¿choca esos cinco?
The phrase "can I have a high five?" in Spanish is translated as ¿choca esos cinco?
¿choca esos cinco? is a colloquial expression used to refer to a high five in Spanish. In a celebratory moment, instead of asking a full question, you can simply shout ¡Choca! to invite someone to high five you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase choca esos cinco literally translates to 'hit those five', where choca is the imperative form of 'to hit/clash' and esos cinco means 'those five' (referring to the fingers).
How does it change in a sentence?
Changing the verb from the imperative 'choca' to the second-person singular ¿chocas esos cinco? turns the command into a question, making it a more polite way to ask for a high five.
Did you know?
- The verb chocar in choca esos cinco is the exact same word used to describe a car crash or a collision. This gives the phrase a physical intensity, as if your hands are two vehicles colliding.
- While choca esos cinco refers to the fingers, the Mexican variation chócalas is feminine because it implicitly refers to las manos, meaning 'the hands'.
- The word cinco in the phrase originates from the Latin quīnque. This makes it a linguistic sibling to the English word 'quintet', as both stem from the same numerical root.
Examples in context
- ¡Lo logramos! ¿Choca esos cinco?We did it! High five?
- ¡Qué buena idea! ¿Choca esos cinco?What a great idea! High five?
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía just finished a difficult level in a video game.
- Javier¡Ganamos la partida! ¿Choca esos cinco?We won the game! High five?
- Sofía¡Claro que sí, Javier!Of course, Javier!
- Javier¡Eres la mejor!You are the best!
- Sofía¡Gracias por celebrar conmigo!Thanks for celebrating with me!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinco, esos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
