Venezuelan Spanish

Venezuelan Spanish
Castellano venezolano
Pronunciation	[kasteˈʝanoβenesoˈlano]
Native to	Venezuela
Native speakers	29,794,000 in Venezuela, all users (2014) L1 users: 29,100,000 (2013) L2 users: 694,000 (2013)
Language family	Indo-European Italic Latino-Faliscan Romance Western Ibero-Romance West Iberian Castilian Spanish Venezuelan Spanish
Early forms	Old Latin Classical Latin Vulgar Latin Old Spanish Early Modern Spanish
Dialects	Amazonian Llanero Andino Western Eastern Isleño Costeño Zuliano/Maracucho Central Oriental Trinidadian
Writing system	Latin(Spanish alphabet)
Official status
Official language in	Venezuela
Regulated by	Academia Venezolana de la Lengua
Language codes
ISO 639-1	es
ISO 639-2	spa
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	None
IETF	es-VE
Kinds of Spanish spoken in Venezuela.

Venezuelan Spanish(castellano venezolanoorespañol venezolano) refers to theSpanishspoken inVenezuela.

Spanish was introduced in Venezuela bycolonists.Most of them were fromGalicia,Basque Country,Andalusia,or theCanary Islands.The last has been the most fundamental influence on modern Venezuelan Spanish, andCanarianand Venezuelan accents may even be indistinguishable to other Spanish-speakers.

ItalianandPortugueseimmigrants from the late 19th and the early 20th century have also had an influence; they influenced vocabulary and its accent, given its slight sing-songy intonation, likeRioplatense Spanish.German settlers also left an influence when Venezuela was contracted as a concession by the King of Spain to the German Welser banking family (Klein-Venedig,1528–1546).

The Spaniards additionally broughtAfricanslaves,which is the origin of expressions such aschévere( "excellent" ), which comes fromYorubaché egberi.Other non-Romance words came fromindigenouslanguages, such asguayoyo(a type ofcoffee) andcaraota(black bean).

Features

• Venezuelan Spanish sometimes shortens words, such aspara( "for" ) topa'.In addition,/d/between vowels is sometimes dropped (elision):helado( "ice cream" ) becomes[eˈlao].Originally from southern Spain and the Canary Islands, those traits are common to many other Spanish variations and in the Caribbean.
• Another common feature is the debuccalization of syllable-final/s/,wherebyadiós( "goodbye" ) becomes[aˈðjoh]andeste( "east" ) becomes[ˈehte].It is common to most coastal areas in America, theCanary Islands,and the southern half ofSpain.
• Syllable-final/n/undergoes velarisation. This may also happen before bilabials and alveolars instead of assimilation:ambientación/aNbjeNtaˈsjoN/( "atmosphere" ) becomes[aŋbjeŋtaˈsjoŋ]or[ambjentaˈsjoŋ].
• Also like most other American versions of Spanish, Venezuelan Spanish hasyeísmo(the merger of/ʎ/and/ʝ/) andseseo(/θ/and/s/are merged). That is,calló( "s/he became silent" ) andcayó( "s/he fell" ) are homophones, andcasa( "house" ) is homophonous withcaza( "hunt" ).Seseois common to all of America, the Canary Islands, and southern Spain, andyeísmois prevalent in most Spanish dialects.
• The phoneme/x/is realized as glottal[h]in theVenezuelan Caribbeanand largest area of Venezuela, like in El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuadorian coast, Spanish Caribbean islands, Canary Islands, and southern Spain and sometimes in Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
• A characteristic common to Spanish in Venezuela, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Costa Rica is the use of thediminutive-icoand-ica,instead of the standard-itoand-itain words with-tin the last syllable:rata( "rat" ) becomesratica( "little rat" ). Another noteworthy diminutive is "manito," instead of the more common "manita."
• The second-person singular informal pronoun is usuallytú,as in most of the rest of Latin America and in Spain. That is referred to astuteo.However, inZuliaand some parts ofFalcónandTrujillo,it is common to findvoseo,the use ofvosinstead oftú.That phenomenon is present in many other Latin American variations (notablyCentral American SpanishandRioplatense), but Zulianvoseoisdiptongado:conjugation preserves thediphthongsof the historicalvosconjugation, which have hadmonophthongizationin Rioplatense. The Zulian forms are thus the same as those in Spain for the second-person pluralvosotros): instead oftú eres, tú estás,Zulian hasvos sois, vos estáis(compare with the plural forms in Spainvosotros sois,vosotros estáis,and with Rioplatense forms,vos sos,vos estás). Another exception totuteoin Venezuela is the use of the second-person singular formal pronounustedinterchangeably withtúin informal speech, unique to the states ofMérida,TáchiraandTrujillo.As in most of the rest of the Americas, the only plural form of the second person isustedes.
• The wordvainais used with a variety of meanings (such as "shame," "thing or topic," or "pity" ) and is often an interjection or a nonsensical filler, however is considered a rude word and should be avoided in formal conversation.
• Venezuelan Spanish has a lot ofItalianisms,Gallicisms,Germanisms,andAnglicisms.

