When you learn a new language, you learn the culture and traditions of that country. So, let’s learn Peruvian Spanish, words and expressions as well as some traditions from my country.
Let’s start with this journey
Common Slangs in Peru
| PERUVIAN SLANGS | MEANING |
|---|---|
| Está en algodón | Used to express that something is so-so |
| Voy a jatear | Expresses that someone is going to sleep |
| Estoy piña | It is said when someone has bad luck |
| Pan con mango | It means that something is incorrect or difficult to understand |
| Nola | Means “No” |
| Papayita | Something that is easy, a piece of cake. |
| Mostro | When something is excellent. |
| Chamba | Job or occupation |
| Cicatriz | Means “Yes” |
| Tengo jeringa | Used to express that someone speaks slangs |
| Como huevo en ceviche | Used to express that someone is extremely lost at a specific situation |
| Broder, causa, yunta | A best friend |
| Chévere, paja | Something good |
| Con pie derecho | Used to say that someone has to be very fast when entering a bus. |
| Johnny pacheco | Me |
| Chanchita | When a group of people, especially students, collect money in order to buy something to drink or to eat. |
| Gil | Boyfriend |
| Tombo | Police officer |
| Yapa | Used to express that something has been added to something |
| Tono, juerga | Party |
| Pichanga | A soccer match |
| Guachimán | A police officer who works around my block |
| Fercho | A driver |
| Conchudo | A person who has no shame when he or she knows that something is not correct |
| Huasca | A drunk person |
| Monse | Boring |
| No seas lenteja | Used to say not to be slow |
| chupeta | An informal meeting especially to drink beer or any alcoholic drink |
| Hamear | The action of eating |
| Meter la pata | To make a mistake |
| Ni chicha ni limonada | When it's neither one nor the other |
| Que palta | To be embarrased |
| Asu mare | Wow |
| Eres un pollo | Someome who is a beginner in the field of drinking alcoholic drinks. |
| Tirarse la pera | The action of not being present at school because you want to do something else with your Friends |
| Lechero | A lucky person |
| Estoy aguja | A person that does not have enough money |
| Alalaw | A common word that expresses |
| Care palo | Someone who has no shame of anything |
| Alucina | ¡Look at this! |
| Zanahoria | A person who is very innocent |
| Chela | Beer |
| Ni michi | Absolutely nothing |
| Cachaco | A soldier |
| Aguafiestas | A boring person, especially during parties |
| Cuerazo | A very beautiful woman |
| Churro | A very handsome man |
| Germa, costilla | An unusual way to call a girlfriend |
| Bitute | Referring to food |
| Yuca | Something that is very difficult and hard to understand |
| Solo hay cuatro gatos | Means there are not many people |
| Achachau | To express something is painful |
| Cerrar el pico | Shut up! |
| Pucha | An expresión when something is not running good |
| Zafa nomas | Somebody says “Zafa nomas” when he or she wants another person to go out of a place |
| Lompa | Pants |
| Ir a cana | Going to jail |
| Chibolo | A little child |
| Ahí los vidrios | Good bye |
| Tufo | A bad smell coming from mouth, especially after drinking beer |
| Lorna | A numb person |
| Latear | Walk |
| Hacer la taba | Go with someone to a place |
| El point | A place for parties or meetings |
| Darse en la mitra | Be surprised that something did not work as it was expected or as I wanted. |
| Hacer hora | Waste time on something that is not necessary. |
Peruvian Expressions
| PERUVIAN EXPRESSION | MEANING |
|---|---|
| ¡De tal palo tal astilla! | When people are identical in terms of personality, appearance, preferences, etc. This expresión is commonly used to express similarities among some members of the family. |
| ¡Dime con quién andas, ¡y te diré quién eres! | It is said that through the influences and preferences that a person has, it is possible to know how the person really is. |
| ¡Quien no llora, no mama! | A common expresión to say that someone has to do something in order to achieve his or her goals. |
| ¡Quién no tiene de Inga tiene de Mandinga! | Referred to the mixture of races among our country. Races such as indigenous, Chinese people, afroamericans, white people and all the racial diversity |
| ¡A Dios rogando y con el mazo dando! | It is a saying that remarks the importance of working and making an effort to achieve what is desired, while at the same time it is important to be grateful to God. |
| ¡Entre Pisco y Nazca! | It is an expression used to indicate that someone is drunk |
| ¡El que se fue a Barranco perdió su banco! | It is a common saying used among children to appropriate a seat and not give it up as soon as someone stops using it. |
| Vive la vida y no dejes que la vida te viva | It means that you have to enjoy your life, do what you like, be happy and take advantage of life at every moment. Don't let life overwhelm you with everyday problems. |
| La misma chola con diferente calzón | It is an expresión that shows if you change your outfit, you will be the same person as you were before. Not only is it used to refer to people, but also to refer to objects or animals that change outside but their content inside is the same. |
| Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda | The condition of each individual or the natural defects cannot be covered up or changed with external improvements. |
| Querer es poder | If you want something, you can do it and overcome all the problems |
| La suerte de la fea, la bonita la desea | It is used when fortune smiles at an unattractive person. |
| Todo pasa por algo | We use this when we talk about something that happens because it is gonna be connected with something that will happen later. |
| No se gana, pero se goza | Indicates that a job is not so well- paid but you are still there because you love it. |
| Más vale prevenir que lamentar | Warns that it is always better to take the necessary precautions to avoid an unpleasant or undesirable situation |
| Más vale viejo conocido que nuevo por conocer | It is not convenient to risk what you have or what is known for something that is supposed to be better. |
| Al que madruga Dios lo ayuda | Expresses the importance of being responsible with the tasks and that we must fulfill, being especially diligent in our day to day. |
| Barriga llena, corazón contento | It means that once we have satisfied our appetite, we feel happy and excited. |
