Spanish profanity

In Spanish, as in most languages, swear words tend to come from semantic domains considered taboo, such as human excretions, sexuality, and religion,^[1] and swearing serves several functions in discourse.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][c]} Spanish insults are often of a sexual nature, taking the form of implying a lack of sexual decency if the insulted person is a woman (e.g. puta, "whore", perra "bitch") or implying a supposed lack of masculinity if the insulted person is male (e.g. maricón "faggot", puto "male prostitute").^[8] A particularly forceful Spanish insult is any mention of someone else's mother, including also in its strongest form (e.g. ¡me cago en tu puta madre! "fuck your whore of a mother!",^{[9][10][11][12][13]} in which "me cago" out of context means "I shit", but in this sentence it expresses disregard). Emphatic exclamations, not aimed to insult but to express strong emotion, often include words for sexual relations (e.g. ¡joder! "fuck!", ¡chingados! "fuckers!") or to excretions or sexual organs (¡mierda! "shit!", ¡coño! "cunt!"). Sexual taboo words that describe a masculine sexuality may be used in a positive sense (e.g. cabrón "billy goat", gallo "rooster", cerdo "pig").^[8]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Maricón (lit. 'big Mary') and its derivative words marica and marico are words used for referring to a man as gay, or for criticizing someone for doing something that, according to stereotypes, only a gay person would do (marica was originally the diminutive of the very common female name María del Carmen, a usage that has been lost). The suffix -ón is often added to nouns to intensify their meaning.^[a] In Spain, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, the word has a stronger meaning with a very negative emphasis; akin to "faggot" or "poof" in the English language. In Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Mexico maricón or marica is especially used to denote a "chicken" (coward). In Chile, maricón also means "irrationally sadistic".^[a] Some examples of the uses of this word are:

• Eres una marica. ("You are a faggot.")
• Mano, eres tremendamente maricón. ("Bro, you are so gay!"; here maricón is used as an adjective)
• Yo sí soy maricón, ¿y qué? ("I am certainly gay—so what?")
• No seas maricón. ("Don't chicken out", "Don't be a pussy.", "Don't be an asshole.")
• ¡Qué maricón de mierda, ¿eh?! ("He's such a damn faggot, right?!")
• Devuelve la mamadera al bebé, que lo haces llorar. ¡No seas maricón! ("Give the baby back his bottle, because now you've made him cry. Don't be cruel!")

Two important exceptions are Colombia and Venezuela; ^{[citation needed]} in Colombia, marica is used as a slang term of affection among male friends or as a general exclamation (¡Ay, marica! being equivalent to "Aw, man!" or "Dude!" in English), whereas in Venezuela marico is used as the masculine form with marica being feminine. ^{[citation needed]} In Colombia marica can also mean 'naive' or 'dull'; sentences like "No, marica, ese marica si es mucho marica tan marica, marica" (Hey dude, that guy is such a fool faggot, boy) can be heard. This often causes confusion or unintended offense among Spanish-speaking first-time visitors to Colombia. Maricón, however, remains an insulting and profane term for homosexuals in Colombia as well. A similar case is seen in Venezuela, where the word marico is an insult; however, the word is widely used among Venezuelans as "dude" or "man." For example, "¿qué pasó, marico?" would mean "what's up, dude?" The word carries at least a third meaning in Venezuela because it is often used to show that someone is being very funny. For instance, after hearing a joke or funny comment from a friend, someone might laugh and say "haha sí eres marico haha" which would be equivalent to "haha, you crack me up man."^[a] Derivatives of marica/maricón:

• maricona—used in southern Spain to refer to a drag queen, in an often humorous manner. Elsewhere, maricona refers to a lesbian. In Cuba it is used in a friendly manner among gays.
• mariquita (diminiuitive of marica)—means a wimp or sissy in Spain. For example, ¡Eres una mariquita!, means "You're a pussy!" It also means ladybug. In Cuba, however, the term refers both to a dish of fried plantains and to being gay.
• marimacha (combination of maricon and macha)—an insult common in Peru, Chile and Cuba, usually referring to lesbians or to women trying to do something seen as a males-only activity. It is considered offensive as mari prolongs the original insult macha. In Colombia, Macha is the feminine form of macho and thus refers to a tomboy (it is not really an insult, but more of a derogatory way to describe a masculine/unlady-like girl).
• maricueca (combination of maricon and cueca (female cueco, see below))—used in Chile
• mariconzón (combination of maricón and colizón) In Cuba, a slang term of affection among gays.
• mariposa (lit. ' butterfly')—used as a minced oath. The word mariposón ("big ol' butterfly") may also be used.

