Praktisch · Kapitel 10
Chilean Language Guide
Chilean Spanish is notorious — even Spaniards and other Latin Americans often don't understand a word. Chileans speak quickly, swallow syllables, and have a slang that is unique. Here are the most important words and phrases so you don't feel completely lost.
Basic Vocabulary & Chilenismos
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.
Chilean Spanish — In-depth
Why Chilean Spanish is so difficult
Chilean Spanish is considered one of the most difficult dialects in the Spanish-speaking world — and for several reasons:
- Speed: Chileans speak extremely fast — the average speaking speed is significantly higher than that of other Spanish-speaking countries
- Swallowed syllables: The "s" at the end of words is almost always swallowed or becomes an "h": "¿Cómo estás?" becomes "¿Cómo ehtái?", "Los dos" becomes "Loh doh"
- The "d" disappears: Between vowels, the "d" often drops: "Cansado" becomes "cansao", "Todo" becomes "too"
- Voseo: Instead of "tú" (you), Chileans often use the archaic form "vos" with their own conjugations: "tú quieres" → "vos querís" / "tú tienes" → "vos tenís" / "tú puedes" → "vos podís"
- Diminutives: Everything is minimized: "chiquitito" (very small), "cerquita" (very close), "altiro" (immediately → "altirito" = very immediately). Even adults constantly use these forms
Advanced Chilenismos
| Chilenismo | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|
| La raja | Great / fantastic | "¡La fiesta estuvo la raja!" — The party was fantastic! |
| Cachar | Understand / notice | "¿Cachaste lo que dijo?" — Did you catch what he said? |
| Pololear | Be in a relationship | "Están pololeando" — They are together (as a couple) |
| Copete | Alcoholic drink | "¿Quieres un copete?" — Do you want a drink? |
| Taco | Traffic jam | "Hay un taco enorme" — There's a huge traffic jam |
| Flaite | Antisocial / chavvy (derogatory) | Class-laden term — use with caution |
| Cuico | Upper class / snobbish (derogatory) | The counterpart to Flaite — describes the upper class |
| Pega | Work / Job | "Tengo mucha pega" — I have a lot of work |
| Luca | 1,000 Pesos | "Me costó 5 lucas" — It cost me 5,000 Pesos |
| Gamba | 100 Pesos | Informal term for smaller amounts |
| Guagua | Baby | Mapudungun loanword — common throughout Chile |
| Caña | Hangover | "Tengo una caña horrible" — I have a terrible hangover |
| Chupar | Drink (alcohol) | "Vamos a chupar" — Let's go drinking |
| Pucha | Darn! (mild curse) | The harmless version of stronger expressions |
| Buena onda | Good vibes / nice guy | "El hostal es muy buena onda" — The hostel has good vibes |
| Mala onda | Bad vibes / unpleasant | The opposite of buena onda |
Ordering Food in Chilean
| You want... | You say... |
|---|---|
| Order a beer | Una cerveza, por favor (or: "Una chelita", informal) |
| The menu | ¿Me trae la carta? |
| The daily menu | ¿Tiene menú del día? |
| The bill | La cuenta, por favor |
| Give a tip? | ¿Está incluido el servicio? (Is the tip included?) |
| Order vegetarian | ¿Tiene algo vegetariano? / Sin carne, por favor |
| No spice | Sin ají, por favor |
| Another Pisco Sour | ¡Otro pisco sour, por favor! (Caution!) |
Travel Spanish
| Situation | German | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Bus | When does the bus to... leave? | ¿A qué hora sale el bus a...? |
| Hotel | Do you have a room available? | ¿Tiene una habitación disponible? |
| Price | Is there a discount? | ¿Hay descuento? |
| Navigation | Is it far? | ¿Queda lejos? |
| Navigation | Right / Left / Straight ahead | A la derecha / A la izquierda / Derecho |
| Emergency | I need help | Necesito ayuda |
| Money | Where is an ATM? | ¿Dónde hay un cajero automático? |
| Tour | I want to book a tour | Quiero reservar un tour |
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