Regional variations

There are several subdialects of Venezuelan Spanish:

• TheAndeandialect, particularly in the state of Táchira, near the Colombian border, is characterized by a nonaspirated pronunciation of 's', and use ofustedinstead oftúeven in informal contexts. Another variant, in the states of Mérida and Trujillo, still usesustedinstead oftú,but has the aspirated pronunciation of/s/as avoiceless alveolar retracted sibilant[s̺],also called apico-alveolar or grave, between[s]and[ʃ].That phonetic trait, unique in the Americas, is from the large number of northern Spanish settlers in Andean Venezuela.
• TheCentraldialect, a characteristic marked accent whose use is very common in cities likeCaracas,La Guaira,Los Teques,MaracayandValencia.This dialect is the basis of standard Spanish of Venezuela.
• The Guaro orLarensedialect, spoken initially inBarquisimeto,Cabudare,El TocuyoandQuíbor,spread throughout the state of Lara and otherCentral-Westernstates. In it, the older Spanish verbal inflections-ades,-edes,-odeshave become-ás,-és,and-ós: ""vos cantáis", "vos coméis", "vos sois."
• TheLlanero(plainsman) dialect is spoken in the Venezuelan plains,Los Llanos.One of its characteristics is a considerable aboriginal lexicon, a product of the fusion of Spanish with Indigenous languages.
• TheMargaritandialect (oriental), spoken inIsla Margaritaand the northeast of mainland Venezuela. The Margaritan dialect sometimes has an interdental for pre-vowel 's', and uses a strong 'r' instead of 'l' for most words.

The Venezuelan dialect influences ofPatoisof Trinidad andPapiamento,the language spoken and taught most inAruba,Bonaire,andCuraçao.

• TheZulianin the northwest of the country, also calledmaracuchoormarabino,usesvoseo.

Lexical influences

Native influence

Venezuelan Spanish, like that of the rest of Spanish America and Castilian in general, has taken many words fromindigenous languages.

Some examples:

• Arepa(fromCariban).
• Auyama(fromArawakan).
• Budare(fromCariban).
• Casabe(fromCariban).
• Chinchorro(fromChaima).
• Conuco(fromTaíno).
• Ocumo(fromArawakan).
• Onoto(fromanoto,word fromTamanaku).
• Totuma(fromChaima)

Common words

Sign written inEuropean Spanish"Dejad que los niños vengan a Mí" (Let the children come to me) Hogar Clínica San Rafael,Zulia,Venezuela

• A mamar que llegó Tío Rico.= v. Eat up, it's your lucky day (lit: "Tío Rico -a very popular ice cream brand- has arrived" )
• Achantado(a)= adj. (orachanta'o/achantá) A person of slow thought or slow reasoning. Someone passive, or lacking seduction skills.
• Achicopalarse= v. To become sad or depressed.
• Agarrado(a)= adj. Selfish. Seepichirre.
• Agüevoneado(a)= adj. (oragüevonea'o/agüevonea'a). To be thinking slowly or with poor reasoning, being a sucker. "Ando agüevonia'o" (I didn't get that / I feel like a sucker). Profane.
• Ajá= filler word, used when someone feels ashamed or bothered. "Me volverion a echar del colegio, y ajá, estoy fuera." I was kicked out of school again, and, yeah, I'm out.
• Alborotado(a)= adj. To be excited or in a frenzy.
• Alzado(a)= adj. (oralza'o/alzá) Rebellious, haughty, insurgent. Lit. Lifted, raised.
• Amapuche= n. A passionate demonstration of affection. A warm hug.
• Amuñuñar= v. To tightly yet disorderly put things together.
• Apapacho= n. A hug.
• Arepa= n. Armpit sweat marks. In baseball it also means a score of zero. Lit.Arepa.
• Arrapado= adj. Sexually aroused (profane).
• Arrecharse= v. To get angry (profane).
• Arrecho(a)= adj. Superlative attribute for an object or situation, namely extremely good, bad or difficult (profane). There are differences if someone is arrecho(a) for a finite period of time (to be angry) or if someone is arrecho(a) all the time (has a difficult character or personality). On the other hand, if something is arrecho, it is very good. "Qué arrecha estuvo la fiesta" (the party was awesome). It also has a superlative, "arrechísimo" (extremely good, bad or angry, depending on the context).
• Arrecochinar= v. To gather people disorderly in a small space.
• Arrocear= v. To turn up at a party without being invited.
• Arrocero(a)= n. Party crasher.
• Asaltacunas= n. Someone who likes to date or have sex with people who are significantly younger (+6 years age difference. May include people under legal age). Similar terms in English would be "Manther" (for men) or "Cougar (for women). Lit." Cradle-robber "or" cradle-snatcher ".
• Asaltamecedoras= n. Opposite of the term above. Lit. "Rocker-robber" or "rocker-snatcher" (referring to aRocking chair)
• Baba= n. A baby/young alligator, caiman, or crocodile. Lit. Saliva.
• Baboso(a)= n. A person who flirts inappropriately.
• Bachaco= n. A blond or redhead mulatto. Lit.Leafcutter ant.
• Bajarse de la mula= exp. To pay for something. To be demanded for money. To be robbed. Lit. "To get off the mule".
• Bájate de esa mata e' coco= exp. "Get your head out of the clouds". To get real. To focus and stop daydreaming. Lit. "Get off that coconut tree."
• Bala fría= n. Junk food. A quick snack. Lit. "Cold bullet".
• Balurdo(a)= adj. or n. (from FrenchBalourd) An awkward or ridiculous person. A low-class person or behavior. Seechimbo
• Barrio= n. Poor neighborhood. Often built upwards on hillsides, they are a distinct and noticeable feature of the landscape in large cities in Venezuela.
• Barquilla= n. Ice cream cone.
• Becerro(a)= n. A goofy person. A moron (insult). Lit. Calf (animal). Example: "Sí eres becerro" = You're such a moron.
• Beta= n. A problematic or otherwise interesting situation. For instance: "When we were at the partyse armó un betaand the police arrived ".
• Bicha= adj. A girl/woman of bitchy behavior, foxy lady, vixen. Used as a noun, it can also mean a firearm, mostly a pistol.
• Birra= n. Beer.
• Biyuyo= n. Money. Seechurupoandreal.
• Bochinche= n. A gathering or noisy party. Disorder, chaos, but usually in a funny way. Seejodedera.
• Boleta= adj. To be indiscreet. Example: "No seas boleta" = Don't be indiscreet. Used when someone indiscreetly looks at another person, or imprudently listens to someone else's conversation. Also means a grade, mark, qualification. A description for some people who dress and talk in a marginal way. See Tuki, Tierrúo. Lit. Ticket, note.

