Dominican Slang
With these expressions, you'll impress any Dominican — they will be surprised and delighted:
| Expression | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué lo que? (KLK) | What's up? / Hey! | The universal greeting. Response: "Aquí, tranquilo" (All good) |
| Vaina | Thing / Stuff | THE Dominican word. Can mean anything: "Pásame esa vaina" (Pass me that thing), "¡Qué vaina!" (What a mess!), "Esa vaina ta buena" (That thing is good) |
| Tigre / Tíguere | Clever guy / Streetwise | Can be positive (smart, streetwise) or negative (con artist). "Ese tipo es un tíguere" (That guy is cunning) |
| Chin | A little | "Dame un chin" (Give me a little). Instead of "un poco" |
| Pana | Buddy / Friend | "¿Qué lo que, mi pana?" (What's up, my friend?) |
| Guapo/a | Brave / Angry (NOT handsome!) | In the Dominican Republic, "guapo" means angry, not attractive! "Ella ta guapa" = She is angry |
| Jevi | Cool / great | "Eso ta jevi" (That's cool). From the English "heavy" |
| Coño | Exclamation (damn!) | Frequently used, as surprise, anger, or excitement. "¡Coño, qué bonito!" (Wow, how beautiful!) |
| Dime a ver | Tell me / Go ahead | Often used as a phone greeting: "Dime a ver, ¿qué pasó?" |
| Tranquilo/a | Calm / relaxed / all good | The life philosophy in one word. "Tranquilo, no hay problema" |
Bonus: If you say "¿Qué lo que, mi pana?" with a smile, you've instantly made a friend. Guaranteed.
💡 Tipp
The word "Vaina" is the Swiss Army knife of Dominican Spanish — it can be a noun, adjective, exclamation, and philosophy all at once. Learn it, use it, and you'll be instantly respected. But beware: "¡Qué vaina!" in a serious tone means "What a mess!" — context is everything.