Manflor (combination of the English loanword "man" and the word flor meaning "flower") and its variant manflora (a play on manflor using the word flora) are used in Mexico and in the US to refer, usually pejoratively, to a lesbian. (In Eastern Guatemala, the variation mamplor is used.) It is used in very much the same way as the English word "dyke." For example: Oye, güey, no toques a esa chica; todos ya saben que es manflora. ("Hey, dude, don't hit on that girl; everyone knows she's a dyke."). It can be used as an ironic term of endearment between friends, especially within the gay and lesbian communities.^[a]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Many terms offensive to homosexuals imply spreading, e.g.: the use of wings to fly.

• bámbaro—used in the south of Colombia
• bugarrón/bufarrón/bujarrón/bujarra—used in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Spain. In Cuba, the expression "bugarrón y bugarra" refers to a "macho" man having sex with men. It is originated from French bougre and it is also cognate to "bugger" in English.^[33]
• bollera-used to refer to lesbians
• cabro—used in Peru
• cacorro—used in Colombia for denoting the active partner (the "top" during anal intercourse) in a gay relationship.^[33]
• culero used in El Salvador
• cueco—used in Panama
• cundango—used in the Dominican Republic and Cuba. In Cuba, cundango refers specifically to a male sex partner ("Tommy has been Robert's cundango for years"). It may mean "effeminate" or "sensitive" with a negative connotation
• cochón—used in Nicaragua
• cola (lit. ' tail')
• desviado (lit. ' deviant')
• fresa (lit. ' strawberry')—used in Mexico to mean "fag" and can also refer to people who are preppy or yuppy. For example, pinche fresa means "fucking fag."
• fran (lit. 'fran')-used to mean "gay".^{[citation needed]}
• hueco (lit. ' hole hollow')—used in Guatemala. In Chile, depending on context, it can mean either "homosexual" or "vapid."
• invertido (lit. ' inverted'). A term ubiquitously used in old times to avoid the strong word "maricón". It was the official word used by the regime of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in Spain, and sometimes still used in Cuba.
• joto (see below)
• loca (lit. ' crazy woman')—used in Puerto Rico and Cuba (where "loquita" and "loquísima" are commonly used as well). Although normally derogatory, this term is also used as a culturally appropriated term of endearment among male and female homosexuals. In Chile is used to refer to a flamboyant or very feminine gay man.
• macha (feminine form of macho)—refers to a "dyke". In Costa Rica, however, macho or macha is not derogatory but common slang for caucasoid, or similar to "blondie."
• mamapinga (lit. 'cock-sucker'). Extensively used in Cuba.
• mamaverga/mamavergas (lit. ' cock-sucker').
• maraco—used in Chile, only against male homosexuals; see maraca below.
• maraca—used in Chile, only against female homosexuals; see maraco above.
• mayate-used in Mexico to denote someone who is gay, or overtly flamboyant (lit. 'an iridescent beetle').^[b]
• mostacero (lit: "mustardman")—used derogatively in Peru, referring to the active partner in a gay relationship, as he covers his penis in feces (mostaza or "mustard") when sexually-penetrating his passive partner.
• muerdealmohadas (lit. ' pillow-biter')—used in Peru. In Spain, it denotes the passive partner of a gay relationship.
• pargo (lit. ' porgiesporgy' or 'Red snapper fish')|red snapper]]")—used in Venezuela and Cuba, to mean "gay" or "flamboyant". This, as well as other fish in the grouper genera ("cherna" in Spanish) are used in Cuba as well.
• pájaro (lit. ' bird')—used in the Dominican Republic and Cuba; in the latter country, the feminine forms "pájara" and "pajaruca" are also used. In each case, the use is either affectionate or derogatory, depending on context.
• parchita (lit. 'passion fruit')-used derogatively in Venezuela, for someone who is gay.
• partido (or partí'o (lit:"broken one"; also "political party")—used derogatively in Cuba.
• pato (lit. ' duck')—used in Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba and Venezuela. This word is probably related to the Latin pathus meaning "sexually receptive". In Cuba, by extension, other palmipedes's names are used to denote gayness: "oca" (greylag goose), "cisne" (swan), "ganso" (goose) and even "gaviota" (seagull). Also used in Colombia.
• pirobo/a—used in Colombia for denoting the passive partner in a gay relationship. However, much as 'marica', is often used to refer to someone. As in 'Vea ese pirobo' ('Look at that dude')
• playo ("flat")—used in Costa Rica.
• plumífero (lit. 'feathered bird')"). Common derogative use in Cuba.
• puto (see "puta" below) — a term that has caused controversy in fan chants during Mexican national team soccer matches.^{[34][35][36][37]}
• raro/rarito (lit. ' weird').
• soplanucas (lit. ' nape-blower')—used in Spain for denoting the active partner in a gay relationship.
• tortillera (lit. ' a female who makes tortillas')—one of the most common insults to lesbians. Lesbian sex is often referred to as tortillear or hacer tortilla ("to make a tortilla").^[38]
• parcha/parchita (corruption of "parga", a female pargo)
• sucia (lit. ' dirty woman')—used as an ironic term of endearment among male homosexuals.
• traba—short of trabuco used in Argentina.
• trolo—used in Argentina.
• trucha (lit. ' trout')
• trabuco—used in Peru and Argentina, referring to a transgender woman.
• tragaleche (lit. ' milk-swallower with milk as a metaphor for semen').
• tragasables (lit. ' sword-swallower').
• Other terms: afeminado, chivo, colizón, comilón, fleto, homo, homogay (combination of the English loanwords "homo" and "gay"), julandrón, julai (shortened form of julandrón), plon, plumón, puñal, rosquete, sarasa, roscón, et cetera.
• In Cuba, bombero (firefighter), capitán (captain), general (general) and other military (male) grades showing masculinity are used as slurs against lesbians, painting them with an un-feminine, dykelike appearance.