Arepa is a typical Venezuelan dish

• Bolo= n. A single unit ofVenezuelan currency.Similar to calling the U.S. Dollar a "buck."
• Bolsa= n. (orBolsiclón) A moron. Lit. Bag.
• Broma= n. A thing. Example: "Sólo agarra esa broma y vámonos" = Just take that thing and let's go. Also, it can be used as a synonym (and a less "harsh" version) for "vaina" (Seevaina). Lit. Joke.
• Bucear= v. To ogle discreetly. To peep furtively. Lit. Toskin dive.
• Bululú= n. A fuss. A place in which there is a noisy crowd, and not always partying.
• Burda= adv. or adj. (superlative) Very much. Example: "Caminamos burda" = We walked a lot. "Ella es burda de linda" = She's very pretty.
• Buzo= n. Peeper. Lit. Diver. Seebucear.
• Cachapera= n. A lesbian (pejorative). Lit. Woman who makescachapas.
• Cacharro/a= n. Old, worn out vehicle. A piece of junk.
• Cachicamo= n. Armadillo.
• Cachúo(a)= adj. (orcachudo(a)) Someone who has been cheated on by his partner. InZulia,it means "horny" instead. (profane). Lit. With horns (Seecuckold.)
• Cacri= n. Amongrel(that usually is a stray dog as well). The term is a mix between "callejero" (stray) and "criollo" (seecriollo) and derives from the fact that there are a lot of stray dogs and mixed-breed dogs in Venezuela.
• Caerse a palos= exp. To engage in heavy drinking. To get drunk. To be beaten up. Lit. "To fall with sticks". See "palos" and "rumba de palos".
• Cagón(a)= adj. Coward or fearful person (profane). Lit. Shitter.
• Calarse= v. To tolerate something bad, to put up with something.
• Calientahuevo= adj. (orcalientagüevo) A person (usually female) that insinuates sexual interest but at the end doesn't do anything (profane).
• Caligüeva= n. Sluggishness, boredom (mildly profane).
• Cambur= n. A well remunerated job in government. Lit.Banana.
• Cambur y peo= A person that, usually pretending to know/be familiar with something, does not even try to accomplish his/her promises, a talker. Example: "¡Eres puro cambur y peo!". A plan/prospect that was meant to be taken seriously is never made reality (profane). Lit. "Banana and fart".
• Caña= n. Booze, an alcoholic drink. Also, it's often referred as "curda".
• Carajo(a)= n. Aperson(profane). Lit.Crow's nest.
• Carajazo= n. Seecoñazo(profane).
• Carajito(a)= n. A kid (sometimes pejorative. Profane). Diminutive of "carajo".
• Caraotas= n. Beans. In Venezuela,caraotasare black by default. Should beans be of a different color, the name of the color must be used. Example: "Caraotas blancas" = white beans, "Caraotas rojas" = red beans.
• Cartuchera= n. Apencil case.Lit. "Cartridge belt" or "cartridge box".
• Catire(a)= adj. or n. Generic for a beer. Also a nickname for theSun.Derived from the literal meaning of catire/catira as blond man/blonde woman.
• Caucho(s)= n. Generic for a vehicle tire or tires. Lit.Natural rubber.
• Cazón= n. Young shark. Lit.School shark.
• Chalequeo= n. Persistent taunt, mockery or bullying.
• Chalequear= v. To (continuously) mock or taunt someone for an indefinite period of time.
• Chamo(a)= n. Boy/girl. With suffix-ito:a kid; also means son or daughter. Venezuelans are well known among Spanish speakers for their love and constant use of this word, which is used repeatedly in the same fashion as the American slangdude.
• Chamba= n. Job.
• Chambearv. To work. If you're looking to sound more like a local, drop trabajar for chambear ahora mismo!
• Chao= exp. (from the Italian "ciao" ) To bid farewell, similar to "bye".
• Chaparro= n. Slang for penis. Seegüevoandpiripicho.Lit. Short person, shorty.
• Chévere= adj. Fine, cool, great. Also used to express agreement.
• Chencho(a)= n. SeeTierrúo(a).
• Chimo= n. Andean expression for chewing tobacco
• Chimbo(a)= adj. Lousy. Of low quality. Bootleg. Ill made. Fake. Uncool.
• Chino(a)= n. Andean expression
• Chinchorro= n. Ahammock.
• Chino(a)= n. Andean expression for a boy or girl, particularly in theTrujillo State.Lit.Chineseperson.
• Chiripiolca= n. When a person is restless, anxious or nervous. Mostly refers when someone suddenly get mad or crazy. Example: "Le dió la chiripiolca" = She/he gets crazy. FromEl Chavo del Ocho.
• Chivo= n. The boss, someone at a high position in an organization. Lit. Goat. Example: "El chivo que más mea" (The goat that pisses the most) = the most important person.
• Chulo= n. Person who lives from/takes advantage from others, often financially. Lit.Pimp.
• Chupichupi= n. (Alsochupi chupi) A water-based frozen snack in a plastic tube, afreezie.
• Chupón= n. Apacifier.Ahickey.Lit. Sucker.
• Churupo= n. Money.
