jerga
neutral
The general word for "slang" is jerga. In Mexico street and neighborhood slang is also called caló, and set expressions are modismos.
Meaning: informal words used among friends (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| jerga | neutral |
| caló | Mexico, street slang |
| modismos | neutral, expressions |
You say jerga juvenil for youth slang and hablar en caló for talking street slang. A single slang word is una palabra de la jerga.
Which one should you use?
Modismo is any fixed local expression, not always slang. Jerga can also describe the specialized words of a job, like jerga médica.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Famous Mexican slang words include chido for cool, chamba for work and güey for dude.
Did you know?
- The word caló originally referred to the language of the Roma people in Spain, and in Mexico it came to mean the slang of city streets.
Examples in context
- No entiendo la jerga de mis primos.I do not understand my cousins' slang.
- «Chido» es una palabra del caló mexicano."Chido" is a word of Mexican street slang.
- Aprendí varios modismos en México.I learned several expressions in Mexico.
Example conversation
Exchange student Emma talks with her host brother Pablo in Mexico City.
- EmmaPablo, ¿qué quiere decir «chido»?Pablo, what does "chido" mean?
- PabloEs jerga. Significa algo padre o bueno.It is slang. It means something cool or good.
- EmmaEntonces la película estuvo chida.Then the movie was cool.
