la poli
casual, Spain
Spanish slang for cops depends on the country. In Spain people say la poli as a friendly shortening, los pacos is used in Chile, los tombos in Colombia and los maderos in Spain.
Meaning: police officers (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| la poli | casual, Spain |
| los pacos | slang, Chile |
| los tombos | slang, Colombia |
| los maderos | slang, Spain |
Say Llegó la poli for the cops showed up. In Chile you would say Llegaron los pacos and in Colombia Llegaron los tombos.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard words are policía and agente. Slang is casual, and pacos, tombos and maderos can sound disrespectful if an officer hears you.
Is it said differently in some regions?
These words are local. A Chilean may not recognize tombos, and a Colombian may not know pacos as police slang.
Did you know?
- The Chilean slang paco is tied to the national police force, the Carabineros.
Examples in context
- Llamaron a la poli por el ruido.They called the cops about the noise.
- Vienen los pacos, vámonos.The cops are coming, let us go.
- Los tombos pararon el tráfico.The cops stopped the traffic.
Example conversation
Sara and Pablo notice a patrol car outside their building in Madrid.
- SaraMira, está la poli en la puerta.Look, the cops are at the door.
- PabloHabrá pasado algo.Something must have happened.
- SaraPregunto a la vecina.I will ask the neighbor.
