A Brief Compendium on How to Swear in Spanish and Other Naughty Spanish Words

All languages have their fun side …I mean, er, dark side. If you’re looking to add a little pepper to your Spanish, then keep reading. (If you’re easily offended or still live in your parents house, it’s best that you hace clic elsewhere!)…

Cussing

Don't pull out these phrases in Guadalajara’s Plaza De Los Mariachis after midnight, but if you must practice them, do so sparingly among very close friends!

• Cabrón/a - Nearly a classic, can be used as invective (motherf___), or jokingly among friends. I’ve also heard it used with the verb estar, which roughly translates to “it sucks” or, “it’s a bitch.” Example: Is your car broke again? Yeah, está cabrón.
• Chingar - The mother of all swear words, this is the verb form. Add the appropriate ending to term into descriptions or insults (i.e. chingada, chingue, chingado).
• Coger - Sometimes used completely innocently as the verb “to choose,” but also a vulgar way of saying “to have sex.”
• Maldito/Maldición - Damn.
• Cojones - Testicles. Looking for an alternative to announce bravery or manliness? Try “Que agallas,” that is “What guts!” Huevos can mean the same thing.
• Joder - A variant on coger and chingar, above
• Mear - To pee.
• Cagar - This verb is the rude way to say “to shit.” It is used in phrases such as “Me caga _____,” that is “I despise _____.”
• Mierda - Shit, the noun. For the faint of heart, the universal term caca is used.
• Puta - Whore.

Insults

Of course, if you're looking for strong insults, take a look at the vocabulary above. Milder sayings are as follows:

• Déjese de cuentos - Literally “leave the stories,” but basically “cut the crap.”
• Váyase al Diablo, Váyase al carajo - Go to the devil, go to hell.
• ¿No que no? - An uppity way of saying “I told you so.”
• Marica - Wimp. This word has a stronger version that you’ll want to avoid. This works well in polite company.
• Me vale - Often constructed euphemistically with gorro, or similar nonsense, basically this means “I don’t give a damn.”
• Y, ¿a mi que? - What’s it to me?

Gossip

So, you want to talk about others? Yeah, I know the feeling (I'm kidding). Try these expressions:

• Me cae bien - Literally “He falls well on me,” meaning this is a person you can warm up to.
• Es buena onda - See above.
• Cochino - A slob, can also mean “dirty” in other ways, too.
• Arrogante - Self explanatory, no?
• Vanidoso - You may know a few of these.
• Tonto - Silly.
• Payaso - Clown, but can also be used as fool.
• Grosero - Rude

Well now, it looks like you've got some new Spanish vocabulary words to use. Slipping a few of these in now and then will not only help you express yourself, but could also make you appear to be that much more fluent. Good luck!