• Chola= n./adj. Flip-flops/slippers. Accelerator pedal. Also means "speedy", for example: "Dale chola!" (Hurry up!) or "Yo iba demasiado chola" (I was going too fast). A popular radio personality in Venezuela has the nickname "Full Chola" (Speedy)
• Choro(a)= n. Thief, robber (pejorative).
• Cocoya= n. Vagina (profane). Seetotona.
• Cocuy= n. Liquor distilled from the fermented juices of the head, body or leaves of agav similar to Tequila typical of Falcon State
• Coger cola pa'l (para el) cielo= exp. To masturbate (only used for male masturbation. Profane). Lit. "Hitchhike to heaven".
• Cojeculo= n. Chaos, disaster, clusterfuck. A chaotic crowd in which anything can happen (profane). Seebululú.
• Conejo(a)= n. A naive person. Lit. Rabbit.
• Coñazo= n. A violent hit or strike (profane). It can also meana lot ofwhen used with the prepositionde.Example: "Había un coñazo de gente en la fiesta" (There were many people at the party).
• Coñito(a)= n. A kid (profane), mainly used in Zulia.
• ¡Coño!= exp. "Damn!" or "fuck!" (profane, widely used).
• Coño de madre= n. A rotten bastard. (profane). Lit. "Mother's cunt".
• ¡Coño de la madre!= exp. "Oh, my fucking God!", used to denote high frustration and anger (very profane). Lit. "Mother's cunt!"
• Compinche= n. Partner, friend, buddy. Seepana.
• Contorno= n. A side dish. From Italian.
• Coroto(s)= n. Stuff, belongings. Word derives fromJean-Baptiste-Camille Corot's last name.
• Costilla= n. Spouse or partner. An affectionate way of a person to refer to a very close friend. Lit. Rib.
• Cotorra= n. A lie. Seeembuste.Lit. Parrot. Chatterbox.
• Cotufas= n. Popcorn. Presumably derived from "corn to fry".
• Creerse la gran vaina= exp. To be arrogant. Example: "Ella se cree la gran vaina" = She's so full of herself.
• Criollo(a)= n. A local. A native of Venezuela. Something typically native. Lit. Creole.
• Cuaima= n. A very jealous/possessive and untrusting wife/girlfriend. Lit. Bushmaster (a kind of poisonous snake).
• Cuca= n. Vagina (profane). SeePepita.
• Cuchi= adj. Cute, nice, pretty.
• Culo= n. Booty. A young attractive person that one would usually date, go out with or have sex with (profane). Lit. Ass.
• Culillo= n. Much fear (mildly profane). Lit. Small ass.
• Curdo= adj. Drunk. Seerascado(a).
• Dar pao-pao= exp. To beat-up or spank someone. It's mostly used as a warning to disobedient or rude children.
• De pana= exp. Seriously. For real.
• De pinga= exp. Cool, superb, excellent. Seepepiado.
• Echarle bolas= exp. To put a lot of effort on something.
• Echarle los perros a alguien= exp. (orechar los perros) To flirt with someone. Lit. "To throw the dogs at someone".
• Echón(a)= adj. Arrogant.
• Embuste= n. A lie.
• Embustero(a)= n. A liar.
• Empate= n. Romantic relationship. Lit. Tie, draw.
• Encaletar= v. to hide something or to keep information to oneself in a particular sneaky way.
• Enchivarse= v. To borrow something, use hand-me-downs (usually clothes).
• Ennotado= adj. Seenota.
• Epa/Épale= exp. Hi or Hello (informal greeting; "What's up" ). Also used to express surprise. Close to the Lit. Hey.
• Estar cagado(a)= exp. To be scared (profane). Lit. "To be shitted".
• Estar empatado(a)= exp. To be in a relationship. Lit. "To be tied".
• Estar encarpado= exp. (Also as a verb;encarparse) To have an erection. Derives from "carpa" (tent). Equivalent of the expression "To pitch a tent".
• Enrollado= n. A very complicated person.
• Estar fregado(a)= exp. To be screwed. Lit. "To be scrubbed".
• Estar mosca= exp. To be alert. Lit. "To be a fly".
• Estar salado(a)= exp. To have bad luck. Lit. "To be salty".
• Fajado(a)= n. Someone who works pretty hard/much on something. Seefajarse.
• Fajarse= v. (orestar fajado(a)) To focus and work the hardest on something until getting it done. Example: "¡Tienes que fajarte con eso!" = You have to work very hard on that!. Similar toEcharle bolas.
• Faramallero= n. a derogatory term to refer to a boastful person.
• Fino= n. Fine, cool or great. It is used in the same fashion as the slang "sweet". Adjective. Example: "Eso está fino" = that is fine.
• Filo= n. Hunger. Lit. Edge. Example: "Llevo el filo parejo" = it does not exactly translate but it is like saying "I'm very hungry".
• Firifiri= n. (Alsofiri firi) A very skinny, weak or malnourished person (Somewhat pejorative).
• Flaco(a)= n. A slim or skinny person (Usually used in an affectionate way).
• Flaquito(a)= n. Diminutive offlaco(a).
• Franela= n. T-shirt.
• Fregar= v. To suffer the consequences of a wrong decision. To screw up. To annoy. To kill. To scrub.