With Spanish being a grammatically gendered language, one's sexuality can be challenged with a gender-inappropriate adjective, much as in English one might refer to a flamboyant man or a transgender man as her. Some words referring to a male homosexual end in an "a" but have the masculine article "el"—a deliberate grammatical violation. For example, although maricona refers to females, it may also be used as a compounded offensive remark towards a homosexual male, and vice versa.^[33]

Chocho means literally a senile person, from the verb chochear.^[39]

Pendejo (according to the Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española, lit. 'a pubic hair'^[c]), according to the Chicano poet José Antonio Burciaga, "basically describes someone who is stupid or does something stupid."^[c] Burciaga said that the word is often used while not in polite conversation.^[c] It may be translated as "dumbass" or "asshole" in many situations, though it carries an extra implication of willful incompetence or innocent gullibility that is ripe for others to exploit. The less extreme meaning, which is used in most Spanish-speaking countries, translates more or less as "jackass". The term, however, has highly offensive connotations in Puerto Rico. An older usage was in reference to a man who is in denial about being cheated (for example, by his wife).^[a] Burciaga said that pendejo "is probably the least offensive" of the various Spanish profanity words beginning with "p" but that calling someone a pendejo is "stronger" than calling someone estúpido.^[c] Burciaga said, "Among friends it can be taken lightly, but for others it is better to be angry enough to back it up."^[c]

In Mexico, pendejo most commonly refers to a "fool", "idiot", or "asshole". In Mexico, there are many proverbs that refer to pendejos.^[c] In Peru, it means a person who is opportunistic in an immoral or deceptively persuasive manner (usually involving sexual gain and promiscuity but not limited to it), and if used referring to a female (ella es pendeja), it means she is promiscuous (or perhaps a swindler). There the word pendejada and a whole family of related words have meanings that stem from these.^[a] In South America, pendejo is also a vulgar, yet inoffensive, word for children. It also signifies a person with a disorderly or irregular life.^{[citation needed]} In Argentina, pendejo (or pendeja for females) is a pejorative way of saying pibe. The word, in Chile, Colombia, and El Salvador, can refer to a cocaine dealer, or it can refer to a "fool".^[c]

In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, it has different meanings depending on the situation. It can range from ¡Te cogieron de pendejo! ("You were swindled!") to ¡Qué tipa pendeja! ("What a dumbass!" as when a strange woman behaves offensively and then suddenly leaves). In Mexico and some countries in Central America, especially El Salvador, una pendejada/pendeja is used to describe something incredibly stupid that someone has done.^[a] In many regions, especially in Cuba, pendejo also means "coward" (with a stronger connotation), as in ¡No huyas, pendejo! ("Don't run away, chicken-shit!") or No seas pendejo! ("Don't be such a coward!").^[a]

