I daily continue my education in the Boricua (Puerto Rican Spanish) language. (For my first post on Learning Puerto Rican, go here.) I have been trying to write down and keep track of some of the new words and phrases I often hear. Here are some of them along with the definition as I understand them to be. Puerto Rican friends, please add on to these/correct me as needed.

Chinchorreo– Barhopping (noun), Chinchorreando- barhopping (gerund verb). Going from little hole-in-the-wall bar on the side of the road to the next one, sometimes by horse

Chavo/Peso– Puerto Rico uses US dollars but that doesn’t mean that is what a dollar is called. One dollar is often un peso and money in general is often referred to as chavo. Sort of like “dough” “bread” or “bucks” as slang for money in English

Bregar– I had never heard this word before in Spanish, but perhaps it is used elsewhere. What I understand it to mean is “to deal with” something or “to be versatile in” something.

Coger -In Mexico this was a word meaning “to have a sexual encounter” (vulgarly) and so I was careful with this one. But here it simply means “to pick up” or “take”

Parranda – Another word for party. Also Pari a Spanglish word for party.

Pana– Literally breadfruit but in typical use it means “friend/pal”

Pelao -“Broke” as in low on money -literally pelado means “skinned” and of course in Puerto Rican pronunciation you take out the d in any word that ends with “ado”

Brutal -In English “brutal” means very devastatingly violent but in Spanish it means “really awesome.” Sort of how bad meant good for a long time in the 80s and 90s.

Bruto -A brute, a beast, an idiot

Caco – Mostly I have just heard people who don’t like reggaeton call people who listen to it cacos. Basically the word means “sucky” I think.

Chévere – The coolest word for “Cool” I have heard.

More Spanglish: Parkin, Buildin, Ready, etc -Spanglish is everywhere. If you don’t know the word in Spanish, try the English word with a Spanish accent. You may be surprised how often it works!

Spanglish -Spanish and English mixed in a formal advertisement