• Fororo= n. Synonym for energy, strength, and practicality. It's a type of flour made from toasted corn of Canarian origin. Its smooth flavor and texture make it a versatile cornmeal substitute and an ally for nomerous food recipes.
• Fumado(a)= adj. or n. Stoned. Crazy, disheveled, difficult to understand. Lit. past participle of the verb "fumar", to smoke.
• Fumar(se) una lumpia= exp. used when someone makes wild assumptions or comes up with unrealistic explanations to a situation. Lit. "to smoke a (Chinese) egg roll."
• Gafo(a)= adj. or n. Silly. Comes for the Italian word "cafone" or "gavone" which means dumb peasant.
• Gago(a)= n. Someone who talks with a stammer or stutter.
• Gargajo= n. Spit, a loogie.
• Gocho(a)= adj. or n. A native of the Venezuelan Andes, particularly the states ofMérida,TáchiraorTrujillo.
• Golilla= adj. or n. Thing of low commercial value, easy to buy or acquire (colloquial form of the word cheap). Example: "¡qué barato, una golilla!" = what a bargain, that is so cheap!. Sometimes used to refer to something easy to do.
• Gordo(a)= n. A term of endearment similar to darling or baby, more often used by women to refer to their sons or boyfriends. Lit. chubby or fat person.
• Gordito(a)= n. Diminutive ofGordo(a).
• Gorila= adj. A glutton. Also used to refer to abusive person. In politics used as a synonym to dictator or despot.
• Gringo(a)= n. American (of the USA).
• Guachicón= n. (Northeastern Venezuelan usage) An athletic shoe, sneaker.
• Guachimán= n. A security guard, sometimes also applied to doormen. Derived from "watchman".
• Guáramo= n. Iron will. Courage.
• Guaro= n. A native ofLara state.
• Guasacaca= n. A sauce made fromavocadosand spices. Resembles MexicanGuacamole.
• Guate= n. Excrement (mildly profane).
• Guayabo= n. To be romantically disillusioned. To have the Blues. Lit. Tree of theguavafruit.
• Guayoyo= n. Slightly watered down black coffee, commonly served after meals.
• Güevo= n. Dick, penis. Nuisance (profane). Derives from "huevo" (egg). Seepipe.
• Háblame el mío/háblame la mía= exp. Similar to "What's up?" or "What's going on?". Lit. Talk to me dude/talk to me girl.
• Huevón(a)(orgüevón(a)) = n. Sucker, asshole, push-over, idiot (profane). However, it can also be used as the Spanish equivalent for "dude".
• Huevonada(orgüevonada) = n. Seemariquera(profane).
• Huevo pelado(or huevo pelao) = n. an expert, talented, knows what he or she is doing (mildly profane).
• Igualado(a)= adj. A demeaning term to describe someone who pretends to be of a superior financial/intellectual level than the person really is.
• Jalabola= n. (orjala bola) Ass-kisser (mildly profane). See below.
• Jalar bola= v. To abuse flattering. Sweet talking, intended to get benefit from someone with selfish purposes. Similar to the expression "scratch your back" (mildly profane). Lit. To pull ball.
• Jamón= n. A French kiss. Something very easy to do. A nice girl. Lit.Ham.
• Jamoneo= n. French kissing. Also used as a verb ( "Jamonear" or "Jamonearse" ).
• Jeva= n. Woman, girlfriend.
• Joda= n. Joke.
• Jodedera= n. Mockery. When a bunch people get together and act foolishly or play pranks on a person/another group of people (mildly profane).
• Jodido= adj. Difficult (mildly profane). Seepelúo(a)
• Lacra= n. Seerata
• Ladilla= adj. or n. Something annoying or boring. A boring or annoying person (mildly profane). Lit.Crab louse.
• Lambucio(a)= n. Aglutton.Someone who requests food or goods in a rude way.
• Lata= n. Kiss on the mouth/lips. Lit. Can. Also used as an expression: "Darse latas" or "darse las latas" (Lit. "To give each other the cans" ) which means "to make out".
• La Pelona= n. An impersonation of death. The Grim Reaper. Example:A Juana le apareció La Pelona.
• Lechúo(a)= adj or n. (orlechudo(a)) Lucky.
• Lomito= adj or n. Cut of beef (Tenderloin). Also used to connote very high quality, or the best one among a group. Example "(Eso es) puro lomito".
• Macundales= n. Gear, stuff, personal belongings. Derived from the brand "Mac and Dale" (a belt to carry tools used by the oil industry workers in Venezuela). SeeCorotos.
• Malandro(a)= n. Gangster, thug, thief, burglar, robber.
• Mamar= v. (As a verb) To be penniless. Example: "Estar mamando". (As an adjective) To be tired. Example: "Estar mamado". Lit. "To suck".
• Mamahuevo= n. (ormamagüevo) Cocksucker.Fluffer(profane).
• Mamarracho(a)= n. Someone who makes things of a very bad quality.
• Mamarrachada= n. Something done/made in a messy or poor way.
• Mamar gallo= exp. To trick, fool or tease someone. Lit. "To suck rooster".