In South America, it refers to a person regarded with an obnoxiously determined advancement of one's own personality, wishes, or views (a "smartass").^[a] In Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, pendejo or pendeja refers to a child, usually with a negative connotation, like that of immaturity or a "brat".^{[citation needed]} Also in Argentina, since pendejo literally means "pubic hair", it usually refers to someone of little to no social value.^[a] In Peru, however, it does not necessarily have a negative connotation and can just refer to someone who is clever and street-smart.^[a] In the Philippines, it is usually used to refer to a man whose wife or partner is cheating on him (i.e. a cuckold). In North Sulawesi, Indonesia, pendo (a derivative of pendejo) is used as profanity but with the majority of the population not knowing its meaning. The word was adopted during the colonial era when Spanish and Portuguese merchants sailed to this northern tip of Indonesia for spices.^[a] In the American film Idiocracy, Joe Bauers's idiot lawyer is named Frito Pendejo. Burciaga says that the Yiddish word putz "means the same thing" as pendejo.^[c]

Cabrón (lit. ' big goat' or 'stubborn goat'), in the primitive sense of the word, is an adult male goat (cabra for an adult female goat) and is not offensive in Spain. It is also used as an insult, based on an old usage similar to that of pendejo, namely, to imply that the subject is stubborn or in denial about being cheated on, hence the man has "horns" like a goat (extremely insulting).^[a] The word is offensive in Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, as it means "asshole" and other insults in English. In Mexico, "cabrón" refers to a man whose wife cheats on him without protest from him, or even with his encouragement.

The seven-note musical flourish known as "Shave and a Haircut (Two Bits)", commonly played on car horns, is associated with the seven-syllable phrase ¡Chinga tu madre, cabrón! (Go fuck your mother, asshole!). Playing the jingle on a car horn can result in a hefty fine for traffic violation if done in the presence of police or road rage if aimed at another driver or a pedestrian.^[40]

The expression ¡Ah cabrón! is used sometimes when one is shocked/surprised by something. Among close friends, the term is often inoffensive; however, it is not a word to be used casually with strangers. As an adjective, it is equivalent to "tough" as in "It is tough" (Está cabrón). To some extent, it can also be used with an ironically positive connotation meaning "great", "amazing", "phenomenal", or "badass". Such expressions would be said as ¡Estás cabrón! or ¡Yo soy cabrón!. The word is quite flexibly used in Puerto Rico, and it can even have completely opposite meanings depending on the context. Best friends call each other cabrón in a friendly manner, while it may also be used in an offensive manner. One might say Está cabrón to describe something as very good or very bad depending on the circumstance.

In Panama, it is used as an adjective to mean something/someone very annoying (who pisses you off). The verb cabrear can mean "to piss off (someone)". This verb form is also used in Chile. In Peru, cabro is a reference to a homosexual, hence cabrón is a superlative form ("big faggot"/"flaming faggot"). The term cabrón also means a handler of prostitutes, comparable to "pimp" in English.

The most common way to refer to a pimp in Spanish is by using the term chulo as a noun. In some countries, chulo can be used as an adjective somewhat equivalent to "cool" (Ese hombre es un chulo = "That man is a pimp" versus Ese libro es chulo = "That book is cool"). The word chula is a completely benign reference to an adorable female or feminine object, as in "¡Ay, que chula!". In Chile, however, "chulo" and "chula" always mean "vulgar".

Gilipollas (and rarely gilipolla) is a term used mostly in Spain and lacking an exact translation to English; the most frequent equivalents when translated in books, films, and other media are "jerk", "jackass", "douchebag", "asshole", or "buffoon" (in English), con (in French), and boludo or pendejo.^[a] The canonical definition of a gilipollas is a person whose behavior, speech, outlook or general demeanor is inconsistent with the actual or potential consequences of their own intellectual inadequacy. Paragons of this taxon include stupid people unaware of their own stupidity or unwilling to accept the consequences thereof, people with an ostensible lack of self-criticism, people unable to realize their own limitations, people who engage in repeated self-defeating behavior, and even a category which is seldom captured in languages other than European Spanish—to wit, people characterized by self-aware idiocy or incompetence, with this self-awareness occasionally stressed to the point of (presumably futile) complacency.^[a] By extension, its use in daily life is dedicated to any of the following types of people:

• stupidity in its own right, to the point of eliciting animosity, whether faked or real, in whoever uses the word;
• any character flaw (e.g., obnoxiousness, impertinence, general unpleasantness, blatantly unjustified arrogance or obliqueness and even neurotic or passive-aggressive behavior) deemed irritating and even a catalyst for potentially detrimental situations; or
• a person displaying any combination of the two above qualities.

