mordida
slang, Mexico
The standard Spanish word for a bribe is soborno. Slang is mordida in Mexico and coima in Argentina, Chile and Peru.
Meaning: illegal payment to gain a favor (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| mordida | slang, Mexico |
| soborno | neutral |
| coima | slang, Argentina, Chile and Peru |
In Mexico people say dar una mordida for paying off an official, often a traffic officer. In the Southern Cone and Peru they say pagar una coima or recibir coimas.
Which one should you use?
Soborno is what newspapers and courts use. Mordida and coima sound like street talk and are still understood in news stories.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb for bribing someone is sobornar, as in sobornar a un funcionario.
Did you know?
- The word mordida literally means "bite".
Examples in context
- Lo acusaron de recibir coimas.They accused him of taking bribes.
- El policía le pidió una mordida.The officer asked him for a bribe.
- Intentó sobornar al inspector.He tried to bribe the inspector.
Example conversation
Ana and her colleague Luis talk about a news story during a coffee break.
- AnaLeíste lo del funcionario que recibió coimas?Did you read about the official who took bribes?
- LuisSí, dicen que hubo un soborno enorme.Yes, they say there was a huge bribe.
- AnaOjalá lo investiguen bien.I hope they investigate it well.
