¡apúrate, carajo!
In Spanish, "hurry the hell up" is translated as ¡apúrate, carajo!
This phrase is an aggressive or impatient way to tell someone to move or act much faster. In Venezuela, you may also hear the colloquial expression métete el turbo, which roughly translates to "put on turbo speed."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive verb apurarse (to hurry oneself) and the expletive carajo (damn it or hell).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¡apúrate, carajo! is highly informal and aggressive because of the use of the swear word carajo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of apúrate and carajo in this specific combination is most characteristic of Latin American Spanish rather than Peninsular Spanish (Spain).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb apúrate is in the imperative command mood for the informal tú form.
Did you know?
- The word carajo is a linguistic relative of the English word 'character', as both stem from the Greek word khárax, meaning a 'stick' or 'rod'.
- While carajo is an aggressive swear word in this phrase, some Caribbean speakers use it as a meaningless filler word, similar to how some English speakers use 'like' or 'um'.
- Depending on the country, carajo can be used to express not just anger but also extreme surprise or a desire to go far away, as in vete al carajo.
Example conversation
Sofía is waiting for Alejandro in the car.
- SofíaAlejandro, ¡apúrate, carajo!Alejandro, hurry the hell up!
- AlejandroYa voy, solo busco mis llaves.I'm coming, I'm just looking for my keys.
- SofíaNo tenemos más tiempo.We don't have any more time.
- AlejandroYa estoy en el auto, tranquila.I'm in the car now, calm down.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carajo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