Occasionally it may be used for people who appear to be unpleasant or stupid (without necessarily being either) out of extreme social ineptitude.^[a] When selecting a word denoting low intelligence, most Spanish speakers have three options:

• using a merely descriptive term, or one which, although insulting, can be used as a mild or at times even affectionate form of teasing: tonto ("silly"), burro (lit. ' donkey'), etc.
• using a more explicitly insulting expression, although one which still does not qualify as a real profanity: imbécil, idiota, estúpido.
• one which delves into profanity. Gilipollas and capullo would correspond to such case.

The etymology of the word itself immediately confirms its genuinely Peninsular Spanish origins and preponderance, as opposed to other profanities perhaps more linked to Latin America: it is the combination of the Caló jili, usually translated as "candid", "silly" or "idiot", and a word which according to different sources is either polla (listed above) or a colloquial evolution thereto of the Latin pulla (bladder). Perhaps due to the alternative origins of the latter part of the word, there has been some controversy concerning its status as a real profanity, although its clear phonetic evocation of the word polla leaves little room for doubt, at least in its common daily use. It is due to this that attempts at a euphemism have at times become popular, as is the case with gilipuertas (puerta standing for door). Recently, similar phrases have appeared, especially in Spain, although most of them (such as soplapollas, "cock-blower") delve much further into plain profanity.

A usual derivation of the word gilipollas into an adjective form (or a false adjectival participle) is agilipollado/agilipollada. For example: … está agilipollado/a would mean "… is behaving like a gilipollas." Regardless of whether or not such condition or irreversible, the verb estar is always used, as opposed to ser. Another Spanish construction with similar rationale is atontado, derived from tonto ("silly"). A noun form of the word is gilipollez, meaning "stupidity" or "nonsense."

Capullo (lit: "cocoon" or "flower bud", also slang for glans penis) is nearly always interchangeable with that of gilipollas.^[a] The main difference between the two of them is that while a gilipollas normally behaves as he does out of sheer stupidity, a capullo normally acts like one by applying certain amount of evil intentions to his acts. While one can act like a gilipollas without being one, in the capullo instance that is not possible. A near-exact English translation is wanker. In English to be means at the same time both the permanent/ fundamental characteristics and the non-permanent/ circumstantial ones of anything, in Spanish to be separates into two distinct verbs: ser and estar which respectively reflect the aforementioned characteristics. So, to say about anyone that es un gilipollas means that he is stupid/ annoying permanently, while to say está agilipollado reflects both his present state and the fact that it could change at any time to a non agilipollado one. This is not true for a capullo: if someone thinks about someone else that he is a capullo, he thinks so permanently, because the degree of evil he sees in the capullo's actions tends to be thought of as a permanent characteristic, inherent to the capullo's personality. So the correspondent verb ser would be used: es un capullo, and the estar verb would never be used.

Whenever used as an affectionate or heavily informal form of teasing rather than as an insult, though, capullo is used a bit more often. This may be because someone who does not have an intention to offend will resort to a lower amount of syllables, hence rendering the expression less coarse and ill-sounding. Therefore, expressions such as venga ya, no seas ___ ("come on, don't be silly") would use capullo more frequently than gilipollas.^[a]

Buey/Huey/Güey/Wey/We is a common term in Mexico, coming from the word buey that literally means "ox" or "steer". It means "stupid" or a "cheated husband/boyfriend/cuckold".^[a] It can be used as a less offensive substitute for cabrón when used among close friends. Mexican teenagers and young Chicano men use this word routinely in referring to one another, similar to "dude" in English. Vato is the older Mexican word for this.