• Mamita= n. (ormamacita) An attractive woman/young woman. Also used as a synonym of "mami" (mommy).
• Mamón= n.Mamoncillo.
• Manganzón(a)= n. A lazy person.
• Mantecado= Vanilla flavored ice cream.
• Maracucho(a)= n. (ormarabino(a)) A native ofMaracaiboor its neighborhoods.
• Marico= n. Commonly used as "dude" between friends. "Marica" may also be used between girl friends (mildly profane/pejorative). Lit. Gay man (slur).
• Mariquera= n. (ormaricada) A small, insignificant thing. A non-transcendental fact. A synonym forVaina.Lit. Gay thing (mildly profane).
• Matar un tigre= exp. To moonlight. To have a temporary job. Lit. "To kill a tiger".
• Matraquear= v. To blackmail, to demand compensation in exchange of something, especially by corrupt cops.
• Mente de pollo(a)= n. (ormentepollo(a)) A dumb or immature person. Lit "Chicken-minded".
• Merengada= n. Amilkshake.
• Meter casquillo= exp. To stir up trouble or drama, usually by "planting" malicious gossips and rumors.
• Miche= n. Andean expression for alcoholic drink distillate from sugar cane juice fermentation.
• Mojón= n. A lie,bullshit.Lit. Piece of excrement (mildly profane)
• Mojonero(a)= n. Liar. Person who propagates "mojones" (mildly profane). See above.
• Molleja= exp. Term used to exaggerate, emphasize or express surprise, mainly used in Zulia. Lit.Gizzard.
• Moreno(a)= n. Someone who has tan skin. When the person has a light tan or olive skin, this is usually referred to as "trigueño(a)", which derives from "trigo" (wheat). "Morena" also means "moray eel". Lit. Brunet/brunette.
• Mortadela.= n. From the Italian "Mortadella" (a cheaper food made from pork and chicken)
• Musiú= n. (from FrenchMonsieur) A foreigner. Originally used to refer to European immigrants from a non-Hispanic country; the term is currently generally used to describe someone who is not familiar with local Venezuelan customs or idiosyncrasies and has a hard time fitting in. "Hacerse el musiú" ( "pass as a foreigner" ) is a common expression used when someone pretends that he/she does not understand a situation in order to avoid any involvement.
• ¡Na' guará!= exp. An expression to denote surprise, bewilderment. Most commonly used in Lara state.
• Negrear= v. To treat someone badly, to forget or exclude somebody, as an allusion to when black people were victims of racism. Despite its origin, nowadays the term has no racist undertone. Any person can say the word to another one regardless of the color of their skin. Example: "Me negrearon" = They excluded me. Derives from "negro" (black).
• Nevera= n. Refrigerator.
• Niche= adj. See "chimbo(a)". Of low class.
• Nojoda= exp. Venezuelan equivalent of the English curse word "Goddammit" (profane).
• Nota= n. Something nice, neat, or pleasant. A drug trip, to be "high". Lit. Note. Verbal form:Ennotarse.
• O sea= exp. A form to say whatever or "I mean". A filler word. Lit. Or Like. Example: "¿O sea, cómo lo hicíste?" (Like, how'd you do it!?).
• Paja= n. Bullshit. "Hablar paja" = to bullshit someone. "Hacerse la paja" = to masturbate (profane). Lit. Hay, straw.
• Pajizo(a)= adj. (frompaja) Someone who masturbates a lot (profane). Lit. "Wanker".
• Pajúo(a)= n. A loose synonym forpendejoorgüevón(mildly profane). Also, it means "Snitch".
• Paisano= n. From the Italian "Paesano", meaning a Venezuelan or Italian (or southern European). It is used to describe, in a friendly way, those who are originally from the same world region or country. For instance, a Venezuelan Middle-Eastern can refer to another Middle-Eastern as a "paisano."
• Panetón= n. From "panettone", meaning an Italian Christmas bread
• Pasticho= n. From Italian "pasticcio" (a lasagna)
• Palo= n. Alcoholic beverage. Lit. Stick. Example: "¡Tómate un palito, pues!" = Have a little drink (then)!
• Palo de agua= n. Torrential rain. Lit. Stick of water.
• Pana= n. Friend, buddy, dude. Mostly applied to men. Interchangeable withChamo.LitCorduroy
• Pantallear:v. To lavishly flash oneself or anything of value. Derived from "pantalla" (screen).
• Pantallero:n. A show-off. See above.
• Paño= n. Towel.
• Papia'o= adj. Of muscular build. Buff. Derives from "papa" (potato).
• Papear= v. To eat.
• Papito= n. (orpapacito) An attractive man/young man. Also used as a synonym of "papi" (daddy).
• Papon. Vagina (profane).
• Parcha/parchita= n. Gay man (slur). Lit. Passion fruit.
• Pargo= n. Gay man (slur). Lit.Red snapper.
• Pasar roncha= exp. To have a bad moment or experience, or to find many obstacles.
• Pasapalo= n. Appetizer. Snack. Hors d'oeuvres.
