pandillero
everyday, Mexico
A gangster in Mexican Spanish is usually a pandillero, a member of a pandilla. The English loan gánster is also understood. It is also called Delincuente.
Meaning: member of a criminal gang (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| pandillero | everyday, Mexico |
| Delincuente | formal |
| Gánster | borrowed from English |
Pandillero refers to street gang members. Gánster often points to movie style mobsters or to someone who acts tough.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Delincuente means criminal and is the word you read in official reports and newspapers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine is pandillera. Gánster stays the same for both genders and takes el or la.
Did you know?
- Pandillero comes from pandilla, a word that already meant a group acting together in older Spanish.
Examples in context
- Ese pandillero ya salió de la cárcel.That gangster is out of jail now.
- Le encantan las películas de gánsters.He loves gangster movies.
- La policía busca a un delincuente.The police are looking for a criminal.
Example conversation
Brother and sister Nico and Marta watch a movie at home in Tijuana.
- NicoEse actor hace de gánster en todas sus películas.That actor plays a gangster in all his movies.
- MartaPero en esta es pandillero de barrio.But in this one he is a street gangster.
- NicoSe ve muy convincente.He looks very convincing.