Joto (lit. 'jay, as the letter J' or 'jack, from playing cards') is a slang term in Mexican Spanish and other Latin American varieties of Spanish. It is primarily used as a derogatory word for gay men, though its meanings and cultural significance have varied over time. The term has been documented since the late 19th century and remains widely recognized in colloquial usage.^[41]

The origin of the word is uncertain. One proposed etymology links it to the Nahuatl word xôtoj, meaning homosexual.^[42][43] Another explanation suggests a connection to the Spanish word jota ("J"), possibly through its association with the jack and wildcard in card games. A widely circulated account attributes it to Mexico City's Lecumberri prison (1900–1976), where inmates in cellblock J (jota) were allegedly homosexual men.^[44] This theory is disputed, as the term appears in written sources as early as 1885, predating the prison.^[42]

The term emerged in Mexican Spanish during the late 19th century, reflecting prevailing social stigmas toward homosexuality, particularly during the Porfirio Díaz era (1876–1911), when same-sex relations were criminalized and socially condemned.^[45] Its association with prisons further underscored the marginalization of queer individuals in institutional and cultural contexts.^[46] Over time, joto became embedded in literature, media, and everyday speech, often reinforcing stereotypes linked to machismo in Latin American societies.^[47] Since the late 20th century, joto and the derived noun term jotería have been reappropriated within Mexican LGBTQ+ community.^[48]

Madre, (mother) depending on its usage (for example: madrear—"to beat" or hasta la madre—"full"), is an insult to one's mother. This dishonors her, and the reputation of the family. It can be profane in Mexico. Chinga tu madre ("Fuck your mother") is considered to be extremely offensive.^[a] Tu madre culo ("Your mother's ass") combines two Spanish profanity words, madre and culo (see above), to create an offensive jab at one's mother or mother-in-law. Madre could be used to reference objects, like ¡Qué poca madre! ("That's terrible!") and Este madre no funciona ("This shit doesn't work"). It can also be used with an ironically positive connotation, as in ¡Está de poca/puta madre! ("It's fucking awesome!"). Madrazo, in Colombia, refers to insults in general, and "echar madrazos" means "to insult/curse somebody out." Puta madre can also be used to insult someone ("motherfucker"), as well as to describe something of great excitement ("the shit", "awesome") as mentioned before.^[49]

Pinche has different meanings, depending on geographic location. The word is not offensive in Spain and it mostly refers to a kitchen scullion,^[2] who acts as an assistant to chefs and is assigned to menial kitchen tasks such as preparing ingredients and utensils, though it may also extend to bussing staff and dishwashers. It is seldom used as an insult, as in pinche güey ("loser"), or to describe an object of poor quality, está muy pinche ("It really sucks"), but only to a lesser extent.^{[citation needed]} Many restaurants in Spain have the name "El Pinche", to the great amusement of Mexican and Chicano tourists.^[2]

In Mexico, the saying can range anywhere from semi-inappropriate to very offensive depending on tone and context. Furthermore, it is often equivalent to the English terms "damn", "freakin'", "bloody" or "fuckin'", as in estos pinches aguacates están podridos… ("These damn avocados are rotten…"); Pinche Mario ya no ha venido… ("Freakin' Mario hasn't come yet"); or ¿¡Quieres callarte la pinche boca!? ("Would you like to shut your fuckin' mouth?"), but most likely should be translated to the euphemism "frickin'" in most situations. Therefore, it can be said in front of adults, but possibly not children, depending on one's moral compass. Sometimes pinchudo(a) is said instead.^{[citation needed]} It also refers to a mean-spirited person or someone who is stingy: "Él es muy pinche." ("He is very stingy.").^{[citation needed]}.^[2]

In Chile, the noun pinche is not vulgar, and it refers to the people involved in an informal romantic relationship with each other. The verbal form pinchar can be translated as "kissing" or "make out".^{[citation needed]} Pinchar also means "to ping" (the act of calling someone and then hanging up with the intent of having them call back). The adjective pinche has seen a rise in usage, as a "lightly vulgar" form of the "puta" adjective: "La pinche inspectora." instead of "La puta inspectora." ("That darn inspector." instead of "That fucking inspector."). In Puerto Rico, pinche simply refers to a hairpin, while pincho has the same meaning in Dominican Spanish.

