Among friends, porteños (people from Buenos Aires) speak lunfardo -a slang started by European immigrants more than a century ago. Even if you have taken Spanish lessons for a long time, you may still feel baffled at a conversation involving lunfardo words. It is something that you won’t usually learn in classes. It is the way people speak in their day-to-day interactions. So if you want to understand porteños a 100 %, you should become familiar with some lunfardo terms. Let’s learn a few of them in this first lesson:

Bancar: tolerate, stand/ support

For example: “No me banco a tus amigos” (I can’t stand your friends); “Ella banca al gobierno” (she supports the government)

Che: Hey! (to catch someone’s attention)/ pal (to say hi)

For example: “Che, cómo te llamás?” (Hey, what’s your name?); “Hola, che” (Hi, pal)

Fiaca: lazy

For example: “No voy a trabajar, tengo fiaca” (I’m not going to work, I feel lazy)

Mina: woman

For example: “Ayer conocí a una mina increíble” (I met an incredible woman yesterday)

In the next Lunfardo Spanish classes, we’ll explore some more aspects of the fascinating porteño slang. Hope you can practice this words right away.

Learning Spanish in Buenos Aires was an exciting and enriching experience. With so much to see and do, I was never bored. Going to a tango club (milonga), a BOCA game, a horse race at the city’s impressive Hippodrome, or exploring some of the historical sites, parks, and beautiful neighborhoods are just few of the fun activities that I was able to partake in while I was in B.A.  At night there is no shortage of great restaurants, bars, and clubs to go to, where you can sample local and world cuisine and party into the early hours of the morning experiencing the infamous nightlife.

Being able to communicate with locals from Buenos Aires, Porteños, was educational and greatly enhanced my stay.  Taking Spanish lessons was key in helping me to understand the culture and the uniqueness of Buenos Aires in a more profound way and gave me a sense of being part of the city rather than just a tourist in it.

Best of all Porteños are so laid back and friendly that you will never feel intimidated practicing your Spanish with them while discovering the city and enjoying the vibrant nightlife. So taking a Spanish course should be just as high on your list of things do as eating a great steak!

Ashley Roy, 24, USA