chavo
Mexico, informal
The neutral word is chico, and slang changes by country. Mexicans say chavo, Argentines say pibe and Spaniards say chaval.
Meaning: a boy or young guy (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| chavo | Mexico, informal |
| chico | neutral |
| pibe | Argentina, Uruguay, informal |
| chaval | Spain, informal |
All three can mean a young guy, a kid or a boyfriend depending on context. The female forms are chava, piba and chavala.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Chavo is also the name of the famous Mexican show El Chavo del Ocho. In Spain chaval is very common in everyday talk.
Did you know?
- In Argentina pibe comes from Lunfardo, the slang of Buenos Aires.
Examples in context
- Ese chavo vive en mi calle.That boy lives on my street.
- El pibe juega muy bien al fútbol.The kid plays football very well.
- Un chaval me ayudó con la maleta.A young guy helped me with the suitcase.
Example conversation
Martín and his friend Tomás watch a street match in Buenos Aires.
- MartínMirá ese pibe, qué bien la maneja.Look at that kid, he handles the ball well.
- TomásTiene como quince años.He is about fifteen.
- MartínVa a llegar lejos.He will go far.
