Every Spanish speaking country speaks a slightly different version of Spanish.
Argentina has so much slang, that they actually have their own word for it: lunfardo. Even native Spanish speakers can be thrown off by the local jargon. Here are five slang words you are bound to hear in Argentina.
Amigovio/a
This word is a combination of amigo (friend) and novio/a (boyfriend/girlfriend). This term basically translates to “friends with benefits.” This word will pop up a lot in conversations concerning relationships and dating. For example “Why does she go to Uruguay every weekend?” “She is visiting her amigovio.”
Mango
Mango literally refers to the fruit, but in slang terms, it can also mean “peso” or money. For example, “I paid 60 mangos for a terrible dinner!”
Joya
Joya means jewel, but it is often used as a filler word that can mean “brilliant” “awesome” and/or “fantastic” For example, “Did you get that report finished?” “Yes, I put it on your desk this morning.” “Joya!”
A full
This Spanglish phrase is used to convey intensity or enthusiastic action. For example, “Wow, she is really focused, she’s working a full.”
–ón
Adding “ón” to the end of words can mean a larger size, or an exagerated effect. For example, the word “tema” can mean “song” so a temón is a hit song. This also works with verbs. For example, the word “gastar” means “to spend” so a gastón is someone who spends a lot of money.
This is just a quick look at five fun slang terms used in Argentina. Take a trip there and see what others you can discover.