• Pato= n. Gay man (slur). Lit. Duck. Possibly derived from theduck test
• Pava= n. Bad luck, ill omen.
• Pavo(a)= adj. or n. A trendy or well dressed adolescent, kid, youngster. Lit. Turkey.
• Pavosaurio= n. An older person who tries to act young. Lit. Turkey + dinosaur.
• Peaje= n. Illegal fee. Lit. Toll. See alsobajarse de la mula.
• Pelando bola= v. (in the continuous tense.) To be out of money or with nothing to do/bored. Lit. Peeling ball
• Pelín= n. A little bit, a small amount.
• Pelón(a)= n. Error, mistake or someone who has bad aim. Lit. Bald or peeled.
• Pelúo(a)= adj. (orpeludo(a)) Very difficult. Lit. Hairy.
• Peluquearse= v. To go to a hair salon and get your hair fixed/styled.
• Pendejo(a)= adj. or n. An idiot, a pushover. Seehuevón.
• Pendejada= n. Seemariquera.
• Peorro(a)= adj. Mediocre, inferior (mildly profane).
• Pepiadoadj. (orpepeado/pepiao) Cool, superb, excellent.
• Pepa= n. Seed.
• Pepita= Lit. Seed, nugget.
• Perico= n. Venezuelan-style scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, and oftenbell peppers.Also used to describe cocaine. Lit.Parakeet.
• Perinola= n.Cup-and-balltoy.
• Perol= n. Acoroto,a kettle.
• Picado(a)= adj. Ticked off, feeling upset (most likely after being insulted or proven wrong) while at the same time hiding or denying the feeling. Lit. Stung. In the coastal region it is used to mean an agitated sea: "El mar está picado".
• Picar= verb. To provoke. To say or do something that would lead a person to become "Picado" o "Picada". Also, eat a snack. Lit. Sting, or slice.
• Pichirre= adj. Stingy, selfish, miser, cheap.
• Pinga= n. See below.
• Pipe= n. Dick, penis (profane). Seegüevo.
• Pipirisnais= adj. (Alsopipirisniceorpipirisnai) A very cool or skilled person. Example: "Él se cree un pipirisnais" = He thinks he's so cool.
• Pipí frío= exp. (orpipe frío) Someone that has been single or haven't had sex for a long time. Someone lacking social skills or uninteresting. Lit. "Cold penis".
• Piripicho= n. Penis.
• Plaga= n. A mosquito. A swarm of mosquitoes. A mischievous person, a pest. (SeeRata). Lit. Plague.
• Planetario(a)= adj. Crazy, insane. "No soy loco, soy planetario" (I'm not crazy, I'm planetary), became a popular catch-phrase after it was used by a patient in a mental institution during the filming of a documentary.
• Pocotón= n. A lot, a large amount.
• Pollo(a)= n. A childish, naive or immature person. Lit. Chicken.
• Polvo= n. Coitus. Copulation. Lit. Dust.
• Ponsigué= n.Ber.
• Prendido(a)= adj. Tipsy, wanting more. Lit. Ignited, turned on.
• Puta= n. Used in many cases to mean slut. Lit. Whore, prostitute (profane).
• Queso= n. Sexual drive, Lust. Mostly applied to men. Lit. Cheese. Example: "Tengo queso" = I'm horny.
• Quesúo(a)= adj. (orquesudo(a)) Horny, lustful.
• Rabipelado= n.Opossum.
• Rancho= n. Ashanty house.A precarious makeshift home found in barrios or favelas made out of whatever the builder may find, including cardboard, wood, metal rods, zinc sheets. These have a tendency to evolve into brick houses and sometimes 3-story buildings as the owner acquires more materials. Lit. Ranch.
• Rascado(a)= adj. Drunk.
• Raspar= v. To fail a course, exam or subject. Example:¡Chamo, raspé Inglés!= Dude, I failed English!. Lit. To scrape/scratch.
• Rata= n. An evil or treacherous person. Lit. Rat.
• Ratón= n.Hangover.Lit. Mouse. Example: "Tengo ratón" = I've got a hangover.
• Raya= exp. (orrayón) An embarrassment. The expression "¡Qué rayón!" means "How embarrassing" or "That's so embarrassing".
• Real= n. Money.
• Rico(a)= adj. or n. An attractive person. Delicious, pleasurable. Lit. Rich.
• Rollo= n. a problem.
• Rumba= n. A party. Also used as a verb ( "rumbear" ).
• Rumba de coñazos= exp. To violently and exaggeratedly hit or strike for a while (profane). Example: "¡Te voy a dar una rumba de coñazos!" = I'm gonna kick your ass!/I'm gonna kill you! Seesalita.
• Rumba de palos= exp. To be beaten up. In a sports context, whenever a team wins over another with a large score.
• Rumbero(a)= n. A partygoer.
• Sacar la piedra= exp. To bother or exasperate someone.
• Salita= n. A violent game, bullying method orhazingritual that goes like this: A bunch of people (usually males) get together, then discreetly select a person as a "target" or "victim" (male, most of the time) and set a word/gesture as a signal. Next, they follow, pretend or trick the person so they get close to them. After that, one of them gives the signal and they start to repeatedly smack the "target" for a short period of time (between 3 and 15 seconds) until they just stop or the person either defends themselves or runs away.
