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Travel Tales from Argentina and South America
Argentina is home to some of the most impressive natural wonders in the world including Iguazu Falls and Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia. But one of the real wonders of Argentina is the Spanish. The Argentines are famous for their Rio-Platense dialect of Spanish and the accent is unmistakable, and quite distinct from their distant cousins in Spain or Mexico. The Argentines are constantly reinventing the language and many of the words that they use are completely different from what you might hear in other Spanish speaking countries. For example, in Costa Rica you might like to go swimming at the “piscina”, whereas here in Argentina, you go to the “pileta”.
To avoid getting completely lost in a conversation, it’s good to know some of the more popular slang that is unique to Argentine Spanish. Here are some Argentina Spanish tips.
che – – – -> hey (used all the time in casual conversation) bronca – – – -> anger una macana – – – -> a mistake bochinche – – – -> noise pibe – – – -> guy, kid piba – – – -> gal, kid (female) choto, chota – – – -> of very poor quality engrupir – – – -> to deceive laburar – – – -> to work rajar – – – -> to flee, to leave quickly afanar– – – -> to steal, to rob
Remember, Argentine food is delicious (especially the steaks), so when you dine in an Argentine restaurant, you’ll want to know how to order: The following Argentina Spanish tips will help you when eating out.
churrasco – – – -> steak chimichurri – – – -> steak marinade made from parsley and garlic milanesa – – – -> breaded, pan-fried cutlets empanada – – – -> dumpling or turnover, Argentine-style fatay– – – -> spicy turnover chorizo– – – -> sausage fiambre– – – -> cold cuts fideos – – – -> noodles, pasta tallarines – – – -> spaghetti tuco – – – -> spaghetti sauce flan – – – -> Argentine egg custard arroz con leche – – – -> rice pudding vino tinto – – – -> red wine
If you visit one of the many local bakeries or pastry shops, these words will come in handy:
panadería – – – -> bakery confíteria – – – -> pastry shop (may also sell pizza & finger foods) pan francés – – – -> French bread torta – – – -> cake facturas – – – -> pastries medialunas – – – -> crescent rolls sandwiches de miga – – – -> finger or tea sandwiches alfajores – – – -> classic Argentine dessert (something like a soft, fancy, dipped and rolled sandwich cookie)
At a local grocery store, in a farmer’s market, or at a vegetable stand, you’ll find some products unique to Argentina. You’ll also see that some items are labeled differently than what you might be accustomed to. For example, “strawberry” is fresa in most Spanish-speaking countries. But in Buenos Aires and in most other regions of Argentina, it’s frutilla. Why? The truth is that nobody really knows exactly.
mate – – – -> a tea which is THE Argentine beverage dulce de leche – – – -> sweet caramel spread pan dulce – – – -> Italian-style fruitcake caramelos – – – -> candy, sweets el ananá – – – -> pineapple el pomelo – – – -> grapefruit las arvejas – – – -> peas las frutillas – – – -> strawberries el durazno – – – -> peach los porotos – – – -> beans
Here are several more Argentina Spanish tips that you may find useful while traveling in Argentina:
la bañadera – – – -> bathtub la pileta – – – -> sink, or swimming pool la heladera – – – -> refrigerator un mozo – – – -> a waiter el boliche – – – -> bar, nightclub el carrito – – – -> food cart el auto – – – -> car la nafta – – – -> gasoline manejar – – – -> to drive el micro – – – -> bus
To find out more Argentina Spanish tips and interesting facts about Argentina culture, check out more of our blog. And when you are ready to travel in Argentina, contact Say Hueque Tours in Argentina. We specialize in independent trips through Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Patagonia, Mendoza, Salta and to nearby Chile, Brazil and Bolivia too.
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