Discover 57 Funny Spanish Words Commonly Used by Natives

Exploring the fun side of Spanish helps us better understand its culture and makes learning enjoyable. When we get into playful expressions and local slang, we learn more than words. We get a peek into what people value and how they think.

This way, learning isn’t just routine—it becomes lively and sticks with us longer. Humor acts like a bridge. It connects us to native speakers in meaningful ways. Enjoying the lighter parts of Spanish makes students feel at ease and excited. This builds a strong, lasting bond with the language.

57 Funny Spanish Words

Have you ever encountered Spanish words that make you grin because they sound funny or have charming meanings? Spanish is full of such words; they do more than just help us talk.

No. Spanish Word English Translation/Meaning
1 Chido Cool
2 Guay Cool
3 Chaval Kid/Guy
4 Tío/Tía Dude/Gal
5 Flipar To freak out
6 Majo Nice/Friendly
7 Bocazas Big mouth
8 Enrollarse To make out/Hook up
9 Currar To work
10 Liarse To get involved/Mixed up
11 Cutre Shabby/Cheap
12 Chungo Sketchy/Dodgy
13 Friki Geek/Nerd
14 Pasota Apathetic/Indifferent
15 Cachondeo Joking around/Fooling around
16 Cotilla Gossip
17 Tapear To go out for tapas
18 Jeta Cheek (as in nerve)
19 Molar To be cool
20 Comerse el coco To overthink
21 Finde Weekend
22 Garito Bar/Club
23 Chorrada Nonsense
24 Gorrón Moocher
25 Sobremesa After-meal conversation
26 Fofisano Dad bod
27 Bocadillo Sandwich
28 Botellón Outdoor drinking party
29 Guiri Foreigner (often tourist)
30 Pijo Preppy/Snobby
31 Puente Long weekend
32 Quedarse frito To fall asleep quickly
33 Peña Crowd/Bunch
34 Mono Withdrawal (from addiction)
35 Desvelado Unable to sleep
36 Poner los cuernos To cheat on someone
37 Friqui/Friqui Geek/Nerd
38 Empalmar To pull an all-nighter
39 Tiquismiquis Picky/Fussy
40 Chivato Snitch
41 Galleta Biscuit/Cookie
42 Chungo Bad/Sketchy
43 Irse de marcha To go partying
44 Largarse To take off/Leave
45 Tener morro To have a lot of nerve
46 Hacer la pelota To suck up/Flatter
47 Ser la leche To be awesome
48 Montar un pollo To make a fuss
49 Hacer el indio To act foolishly
50 Mala pata Bad luck
51 Descojonarse To laugh one’s head off
52 Ir a su bola To do one’s own thing
53 Meter la pata To screw up
54 No tener pelos en la lengua To be straightforward/Blunt
55 Ponerse las pilas To get one’s act together
56 Estar en las nubes To daydream
57 Tener un cacao mental To be confused

 

Funny Spanish Phrases

Funny Spanish Phrases

Funny Spanish phrases add a playful twist to the language. For example, ‘Comiendo moscas’ literally means ‘eating flies,’ but it’s used to say someone is daydreaming. These phrases are not just fun to say; they give us a peek into how Spanish speakers use everyday language. They make conversations more enjoyable and show the culture’s unique humour.

No. Spanish Phrase English Translation
1 Estar como una cabra To be crazy (literally: to be like a goat)
2 Tomar el pelo To pull someone’s leg (literally: to take the hair)
3 No tener pelos en la lengua To be blunt (literally: to have no hairs on the tongue)
4 Meter la pata To screw up (literally: to put the paw in)
5 Estar en la luna To be daydreaming (literally: to be on the moon)
6 Ser la leche To be awesome (literally: to be the milk)
7 Hablar por los codos To talk a lot (literally: to talk through the elbows)
8 Ponerse las pilas To get one’s act together (literally: to put in the batteries)
9 Corto de luces Not very bright (literally: short of lights)
10 Estar hasta las narices To be fed up (literally: to be up to the noses)
11 Más raro que un perro verde Very strange (literally: stranger than a green dog)
12 No hay tu tía No way (literally: there is no your aunt)
13 Tirar la casa por la ventana To spare no expense (literally: to throw the house out the window)
14 Montar un pollo To make a fuss (literally: to set up a chicken)
15 Quedarse de piedra To be stunned (literally: to remain as a stone)
16 Estar como un queso To be hot (literally: to be like a cheese)
17 Tener un cacao mental To be confused (literally: to have a mental cocoa)
18 Ser pan comido To be a piece of cake (literally: to be eaten bread)
19 Estar en las nubes To daydream (literally: to be in the clouds)
20 Dar en el clavo To hit the nail on the head (literally: to hit the nail)
21 Tener más lana que un borrego To be loaded (literally: to have more wool than a lamb)
22 Empezar la casa por el tejado To put the cart before the horse (literally: to start the house with the roof)
23 No pegar ojo To not sleep a wink (literally: to not glue an eye)
24 A otro perro con ese hueso Tell it to someone else (literally: to another dog with that bone)
25 Tener mala leche To be bad-tempered (literally: to have bad milk)
26 Buscar tres pies al gato To make things complicated (literally: to look for three legs on the cat)
27 No ver tres en un burro To not see well (literally: not to see three on a donkey)
28 Dar gato por liebre To deceive (literally: to give a cat for a hare)
29 Estar en el ajo To be in the know (literally: to be in the garlic)
30 De uvas a peras Once in a blue moon (literally: from grapes to pears)
31 Más feo que Picio Very ugly (literally: uglier than Picio)
32 Estar hecho polvo To be exhausted (literally: to be made dust)
33 Ser uña y carne To be inseparable (literally: to be nail and flesh)
34 No ser moco de pavo To be no small matter (literally: to not be turkey’s snot)
35 Tener pájaros en la cabeza To be crazy (literally: to have birds in the head)
36 Andar con pies de plomo To be very cautious (literally: to walk with lead feet)
37 Estar frito To be fed up/tired (literally: to be fried)
38 Estar como una regadera To be crazy (literally: to be like a sprinkler)
39 Ponerse morado To stuff oneself (literally: to turn purple)
40 Coger el toro por los cuernos To take the bull by the horns
41 Estar al loro To be on the lookout (literally: to be at the parrot)
42 Hacer un sapo To do something awkward (literally: to make a toad)
43 Ser una y carne To be inseparable (literally: to be nail and flesh)
44 Hacerse el sueco To play dumb (literally: to act Swedish)
45 Estar en el quinto pino To be very far away (literally: to be in the fifth pine)

 

Conclusion

In short, exploring funny Spanish words and phrases helps us understand the language better and gives us a peek into the culture of Spanish-speaking communities. These words show how fun and social native speakers are. Learning these helps us improve the language and appreciate the unique cultural aspects that make Spanish lively.

About the author
Manuela Bazzo Lauletta
Manuela Bazzo Lauletta, born and raised in Brazil, is a native Spanish speaker. Currently pursuing her graduation from the Insper Institute of Education and Research, Manuela brings a unique perspective to the Translation Blog. Outside of her academic pursuits, she is passionate about dance and performing arts, which adds a creative flair to her writing. Her diverse interests and linguistic skills make her a valuable member of our team.

Leave a Comment