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 ‘much’. If this is the case, you say ‘un chorro’.
- Translation #2: It is also a word that Mexican people used as a synonym of ‘diarrhea’.
- Translation #3: It’s the literal translation for the English words ‘steam’.
How to use ‘chorro’?
- Since this word is the synonym of the Spanish word ‘mucho’, you can use it in many situations. However, keep in mind that, with this meaning, we always use it as an affirmative sentence. Never as a question or its negative form.
- If you are using it as a diarrhea synonym, usually, you accompany this with the verb ‘tener’.
- When using this word as the translation of ‘steam’ or ‘jet’, you should use a structure like ‘un chorro de…”.
Examples
If you are still not sure about how to use this word, here are some examples that can help you.
As a synonym of ‘mucho’ (a lot, much, many)
Los perros y los gatos me gustan un chorro I like dogs and cats a lot
Vanesa y yo nos divertimos un chorro Vanesa and I have so much fun
No quiero ir al cine, siempre hay un chorro de gente I don’t want to go to the movies, there’s always a lot of people
La maestra nos dejó un chorro de tarea y de libros para leer he teacher gave us a lot of homework and books to read
Notice that when using ‘un chorro’ instead of ‘a lot of’ you need to add the preposition ‘de’.
As a synonym of ‘diarrhea’
La semana pasada tuve chorro Last week I had diarrhea
Mis amigos no van a venir porque tienen chorro My friends are not coming because they have diarrhea
As a synonym of ‘steam’
El chorro de agua está muy frío The steam of water is very cold
Tu carro está aventando un chorro de aceite Your car is leaking oil”
Notice that in this situation, ‘chorro’ works with the preposition ‘de’ and then you add the liquid or gas.
Who Can You Use This Word With?
If you are using this word as the literal translation of ‘steam’, you can use it in all contexts. However, if you are using ‘chorro’ as a way to say ‘a lot’ or ‘much’, you should use this word in informal situations, in other words, with your friends or family. You wouldn’t use it with your boss or your principal for example. And when chorro means ‘diarrhea’ you want to be extremely careful and just use it with your closest friends or family.
Other Ways to Say ‘Chorro’
If you want to improve your Mexican vocabulary, here are some expressions that are similar to ‘un chorro’. However, none of them are a synonym of diarrhea.
- Un montón → To use this expression the same way you use ‘chorro’. You can ‘un montón’ among family, friends, and acquaintances.
- Un buen → This is another synonym for ‘un chorro’ that you can use when you want to vary your vocabulary. Just like the other phrases, you could use ‘un buen’ in many different situations. However, you should avoid use in very formal situations.
- Un chingo → Although ‘un chingo’ is another synonym of ‘un chorro’, you have to be more careful when using it since it’s a swearing word. Therefore, it’s better if you use it just with your friends.