Puta literally means whore, and can be extended to any woman who is sexually promiscuous. This word is common to all other Romance languages (it is puta also in Portuguese and Catalan, pute/putain in French, puttana in Italian, and so on) and almost certainly comes from the Vulgar Latin putta (from puttus, alteration of putus "boy"), although the Royal Spanish Academy lists its origins as "uncertain" (unlike other dictionaries, such as the María Moliner, which state putta as its origin).^{[citation needed]} It is a derogatory way to refer to a prostitute, while the formal Spanish word for a prostitute is prostituta. It is used similarly to the English word bitch.^[2]

• Word endings such as aco, arro, azo, ito or (in Spain) ata are used to confer a falsely augmentative or diminutive, usually derogative quality to different racial and cultural denominations: e.g. negrata or negraco (and, with a more condescending and less aggressive demeanor, negrito) are the usual Spanish translations for a black person. Moraco would be the translation for "raghead" or "camel jockey".^{[a] [b]}
• Sudaca, in spite of its etymology (sudamericano, "South American"), is a derogative term used in Spain for all Latin Americans, South American or Central American in origin. In Mexico, the term is solely used to refer to people from South America.^[b]
• Frijolero is the most commonly used Spanish word for beaner and is particularly offensive when used by a non-Mexican person towards a Mexican in the southwestern United States.^[b]
• Gabacho, in Spain, is used as a derisive term for French people—and, by extension, any French-speaking individual. Among Latin American speakers, however, it is meant as a usually offensive term for white people or people born in the United States, no matter their race.^[b]
• Similarly, musiu—A (somewhat outdated) word used in parts of Colombia and Venezuela, used to denote a white foreigner. Stems from the contemporary pronunciation of the French word "Monsieur". Now generally superseded among younger Venezuelans by the term below.^[b]
• Argentuzo, argentucho an offensive term used in Chile and some Latin American countries to refer to an Argentine.^[b]
• Brazuca, used in Argentina to refer to Brazilians.
• Bolita, an offensive term used in Argentina to refer to Bolivians.
• Cabecita negra (lit. ' little black head'), used before as a very offensive and racist insult against Peronists, but it is used in Argentina to refer their border country, like Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia; since they were mainly workers during Peronism's rise.
• Chilote – this is actually the demonym for the people of the Chiloé archipelago in Chile. However, in Argentina it is used as a synecdoche, referring to all Chileans.^[b]
• Cholo, was used in reference to people of actual or perceived mestizo or indigenous background. Not always offensive. In Chile it is used to refer to a Peruvian. In Peru it is used to refer to someone from the more purely indigenous population or someone who looks very indigenous. When used in the more mixed coastal areas to describe someone, it can be slightly more offensive depending on the way it is said or the context. In Mexico and the United States the term is usually used to refer to a Chicano gang member.
• Coño, offensive word used to denote a Spaniard or the Castillan dialect in Chile.^[b]
• Ignorante outdated offense used by Chileans, Colombians, Mexicans and Paraguayans to describe Argentines. The word "argentino" (Argentine) is an anagram for "ignorante" (ignorant) in Spanish.^[b]
• Kurepí used by Paraguayans to describe Argentines. Literally translated from Guarani, meaning pig skin.^[b]
• Mayate (lit: June bug) is a very offensive term used in Mexico and primarily by Mexican-Americans to describe a black person or an African-American.^[b]
• Mono (lit:monkey) used in reference to Ecuadorians in Peru^[b]
• Gallina (lit:chicken; coward) used in Ecuador to describe Peruvians.
• Pachuco refers to a subculture of Chicanos and Mexican-Americans, associated with zoot suits, street gangs, nightlife, and flamboyant public behavior.
• Paragua (lit. ' umbrella'), used in Argentina to refer to Paraguayans.^[b]
• Pinacate (lit. ' dung beetle')-mostly used by Mexicans or Mexican-Americans referring to dark-skinned or black individuals, similar to English "blackie".^[b]
• Gachupín is used in Mexico and Central American countries for Spaniards established in those countries.^[b]
• Gringo – generally used in most Spanish-speaking (and Portuguese-speaking) countries in Latin America. It denotes a person from the United States, or, by extension, from any English-speaking country or even anyone with a Northern European phenotype.^[b]
• Gaucho - term used in Mexico as a demonym to refer to Argentines and Uruguayans.
• Panchito is used in Spain for Latin Americans with an Amerindian appearance. It is used mostly as a derogatory term.^[b]
• Payoponi is a Caló word widely used in Spain referring to native looking Central and South Americans. It is composed by payo (lit. 'non-Romani person') and poni (lit. 'pony due to their average height').^[b]
• llanta (lit. 'tire') general prison slang used by Mexicans or Mexican-Americans referring to very dark-skinned individuals.^[b]
• Prieto Used to describe dark people.^[b]
• Roto, used in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina to refer to Chileans.^[b]
• Yorugua, mild word used in Argentina to refer to Uruguayans. (Uruguayo in vesre).^[b]
• Japo used in reference to people of Japanese ancestry, similar to Jap; used mostly in Spain. In Rioplatense Spanish slang, the word used is Ponja, which is vesre for Japón (Japan).^[b]
• Moro (lit. 'Moor') used in Spain in reference to people of Maghrebi, Arab or Middle Eastern ancestry; also used to describe Muslims in general.^[b]
• Mexinarco used in the rest of Latin American countries to refer to Mexicans, a portmanteau of the demonym mexicano (Mexican) narcotraficante (drug trafficker), in reference to the fairly recent phenomenon of the Mexican drug war.
• Polaco (lit. ' Polish person') used in Spain in reference to Catalan people. Its origin is unclear.^[b]
• Maqueto (Basque: Maketo), used in the Basque Country in reference to Spanish immigrants and descendants of Spanish immigrants with origins outside the Basque Country.^[b]
• Charnego (Catalan: Xarnego), used in Catalonia in reference to Spanish immigrants and descendants of Spanish immigrants with origins outside Catalonia.^[b]
• Tano (from Napolitano: Neapolitan). Used in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay as a synecdoche, to refer to an Italian. Not offensive in the present-day context.^[b]
• Turco (lit. 'Turkish') used in Chile and Argentina for people of Arab ancestry. Originated due to the Ottoman nationality that early Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian immigrants had on their passports.^[50]
• Pirata (lit. 'Pirate'). Used in Argentina to refer to English people.^[b]
• Paqui (lit. 'Paki'), Used to describe people of Subcontinental Asian heritage. Supposedly inoffensive, but not used by native Spaniards in front of people they are slurring. Therefore, used as a racist epithet.
• Yanacona a term used by modern Mapuche as an insult for Mapuches considered to be subservient to non-indigenous Chileans, 'sellout'.^[51]
• Yanqui (lit. ' Yankee'), Used in Argentina and other places in Latin America to refer to a US American. Sometimes, but not always, derogatory. Usually used to distinguish a US American from a foreigner of a culturally similar country such as Canada or the UK.
• Saltamuros (lit. ' wall jumper'), joking insult used in the USA and some Latin American countries, like Guatemala and Chile to refer to Mexicans who enter the US illegally, making allusions to the border wall.
• Surumato Used in New Mexico to refer to Mexicans, particularly immigrants.
• Veneco Used in all Latin American countries to refer to Venezuelans.

