

Front 9

guachimán

Back 9

adaptation of the English word watchman

Front 10

huachafo

Back 10

ridiculous, gaudy

Front 11

huásca

Back 11

being drunk

Front 12

alucina

Back 12

can you believe it?

Front 13

jarana

Back 13

party with folk music

Front 14

juerga

Back 14

party

Front 15

óvalo

Back 15

Traffic circle

Front 16

panteón

Back 16

cemetery

Front 17

penar

Back 17

haunted

Front 18

pericote

Back 18

mouse

Front 19

poto

Back 19

buttocks

Front 20

zamparse

Back 20

to break into a place (as in a waiting line, or crashing a party), or to get drunk

Front 21

aguantar

Back 21

to wait, to resist

Front 22

combi

Back 22

small public transport van (ex. Toyota Hiace)

Front 23

chibolo/a

Back 23

child, adolescent (despective if the person is older)

Front 24

paltearse

Back 24

to be scared or confused, coming from the word for avocado(palta)

Front 25

pata

Back 25

male friend, guy

Front 26

pollada

Back 26

party where cheap food and drink is served in order to make money

Front 27

el agua mineral

Back 27

Mineral water, often carbonated even if it doesn't say so on the bottle

Front 28

los antojitos

Back 28

Marinated and then fried or barbecued pieces of beef heart are very popular

Front 29

¡Buen día!

Back 29

The singular form of buenos dìas is often used for "good morning" or "good day."

Front 30

la cabina Internet

Back 30

A computer and desk or table set up in a booth for Internet use, payable by the hour. Many of them are occupied by teenage girls enjoying chatear (chatting).

Front 31

el ceviche (often spelled cebiche)

Back 31

Marinated seafood

Front 32

la chifa

Back 32

A Chinese restaurant. You'll find them all over Peru.

Front 33

criolla or a la criolla

Back 33

"Creole" or other types of spicy food.

Front 34

el cuy

Back 34

A large guinea pig.

Front 35

el hostal

Back 35

A common term for "hotel." A hostel is often referred to as un albergue.

Front 36

Inca Kola

Back 36

A ubiquitous brand of soft drink that is extremely sweet and tastes something like bubble gum.

Front 37

el lomo saltado

Back 37

Chopped meat fried with onions, tomatoes and potatoes.

Front 38

el menú

Back 38

This term often refers to a daily lunch special, similar to the term comida corrida in Mexican or Chilean Spanish. If you'd like a menu, ask for la carta.

Front 39

peruano, peruana

Back 39

Peruvian

Front 40

el quechua

Back 40

The second language of Peru, used most in the Andes outside large cities.

Front 41

el servicio

Back 41

The most common word for a toilet room, although baño and W.C. also are used.

Front 42

el sol

Back 42

The Peruvian unit of currency, equal (as of August 2000) to about 28 cents U.S. A hundred centimos equals a sol.

Front 43

la trucha

Back 43

Trout

Front 44

bacán

Back 44

‘Cool!’ or ‘Great!’

Front 45

chévere

Back 45

used in the same way as ‘bacán’, to express delight or a positive opinion.

Front 46

piña

Back 46

literally ‘pineapple’, it is used to express bad luck or misfortune

Front 47

luca

Back 47

listen out for this when shopping. Peruvian slang for one Peruvian Nuevo Sol, the currency of Peru. It can be used to refer to any amount of money.

Front 48

bamba

Back 48

another good one for the shops, signifying a fake or imitation product. Also used for describing fake currency.

Front 49

chamba

Back 49

work’ or ‘job’. Is also used as ‘chambear’, ‘to work’.

Front 50

por las puras

Back 50

an expression often used to describe an action without worth, when doing something ‘for nothing’.

Front 51

al toque

Back 51

signifying that the speaker will do something ‘right away’. A pleasant change from the typical answer of ‘mañana’ or ‘tomorrow’

Front 52

pichanga

Back 52

an informal soccer kick around played amongst friends.

Front 53

chato

Back 53

a short person, often used endearingly or humorously, sometimes as a nickname. Can also be used as a mild insult.

Front 54

chibolo (or chibola)

Back 54

Chibolo (or chibola)

Front 55

chibolero

Back 55

Peruvian slang for a man who dates girls much younger than himself (‘chibolas’).

Front 56

chino

Back 56

literally ‘chinese’, but used to refer to any person descending from Asia. Not usually deemed as offensive.

Front 57

flaco (or flaca)

Back 57

literally used for a thin person. The female form ‘flaca’ is often used to refer to a man’s girlfriend.

Front 58

fumón

Back 58

from the verb ‘fumar’ (to smoke), signifies a heavy smoker or a pothead/stoner.

Front 59

pendejo

Back 59

a sly, sharp man who is usually a womanizer with many conquests.