Rioplatense Language Guide
Castellano Rioplatense — So different!
Argentine Spanish — Castellano Rioplatense — is instantly recognizable and sounds to other Spanish speakers like Italian with Spanish words. If you learned Spanish in Spain, you will be initially confused in Buenos Aires — the differences are as significant as between British and American English, perhaps even greater.
The Three Major Features
1. "Vos" instead of "Tú" (Voseo)
Argentines say "Vos" (you) instead of "Tú". It seems like a small detail, but it changes all verb forms:
| Standard Spanish (Tú) | Argentinian (Vos) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tú quieres | Vos querés | You want |
| Tú puedes | Vos podés | You can |
| Tú tienes | Vos tenés | You have |
| Tú eres | Vos sos | You are |
| Tú vienes | Vos venís | You come |
| Tú sabes | Vos sabés | You know |
The rule: The stress moves to the last syllable, and the verb is simplified. In fact, the Voseo is more logical and regular than the Spanish Tú — there are almost no irregularities!
2. "Ll" and "Y" = "Sch" (Sheísmo)
The most famous difference: In Argentina, "Ll" and "Y" are not pronounced like "Lj" (as in Spain or the rest of Latin America), but like "Sch" (or sometimes like "Dsch"):
| Word | Spanish (Rest of the World) | Argentinian |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | Jo | Scho |
| Calle (Street) | Ka-lje | Ka-sche |
| Pollo (Chicken) | Po-ljo | Po-scho |
| Lluvia (Rain) | Lju-wia | Schu-wia |
| Playa (Beach) | Pla-ja | Pla-scha |
As soon as you hear this sound, you know: That's Argentine Spanish!
3. Italian Sing-song
The melody of Argentine Spanish has an unmistakable Italian influence — singing, with dramatic highs and lows, like a recitative in an opera. In Buenos Aires, a simple sentence like "I'm going shopping" sounds like an emotional aria. Add to this the expressive gesturing — Argentines talk with their hands, their whole body, and facial expressions.
The famous gesture: All fingers together, palm up, shaking — means: "Pero ¿qué querés?" (What do you want? / What's the matter?). You'll see it everywhere.
Lunfardo — The Slang of Buenos Aires
★★★ Lunfardo — The Secret Language of the Streets
Lunfardo is the unique slang of Buenos Aires — developed at the end of the 19th century in the port districts and Conventillos (tenement houses) from a mix of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Quechua, Romani (language of the Roma), and Gaucho language. Originally, Lunfardo was the secret language of the underworld — thieves and prostitutes used it to avoid being understood by the police. Today, it has entered everyday language, and many Argentines don't even know that certain words are Lunfardo.
A feature of Lunfardo: Vesre — the reversal of syllables (from "al revés" = reversed). Thus, "café" becomes "feca", "tango" becomes "gotán", "hotel" becomes "telo" (an hourly hotel!), and "mujer" (woman) becomes "jermu".
| Lunfardo/Argentinian | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Che | Hey! / Buddy! | Universal address. Hence "Che Guevara" — he used it constantly (noticeable as an Argentine in Cuba) |
| Boludo/a | Fool OR best friend | Depending on the tone! Affectionately among friends: "Che, boludo!" = "Hey, buddy!". Angry: Insult! |
| Pibe/Piba | Boy/Girl, Guy/Woman | Colloquial for a young person. "Es un buen pibe" = "He is a good guy" |
| Laburo | Work | From the Italian "lavoro". "Tengo mucho laburo" = "I have a lot of work" |
| Guita | Money | "No tengo guita" = "I have no money" |
| Afanar | To steal | "Me afanaron el celular" = "They stole my phone" |
| Mango | One Peso | "No tengo un mango" = "I'm broke" (very common!) |
| Bondi | City bus (Colectivo) | "Tomé el bondi" = "I took the bus" |
| Birra | Beer | From the Italian "birra". Universally understood |
| Morfar | To eat | "Vamos a morfar" = "Let's go eat" |
| Fiaca | Laziness / No desire | "Tengo fiaca" = "I don't feel like it" — very Argentinian! |
| Quilombo | Chaos, mess | "Es un quilombo" = "It's a mess" — very common in conversations about politics |
| Bárbaro | Great, fantastic! | "¡Bárbaro!" = "Super!" — the enthusiastic praise |
| Copado/a | Cool, awesome | "Está re copado" = "That's super cool" |
| Re | Very, totally (intensifier) | Placed before EVERYTHING: "Re lindo" (super nice), "Re caro" (super expensive), "Re tarde" (super late) |
| Dale | Okay! / Go! / Do it! | The universal agreement: "¿Vamos?" — "¡Dale!" (Shall we go? — Let's go!) |
| Ni ahí | No way | "¿Vas a ir?" — "Ni ahí" (Are you going? — No way) |
| Al toque | Immediately, right away | "Vengo al toque" = "I'll be right there" (but: Argentine "right away" can take 30 minutes) |
| Bancar | To endure / To support | "No lo banco más" = "I can't stand him anymore" |
| Piola | Cool, clever | "Qué piola" = "How cool/clever" |
| Chamuyar | To chat / To flirt | "Es un chamuyero" = "He is a smooth talker/player" |
Useful Phrases & Ordering Meat
Everyday Phrases — Argentinian!