| La mentira tiene patas cortas | It means that lies can not be sustained for a long time, the truth always comes out. |
| Cuando el río suena es porque piedras trae | It is trying to say that if there are rumors or people talk about something, that must have a little of truth |
| Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos | This saying refers to the ingratitude of some people that we looked after or helped a time ago. |
| Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente | This saying means that if a person is not alert to something important and takes it calmly, he or she will be carried away. |
| A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente | It has to be with gifts. It means that you should accept gifts willingly and without a question |
| No vale llorar sobre la leche derramada | Give the idea of stop complaining about something that has already happened because it won’t be solved if you complain. |
| Hombre precavido vale por dos | A common saying that indicates to be cautious for not to be cheated, don’t be naive. |
| La ociosidad es madre de todos los vicios | This saying talks about people without any occupation tend to be lazy for a considerable amount of time. |
| Es mejor pedir perdón a pedir permiso | The saying sanctions situations where asking for permission, it recommends acting immediately and without barriers: you will have time to apologize if you go too far. |
| El que ríe al último, ríe mejor | It is used to imply that one should not sing victory before time, because life takes many turns |
| No dejes para mañana lo que puedes hacer hoy | It is better not to be lazy and confront the problems, difficulties or responsibilities instead of putting them off. |
Let’s talk about Peruvian Food
This country has the most delicious food in the world! It will be difficult to list all the dishes from this country, so I only choose six dishes that you have to try when you come to this country. It’s mandatory!
1. Ceviche Peruano
The most popular traditional dish, considered an aphrodisiac: it is shellfish or fish marinated in lemon juice, salt, red onions, chili peppers and rocoto peppers. The local tradition recommends it as breakfast for night owls and as an aphrodisiac. There is a variety called “Leche de pantera” because of the dark color of the juice produced from the black shell, which can be found on the coast of Piura (where there is a variant of the black shell called “white shell”) and the department of Tumbes, to the Central American Pacific.
2. Cuy Chactado
Also known as Guinea pig, cuy is a controversial Peruvian dish that some find a bit scary. Few tourists request this specialty, but the truth is that this dish is very delicious and healthy, too. The term chactado refers to the way of cooking a food pressed under the weight of a stone. The term could come from the Aymara verb chchaktaña, “disappear”, which would refer to the fact that the meat is hidden under the stone while it cooks.
It is a guinea pig fried in a lot of oil, until it reaches a crispy point, under a stone that serves as a lid. It usually goes with boiled potatoes, corn and chili sauces, such as huacatay cream. It is a strongly seasoned dish and one of its distinctive characteristics is the fact that the whole animal is presented on the plate. It is a highly appreciated dish in the highlands of Peru.
3. Lomo Saltado
Lomo saltado is an extremely popular dish of so-called fusion cuisine that combines the Chinese gastronomy tradition of sauteing food with Peruvian ingredients such as ají amarillo, cilantro and tomatoes. It always goes with rice and French fries.
It is prepared with beef, red onion, ají amarillo, red or white vinegar, tomato and condiments. Sometimes soya is used and a splash of pisco. Originally the potatoes that go with this dish were boiled and not fried.
4. Pollo a la Brasa
It is considered a typical dish of Peruvian gastronomy and one of the most consumed, even above ceviche, chifa and fast food specialties.
The dish consists of chicken meat, marinated and cooked over the coals. The marinated meat is baked over the heat of the coals in a special oven called “rotombo”, which rotates the animal on its own, uniformly receiving the heat from the embers. The oven can work with coal, wood or gas, the most traditional being wood, which often comes from the carob tree. The dressing of the meat includes different ingredients, such as black beer, rosemary, huacatay, salt and pepper, soya sauce, cumin, and ají panca, in different proportions.
It is accompanied by a variety of sauces and creams, among these sauces we can mention mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, but the chili sauce usually prepared with local ingredients stands out among them.
5. Chicharrones de Cerdo
This popular dish consists of pieces of pork that are cooked in the same fat and water seasoned only with salt. It is served with fried sweet potatoes or boiled potatoes and corn plus a creole salad which has onions, lemon juice and pieces of mint. In the Highlands, chicharron is served with potatoes, sweet potatoes and mote (native corn). Pork is also used to prepare sandwiches, known as “pan con chicharrón”.
6. Pachamanca
The term “pachamanca” comes from the Quechua words pacha, “earth” and manka, “pot”; so its meaning would be “earth’s pot”.
It is a typical dish of Peruvian cuisine, made by cooking, in the heat of preheated stones. With beef, pork, chicken and guinea pig previously seasoned with ingredients such as chincho, huacatay, chili and other spices, along with native products, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and, eventually, yucca. Beyond a meal, it is a community ritual in the Andes or Highlands.
About the Author:
Specializations: Special Needs Spanish Tutors
Bio: I studied English for 5 years, I finished University and got a bachelor's in Education. I have been teaching English since I was 19 and Spanish since I was 24. I taught English & Spanish to children with special needs. I have a Diploma in Inclusion, a specialization in learning disabilities, and I am studying another specialization in strategies for reading and writing for children. For a short period, I taught Spanish to Chinese speakers and studied the origin and history of the Spanish language. I really love teaching, one characteristic I have is my patience, I consider myself a very patient person.