📝 397 Spanish lessons & articles
Over 397 free Spanish lessons written personally by me, a native Spanish teacher from Mexico. Grammar guides, vocabulary lists, conversation practice, and more, for every level.
Mexican Slang
In Mexico, carnal is a very popular slang word to say ‘friend’, ‘buddy’, ‘pal’ or ‘mate’. In its slang form, it’s also used as a synonym of ‘brother’. However, in standard Spanish ‘carnal’ is an adjective with multiple meanings. What does ‘Carnal’ mean? Translation #1: It’s a Mexican slang word for ‘friend’, ‘buddy, ’pal’ or ... Read more
Vocabulary
If you’re living or spending a lot of time in a Spanish speaking country, at some point you may need to get a haircut. Knowing some basic vocabulary to use with your hairdresser not only is going to help you to get the hairstyle that you want but also it’ll give you the chance to ... Read more
Vocabulary
Working out is not only a great way to stay fit, but also an opportunity to expand your Spanish vocabulary and use in a daily situation. If you like exercising or you’re simply going to the gym in a Spanish speaking country, in this article you’ll find some useful vocabulary that we use at the ... Read more
Mexican Slang
Hands down, güey or wey is one the most popular Mexican words. So, if you’re interested in learning Mexican Spanish, this term is a must. Regardless of how common this word might be, many new learners often wonder what güey in Spanish means. In Mexican Spanish, güey is an informal term that people use to ... Read more
Mexican Slang
‘Gacho’ is the opposite of the Mexican slang word ‘chido‘. As a result, depending on the context, this word could mean ‘awful’, ‘bad’, ‘ugly’ or ‘mean’. What does ‘Gacho’ mean? Translation #1: In Mexican slang, this word is an adjective that we use to express that a person or object is ‘awful’, ‘ugly’, ‘bad’ or ... Read more
Vocabulary
If you are learning Spanish, you may have had some issues with the multiples translations for an English word. This problem is more common than you think and you may see it in very basic interactions such as asking for a glass of water. ‘Vaso’, ‘taza’ and ‘copa’ are words that we use when talking ... Read more
Mexico
If you are learning Spanish and planning to visit Mexico, then you should learn some Mexican greetings. This highly overlooked aspect of Spanish is essential to break the ice and start a conversation with Mexicans. Furthermore, knowing some of the most common greetings will help you avoid misunderstandings. In this article, we are going to ... Read more
Vocabulary
When learning Spanish non-native Spanish speakers tend to confuse ‘bien’, ‘buen’ and ‘bueno’ because their meaning is quite similar. Since they are not interchangeable, using one instead of the other will affect your fluency in Spanish. When to use bien, buen & bueno Video Lesson When to use bien Bueno(s) and buena(s) When to use ... Read more
Mexican Slang
In Mexican slang, ‘cantón’ is a synonym of the word ‘casa’. As a result, the English translation would be ‘place’ or ‘house’. What does ‘Cantón’ mean? Translation #1: It’s the Mexican slang word for ‘house’ or ‘place’. Translation #2: In more specific and formal contexts, we use this word to name the corner of a ... Read more
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Mexican Slang
‘Compa’ is a very popular slang word among Mexicans. Although it has two meanings, the most famous one is as a synonym of ‘friend’, ‘buddy’ or ‘pal’. What does ‘Compa’ mean? Translation #1: It’s the Mexican slang word for ‘friend’, ‘buddy’ or ‘pal’. Translation #2: ‘Compa’ is also an abbreviation for ‘compadre’, a word that ... Read more
Vocabulary
Most languages have words with multiple synonyms. If you are lucky, these words are going to have the exact same meaning and, therefore, you could use them interchangeably. However, sometimes synonyms may be close in meaning, but not exact. As a result, they can’t replace each other in certain contexts. This is the case of ... Read more
Mexico
What does ‘chava’ mean in Spanish? In Spanish, chava is an informal word that speakers use to call or to refer to a young woman. As a result, it can be translated as ‘girl’ or ‘gal’. Its masculine form is ‘chavo’ which means ‘boy’, ‘kid’ or ‘guy’. ‘Chava’ is also used as a nickname for ... Read more
Mexican Slang
Sometimes you go out with your friends and you feel like paying what you all consume, as a result, in Mexico, we say ‘Pichar’. We also use this slang word when we want to ask a person to pay/buy something for us. So, depending on the context, ‘Pichar’ means ‘pay’, ‘be on me’ or ‘buy’. ... Read more
Mexican Slang
It’s very likely that you have heard ‘de volada’ in different contexts. However, ‘Andar de volada’ or ‘Andar de volado’ express that a person is ‘flirting’. What does ‘Andar de volada’ mean? How to use ‘Andar de volada’? Examples Here are some sentences that are going to help you understand better how to use ‘Andar ... Read more
Mexican Slang
It’s common to confuse or think that ‘de volada’ has something to do with planes and flying, in reality, Mexican people use it as a slang phrase to say ‘quick’ or ‘fast’. What does ‘de volada’ mean? How to use ‘de volada’? Examples Here are some sentences that are going to help you understand better ... Read more
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Mexican Slang
Mexican Spanish has a lot of slang words and ‘Chafa’ is one of the most common ones. Depending on the context, means that an object is pirated or that it has bad quality. Therefore, it can also be used when talking about an ordinary, or vulgar person, and sometimes dull. What does ‘chafa’ mean? Translation ... Read more
Mexican Slang
If you have Mexican friends or you just like to watch Mexican tv shows, it’s very likely that you heard the word ‘Chorro’ before. This is Mexican slang for the Spanish word ‘mucho’ – meaning ‘a lot’. Here are its uses. What does ‘chorro’ mean? Translation #1: In Mexican slang, means ‘a lot’, ‘many’ and ... Read more
Mexico
If you are studying Spanish, surely, you already noticed how much this language could vary depending on the country in which you are. Although these variations do not affect grammar rules, they will have an impact on vocabulary, sayings, and idiomatic expressions. This is undoubtedly one of the factors that contribute to making Spanish a ... Read more
Mexico
One of the funnier points of confusion non-native speakers face are Mexican nicknames for given names. Although in English you also have different variations for given names (i.e., Bob – Robert), in Spanish, it is not always easy to see the relationship between the name and the nickname. I have seen many new Spanish speakers ... Read more
Vocabulary
It is said that having a foreign partner can be really helpful when learning a new language. After all, this situation will force you to practice more. If you are planning on dating or you just find yourself in a situation where you want to praise a girl, the following expressions are perfect for you. ... Read more
Vocabulary
One of the most challenging parts of learning a language such as Spanish is differentiating between synonyms. This is the case of the verbs Contar, Hablar, and Decir. These are all verbs relating to speech and talking, but have different uses. Understanding the difference between these important and commonly used Spanish verbs will help your ... Read more
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Vocabulary
When learning Spanish, you’re likely to find that multiple words have the same meaning. However, it doesn’t always mean that they can be used interchangeably. A classic example is the word ‘stop’ in Spanish. So, how do you say ‘stop’ in Spanish? Parar, detener and alto are all words that mean “stop” in Spanish. Parar ... Read more
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