• Santamaría= n. Rollup metal door to secure storefronts. Example: "Bajaron la santamaría" = "They closed their doors". Lit. Holy Mary.
• Sapo= n. A snitch, informer. Lit. Toad.
• Ser pila= exp. (orser pilas) To be smart and/or alert.
• Sifrino(a)= adj. A wealthy, snobby, arrogant person. adj. Posh, applied to people and things, such as an accent or clothes. In the case of people most often used to refer to teenagers. It is somewhat common for sifrinos to useSpanglish;the crutch word "O sea" and demeaning gestures such asthe L.
• Tequeño= n. A deep-fried flour roll filled with cheese, similar to cheese sticks. Lit. A native from the city ofLos Teques.
• Teta= n. A source of guaranteed income. A ball/scoop of ice cream, sorbet or frozen flavored water wrapped in a small plastic bag that is eaten by opening a hole on the tip and sucking on it. Lit. Tit, female breast.
• Tetilla= n. Male breast, male nipple.
• Tigre= n. Second job or night job. SeeMatar un tigre.Lit. Tiger.
• Tierrúo(a)= n. (ortierrudo(a)) A person (generally of low class) who behaves, dresses or says things in a vulgar or uneducated way. Also, could be considered an opposite of "sifrino(a)". It derives from "tierra" (soil) which is something associated with dirt.
• Tirar= v. To have sex. Lit. To throw.
• Totona= n. Vagina (profane).
• Toñeco= adj. A person who likes to receive a lot of affection through cuddles, caresses, kisses, or similar physical contact. Example: "Mi bebé es muy toñeco" = My baby loves my affection.
• Trácalan. (ortracalería) Trick, fraud.
• Tripeo= n. Something that is very enjoyable. Example: "Qué tripeo esta vaina" = This is really fun. Also used as a verb; "tripear".
• Tripón= n. Kid.
• Tufon. Bad underarm odor. Seeviolín.
• Tukin. Seechoro.
• Ubícate= exp. "Get real". Lit. "Locate yourself".
• Vacilar= v. To enjoy something/have a good time. Example: "Estoy vacilando" = I am having fun. Also used as a noun: "Vacile", as in "qué malvacile" = What a bad time. Lit. vacillate
• Vaina= adj. or n. Thing, annoyance, problem, predicament, situation, endeavor, liaison.Vainais one of the most versatile Venezuelan words, not necessarily having a negative connotation (mildly profane). Lit. Pod, sheath.
• Verga= n. Dick (profane) exp. Used to convey a feeling of shock, disgust or alert (profane). In the Western part of the country, especially inZulia state,it is a nonsensical filler as an alternative tovaina.
• ¡Vergación!= exp. superlative form ofverga(profane), mainly used in Zulia.
• Vergajazo= n. Seecoñazo(profane), mainly used in Zulia.
• Vergatario(a)= adj. Something excellent, or someone who has done something very well (mildly profane).
• Verguero= n. Brawl, havoc (profane), mainly used in Zulia. Seecojeculo.
• Vete al carajo= exp. (orvete al coño de tu madre) "Fuck you" or "Go fuck yourself". Lit. "Go to thecrow's nest"/" Go to your mother's cunt "(profane).
• ¡Vete al coñísimo de tu madre!= exp. Superlative form of the term above (very profane).
• Violín= n. Bad odor in armpits. SeeTufo.Lit.Violin.
• Yesquero= n. Alighter.
• Yeyo= n. Low blood pressure, dizziness or faint generally caused by a strong impression or stress.
• Zampar= v. To French kiss somebody.
• Zamuro= n. A stalker. Lit.Vulture.
• Zanahoria= n. Someone who zealously takes care of his/her own health. A vegetarian. A person that behaves well, nerd. Straight, clean. adj. A boring, dull person. Lit. Carrot.
• Zancudo= n.Mosquito.Lit. "The one that walks on stilts" as a metaphor for the insect's long legs.
• Zapatero= exp. To lose in a game with zero points. Lit. Shoemaker.
• Zapatos de goma= n. Sneakers. Lit. Rubber soled shoes.
• Zapatos de patente= n. Patent-leather shoes.
• Zumbado(a)= adj. (orzumba'o/zumbá) Forward, crazy, nutty, careless person.

See also

• Academia Venezolana de la Lengua
• Llanero Spanish
• Maracucho Spanish

Sources

• Español venezolano,Español maracuchoandVoseoin theSpanish Wikipedia.
• Alexandra Alvarez & Ximena Barros (2000)."Sistemas en conflicto: las formas de tratamiento en la ciudad de Mérida, Venezuela".Lengua y Habla.Archived fromthe originalon 2006-07-21.Retrieved2006-09-18.

External links

• (in Spanish)Diccionario de Venezolanadas(Forums and dictionary)
• (in Spanish)Jergas de Habla HispanaSpanish dictionary specializing in slang and colloquial expressions, featuring all Spanish-speaking countries, including Venezuela.
• (in English and Spanish)Venezuelan Colloquial Spanish For English Speakers(English translations of Venezuelan slang)