Lesson note
These show up constantly in everyday PR conversation but aren't always in standard dictionaries — mano and pana both mean something close to "buddy," and chinchorro specifically means a small, casual roadside bar or food stand (see puerto-rico-daily-life).
Puerto Rico Tip: Dale is an all-purpose yes, okay, go ahead, or see you later.
Puerto Rico Tip: The Taíno were the Indigenous people of Boriquén, the island's original name.
From Borikén to boricua: The Taíno called the island Borikén. Spanish speakers later wrote it Borinquen, still the island's poetic name (the anthem is "La Borinqueña"), and boricua, from the same word, is what Puerto Ricans proudly call themselves today.
Tip: turn pronunciation off to test yourself.
🗣️ Everyday Puerto Rican words · Palabras de todos los días
- a lot / really
- un montónoon mohn-TOHN
- a penny / a cent
- un chavitooon chah-VEE-toh
- awesome / cool
- chévereCHEH-veh-reh
- banana
- guineogee-NEH-oh
- beans
- habichuelasah-bee-CHWEH-lahs
- buddy / dude
- manoMAH-noh
- buddy / friend
- pana / panitaPAH-nah / pah-NEE-tah
- earrings
- pantallaspahn-TAH-yahs
- easy-going / chill
- tranquilo/atrahn-KEE-loh/ah
- gossip
- bochincheboh-CHEEN-cheh
- jeans
- mahonesmah-OH-nehs
- orange (fruit)
- chinaCHEE-nah
- right now / immediately
- ahora mismoah-OH-rah MEES-moh
- small roadside bar / food stand
- chinchorrocheen-CHOH-rroh
- to squat down
- ñangotarsenyahn-goh-TAHR-seh
- trash can
- zafacónsah-fah-KOHN
- woohoo! / yay!
- wepaWEH-pah
💬 Reactions · Reacciones
- A group of friends
- Corillokoh-REE-yoh
- Cool / awesome
- NítidoNEE-tee-doh
- Do your best, give it your all
- Échale ganasEH-chah-leh GAH-nahs
- Dude / buddy (or surprise)
- Chacho/aCHAH-choh/ah
- Forget it, don't worry about it
- Picheapee-CHEH-ah
- Get in! / Join me!
- ¡Móntate!¡MOHN-tah-teh!
- Go ahead / hurry up
- DaleDAH-leh
- Go away / out
- Pa' fuerapah' FWEH-rah
- I swear
- Te lo juroteh loh HOO-roh
- It's always something
- Siempre es algoSYEHM-preh ehs AHL-goh
- It's awesome!
- ¡Está brutal! / Brutal¡ehs-TAH broo-TAHL! / broo-TAHL
- Let's hang out
- Vamos a janguearVAH-mohs ah hahn-geh-AHR
- No way!
- ¡No hay break!¡noh ai breh-AHK!
- Oh my goodness! (sympathy or surprise)
- ¡Ay bendito!¡ai behn-DEE-toh!
- Take a breath (calm down)
- Coge aireKOH-heh AI-reh
- What a mess!
- ¡Qué clase de lío!¡keh KLAH-seh deh LEE-oh!
- What happened?
- ¿Y qué pasó?¿ee keh pah-SOH?
- Woohoo! (excitement)
- ¡Wepa!¡WEH-pah!
- You know (for emphasis)
- Tú sabestoo SAH-behs
😎 Slang · Jerga
- A lie
- Embusteehm-BOOS-teh
- A little bit
- Un chin / un chin chinoon cheen / oon cheen cheen
- A mess / chaotic situation
- Revolúreh-voh-LOO
- Beers
- Las birraslahs BEE-rrahs
- Boy / girl (child)
- Nene / NenaNEH-neh / NEH-nah
- Drunk
- Jumetahoo-MEH-tah
- Forward, keep going
- P'alantep'ah-LAHN-teh
- Let's see
- Vamo' a verVAH-moh' ah vehr
- No problem
- No hay problemanoh ai proh-BLEH-mah
- Out of control / a disaster
- Al gareteahl gah-REH-teh
- Really, truly
- En verdadehn vehr-DAHD
- Really? / No way!
- ¿En serio?¿ehn SEH-ryoh?
- To be easy / a piece of cake
- Estar de mameyehs-TAHR deh mah-MAY
- To catch a cold
- Coger mongakoh-HEHR MOHN-gah
- To deal with something
- Bregarbreh-GAHR
- To have fun / act goofy
- Gufeargoo-feh-AHR
- What the heck!
- ¡Diantres!¡DYAHN-trehs!
- You're amazing / really good at something
- Tú eres un/a duro/atoo EH-rehs oon/ah DOO-roh/ah
- Yuck!
- ¡Fo!¡foh!
☀️ Daily life words · Palabras de la vida diaria
- Bakery
- Panaderíapah-nah-deh-REE-ah
- Historic sentry box (Old San Juan)
- Garitagah-REE-tah
- Municipal property tax agency
- CRIMkreem
- Popular mobile payment app
- ATH Móvilaht MOH-veel
- Public housing complex
- Caseríokah-seh-REE-oh
- Puerto Rico's electric utility
- LUMALOO-mah
- Puerto Rico's power authority (legacy)
- PREPAPREH-pah
- Puerto Rico's water & sewer authority
- AAAah-AH-ah
- Residential neighborhood / subdivision
- Urbanizaciónoor-bah-nee-sah-SYOHN
- Restaurant specializing in whole roast pig (lechón)
- Lechoneraleh-choh-NEH-rah
- Small neighborhood grocery store
- Colmadokohl-MAH-doh
- Small roadside bar / food stand
- Chinchorrocheen-CHOH-rroh
- Vehicle registration sticker
- Marbetemahr-BEH-teh
🎧 How Puerto Rican Spanish sounds · Cómo suena el español puertorriqueño
- all — casual
- to' (todo)toh' (TOH-doh)
- bus (Puerto Rico)
- guaguaGWAH-gwah
- bus (standard)
- autobúsow-toh-BOOS
- for / to — casual
- pa' (para)pah' (PAH-rah)
- here (PR conversational)
- acáah-KAH
- here (standard)
- aquíah-KEE
- truth / right? — casual
- verdá (verdad)vehr-DAH (vehr-DAHD)
- you are — casual
- 'tás (estás)'tahs (ehs-TAHS)
🌴 Words with Taíno roots · Palabras de origen taíno
- barbecue
- barbacoabahr-bah-KOH-ah
- Boricua (from Borikén)
- boricuaboh-REE-kwah
- canoe
- canoakah-NOH-ah
- corn
- maízmah-EES
- hammock
- hamacaah-MAH-kah
- hurricane
- huracánoo-rah-KAHN
- iguana
- iguanaee-GWAH-nah
- savanna
- sabanasah-BAH-nah
- tobacco
- tabacotah-BAH-koh