Chilean Spanish is notorious in the Spanish-speaking world: Chileans speak extremely fast, swallow final syllables (especially the "s" at the end of words), and use a unique slang that is understood nowhere else. Even Mexicans, Colombians, and Spaniards are puzzled. But don't worry: with a few basic terms, you'll get far — and Chileans love it when tourists use their slang.
Greetings & Politeness
| German | Chilean Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Hello | Hola | OHla |
| How are you? | ¿Cómo estái? (instead of estás) | KOMO esTAI? |
| Good, and you? | Bien, ¿y tú? | BIEN i TU? |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRAsia (the s is swallowed!) |
| You're welcome | De nada | de NAda |
| Goodbye | Chao (not Adiós!) | TSCHAU |
| Excuse me | Perdón / Disculpa | perDON / diSKULpa |
| Yes / No | Sí / No | SI / NO |
Chilenismos — The Unique Slang
Without these words, you understand nothing in Chile:
| Chilenismo | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| Cachai | Do you understand? / Do you know? | "It's far away, ¿cachai?" — ubiquitous, appears in every other sentence |
| Po | Emphasis at the end of a sentence (from "pues") | "Sí po" (Of course), "No po" (No!), "Ya po" (Come on!) — the most Chilean of all words |
| Weón / Huevón | Buddy / Guy (can be insulting or affectionate) | Among friends: "¿Cómo estái, weón?" Among strangers: Be careful! |
| Wea / Huevada | Thing / Stuff | "Pásame esa wea" — Give me that thing |
| Bacán | Cool / great | "¡Qué bacán!" — How cool! |
| Fome | Boring | "La película fue fome" — The movie was boring |
| Polola/Pololo | Girlfriend/Boyfriend (Partner) | "Mi polola" — My girlfriend |
| Al tiro | Immediately | "Lo hago al tiro" — I'll do it immediately |
| Carrete | Party / Celebration | "¿Vamos al carrete?" — Shall we go partying? |
| Once | Dinner / Teatime (literally "eleven") | Chile's version of the afternoon tea meal |
| Caleta | A lot | "Hay caleta de gente" — There are a lot of people |
Useful Phrases
| German | Chilean Spanish |
|---|
| How much does it cost? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? / ¿Cuánto vale? |
| Too expensive! | ¡Muy caro! |
| Where is...? | ¿Dónde está...? |
| I don't understand | No entiendo |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Hablas inglés? |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor |
| A beer, please | Una cerveza, por favor |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! |
| It's beautiful here | Es muy lindo acá |
Numbers
| Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish |
|---|
| 1 | Uno | 6 | Seis |
| 2 | Dos | 7 | Siete |
| 3 | Tres | 8 | Ocho |
| 4 | Cuatro | 9 | Nueve |
| 5 | Cinco | 10 | Diez |
| 100 | Cien | 1,000 | Mil |
Emergency
| German | Spanish |
|---|
| Help! | ¡Ayuda! / ¡Socorro! |
| Police | Carabineros (Tel: 133) |
| Ambulance | Ambulancia (Tel: 131) |
| Hospital | Hospital |
| Pharmacy | Farmacia |
| I need a doctor | Necesito un médico |
💡 Tipp
The three words you will hear most in Chile: "Cachai," "Po," and "Weón." If you're sitting in a restaurant and someone says "¡Ya po, pasá la wea, cachai weón!" — then you know you've arrived in Chile. And if you say "Sí po" yourself, every Chilean will give you a broad smile.