• chucha—used in parts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in reference to offensive body odor.
• so—used to imply "such a …" but not always capable of direct translation in English. For example: "¡Cállate, so puta!" ("Shut up, you bitch!")
• vaina (lit. ' sheath' or 'pod of Lat vagina')—in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela it is a commonly used generic filler. For example: Esta vaina se dañó ("This thing broke down").

It can also be used in phrases to denote any strong emotion. For example: ¡Vea la vaina!, can mean "Isn't that something!" (expressing discontent or surprise). Esa vaina quedó muy bien (lit. ' That vaina came up really well') would translate to "It turned out really well" (expressing rejoice or happiness) and … y toda esa vaina would translate to "… and all that crap".

In the Dominican Republic it is commonly used in combination with other profanities to express anger or discontent. For example: "¡Qué maldita vaina, coñazo!" meaning "Fuck, that's bullshit!" or "¡Vaina'el diablo coño!" which translates as "Damn, (this) thing (is) of the devil!" but would be used to refer to a situation as "fucking shit".

In the Spanish region of La Mancha, the formation of neologisms is very common to refer with humoristic sense to a certain way of being some people, by the union of two terms, usually a verb and a noun. E.g., capaliendres (lit. 'person who geld nits', "miser", "niggard"), (d)esgarracolchas (lit. 'person who rends quilts', "awkward", "untrustworthy"), pisacristos (lit. 'person who tramples Christs'—"blasphemous person"), and much more.

• Albur
• La Malinche
• Latin profanity
• List of Puerto Rican slang words and phrases
• Profanity filter