How to Learn Spanish Slang and Secrets to Learning Spanish Vocabulary Words

Today we will talk about how to learn Spanish slang and some secrets to learning Spanish vocabulary words. The first word that I will give you isn't exactly a Latin American Spanish vocabulary slang word. It is a "Spanglish" word that I learned in New York City from Puerto Rican and Dominican friends. The word is "janguear."

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Janguear - to hang out

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Estamos jangueando en la esquina.
We are hanging out on the corner.

Me gusta janguear en esa dicoteca.
I like to hang-out in that club.

I don't expect you to ever use the verb "janguear." I just thought that it was an interesting word to know. And I also find it interesting how Spanish-speakers in the States will take a Spanish word and combine it with an English word and make a new word or a "Spanglish" word. By the way, in preparing this email I asked one of the Learning Spanish Like Crazy instructors from Mexico if she knew the meaning of "janguear" and she said that she never heard the word before. And as I expected, when I asked some friends here in Medellín, Colombia if they understood the meaning of "janguear," they also said that they have never heard the word before.

You should also know that if you are planning a trip to "la República Dominicana" don't expect anyone there to understand the verb "janguear," despite the fact that I just told you that I have heard my Dominican friends in Nueva York use the word. I suspect that my Dominican friends in Nueva York learned the word from Puerto Rican Spanish speakers in New York City. On the other hand, if you are planning a trip to Puerto Rico I can assure you that the "gente" (people) of Puerto Rico will know and may even use the verb "janguear."

Let me rephrase that. I can assure you that the "adolescentes" (young people) or "jovencitos" (young people) of Puerto Rico will know and may even use the verb "janguear." Why do I say that? Here in Medellín, Colombia, reggaeton music is very popular. And the singers or rappers of reggaeton music are usually Puerto Rican -- as opposed to Nuyoricans (New York City born Puerto Ricans), and in many of the reggaeton songs I have heard the recording artists use the word "janguear."

Keep in mind that since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, as opposed to an independent Caribbean/Latin American country, such as Cuba or "la República Dominicana" the language there is going to be heavily influenced by English. And Spanglish words are going to be a lot more common. Despite the popularity of reggaetón music in Medellín, Colombia, my "amigos" here said that they are not familiar with the word "janguear."

Keep in mind that one secret to learning Spanish vocabulary words is to review the words that you learn.

How to Learn Spanish Slang and Secrets to Learning Spanish Vocabulary Words

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Learning Uncommon And Common Spanish Vocabulary Words

In this lesson, we will learn some more common Spanish vocabulary words and uncommon Spanish vocabulary words. These 4 Spanish vocabulary words are really what I consider "uncommon common Spanish words."

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They are uncommon because I did not learn them from any of the many home-study Spanish courses that I used to learn Spanish. They are common because I hear these words used very often here in Medellin, Colombia. And by the way, these words are not only spoken in Colombia but everywhere in the Spanish speaking world.

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1. Escote - cleavage

Esa mujer esta mostrando su escote.
That woman is showing her cleavage.

2. Estría - stretch marks

Las estrias son un problema comun en las mujeres.
Stretch marks are a common problem with women.

3. Postizo - something false that replaces something natural (i.e. fake)

Medellin and some other cities in Colombia are known for plastic surgery. Both men and women
from all over the world come to Medellin for plastic surgery or "cirugia plastica." Some of the types of surgery that women come to Medellin to get are:

- Senos postizos (synthetic breasts or breast enhancements -- the formal or proper phrase)
- Tetas postizas (synthetic breasts or breast enhancements -- the informal phrase)
- Culo postizo (enhancement or implants of the buttocks -- VERY INFORMAL phrase)

4. Caspa - dandruff

Lina compro un producto especial para lavar el cabello, porque esta harto de tener caspa.
Lina bought a special product in order to wash her hair because she is fed up with having dandruff.

If you wish to learn more common as well as uncommon Spanish vocabulary words, you should practice your Spanish with native Spanish speakers every change you get, especially regular Spanish speaking folks as opposed to your Spanish instructor.

Spanish instructors have a tendency to teach their students the most common Spanish vocabulary words. This may be helpful when trying to achieve a conversational level in Spanish. But if you want to be completely fluent in Spanish, then you need to practice as much as possible with regular folks.

This is also helpful not only for learning additional everyday vocabulary words, but it also helpful for learning how to comprehend spoken Spanish. If you have practiced this language with a Spanish instructor and then had the chance to listen to regular folks speak, then you probably noticed that regular folks tend to speak a lot quicker than your instructor and do not clearly announce every syllable as your instructor does.

Learning Uncommon And Common Spanish Vocabulary Words

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