In this article, I will discuss Spanish slang terms, words, and phrases from colloquial Spanish. The following is an entry I made on my personal account in June 2006:

I recently read an online review of a book for learning Spanish in which a reviewer praised the book because it did a great job of covering “real” or colloquial Spanish. And his definition of “real” Spanish is the Spanish spoken among family members, very close friends, lovers, and the Spanish spoken in the streets, clubs or discos, bars, cafes, and Latin American “novelas.”

And that review got me thinking. As I was sitting in my home office in deep thought, I heard the phone ring in the next room. My son answered the phone, “hi,” and, apparently speaking to one of his friends, he continued, “hey, what’s up?”

Which was weird for him because he usually says a phrase that sounds more like “s’ up” or just “what’s up?” when he talks to one of his friends.

And the more I thought about it, after answering “hello”, I’d probably follow up with a “hey, what’s up?” after realizing that he is a close friend on the line.

I’ve never taken an English learning course, but I think the dialogues to answer the phone don’t include phrases like “hey, what’s up?

Interestingly, most of the time when I listen to Spanish speakers on the phone, I hear them ask “What’s up?” (What’s up?) and “What are you doing?” (what are you doing?).

But I have never heard those phrases in the dialogues of the countless Spanish learning courses I have purchased.

And as much as I hear native Spanish speakers substitute “mano” for “hermano”, “mijo” for “mi hjo” in everyday conversations, I’ve never heard this in a Spanish learning course.

So I’ve decided to make a list of Spanish slang terms, words, and phrases from colloquial Spanish.

1. What wave? (What’s happening?)
2. What do you do? (what are you doing?).
3. What’s up? (what’s happening?).
4. Hand – abbreviation for “brother” (brother)
5. Mijo – short for “mi hjo” (my son)