| German | Argentinian Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello! | ¡Hola! / ¿Qué hacés? | Oh-la / Ke a-SES |
| How are you? | ¿Cómo andás? | KO-mo an-DAS (not "¿Cómo estás?") |
| Good, and you? | Bien, ¿y vos? | Bien, i WOS (not "¿y tú?") |
| Great! / Fantastic! | ¡Genial! / ¡Bárbaro! / ¡Copado! | |
| No problem | No pasa nada / Tranqui | No PA-sa NA-da / TRAN-ki |
| How much does it cost? | ¿Cuánto sale? | KWAN-to SA-le (not "¿Cuánto cuesta?") |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor | La KWEN-ta por fa-WOR |
| Where is...? | ¿Dónde queda...? | DON-de KE-da |
| Can you help me? | ¿Me podés ayudar? | Me po-DES a-schu-DAR |
| I'm from Germany | Soy de Alemania / Soy alemán(a) | |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Hablás inglés? | a-BLAS in-GLES |
| I don't speak Spanish | No hablo español | |
| Sorry | Disculpá / Perdón | Dis-kul-PA (Voseo!) |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! | sa-LUD |
| It's very delicious! | ¡Está riquísimo! | es-TA ri-KI-si-mo |
| I love Argentina! | ¡Me encanta Argentina! | Me en-KAN-ta ar-chen-TI-na |
★★★ Ordering Meat Like a Pro
| Doneness | Argentinian | For whom? |
|---|---|---|
| Raw/Bleu | Vuelta y vuelta | Only for hardcore steak fans |
| Rare / English | Jugoso | Juicy and pink — the choice of connoisseurs |
| Medium | A punto | The safe choice — perfectly cooked, pink inside |
| Well done | Bien cocido | A sacrilege for Argentines. Pitying looks guaranteed |
Ordering in a Restaurant
- "Un bife de chorizo a punto, por favor" = A roast beef steak, medium please
- "Una provoleta para empezar" = A provoleta as a starter
- "Una botella de Malbec, por favor" = A bottle of Malbec please
- "¿Qué me recomendás?" = What do you recommend? (Voseo!)
- "¡Está riquísimo!" = It's delicious! (Compliment to the chef)
- "La cuenta, por favor" = The bill, please
Mate Vocabulary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Mate | The cup (made of gourd, wood, or ceramic) |
| Yerba | The dried mate herb |
| Bombilla | The metal straw with a filter at the end |
| Cebador | The person who prepares and serves the mate |
| Cebar | To pour and pass the mate |
| Amargo | Bitter (without sugar) — the "adult" version |
| Dulce | Sweet (with sugar) — the "beginner" version |
| Gracias | CAUTION: Means "I don't want any more mate" — NOT just thank you! |
Football Vocabulary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| La cancha | The stadium / the field |
| Hinchada | The fans (literally: the inflated ones) |
| Gol | Goal |
| Penal | Penalty |
| Director Técnico (DT) | Coach |
| Gambeta | Dribbling (Maradona's specialty!) |
| Aguante [Team]! | Hold on, [Team]! / Go! |
Tipp
Learn these three words and you'll be instantly likable: "Che" (Hey, buddy!), "Dale" (Okay, let's do it!), and "Bárbaro" (Great!). Incorporate them into conversations and Argentines will love you. And: Never order your steak "bien cocido" (well done) — you'll get pitying looks. "A punto" (medium) is the safe choice. If you want to impress the waiter: Order "jugoso" (rare) and say "Me encanta la carne argentina" (I love Argentine meat).
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