When learning Spanish –or any other new language, for that matter– we always encounter words that will not necessarily come up in a regular dictionary. Nowadays, having an understanding of the language’s slang can be the difference between speaking a language and speaking like a native.

Now, as mentioned before, slang can be tricky, since it really depends on the country and yes, we know there are a lot of Spanish speaking countries and each country has its own slang.

But don’t be afraid! We’ll help you one step at a time. Here we’ll be dedicating ourselves to Dominican Slang.

Dominicans tend to be relaxed and easy going, and that is also reflected on the way they speak. At the same time, they talk really fast, so if there’s a way to say a word or convey a meaning in an easier, faster manner, Dominicans will do it.

Because of this, Dominican slang is very broad, you could have an entire dictionary filled with unique Dominican slang words and curses. Sometimes it changes depending on the region or town, but here we’ve put together this little list of the most commonly used slang to help you out.

The phrases in this post were voiced by a Dominican woman.

1. Qué lo qué

Nobody really knows where this one came from as is doesn’t really make sense, but when a Dominican asks you “qué lo qué” they just want to know “What’s up”! This is the perfect example of one of those phrases that were made up to avoid using “Long phrases” such as the following: “¿Cómo estás?” or “¿Cómo va todo?”

Examples:

“¡Hey, Juan, ¿qué lo qué?”

“Hey, Juan, what’s up?”

You can respond,

“Nada aquí chica, pasando el rato.”

“Not much girl, hanging around.”



You’ll hear “Qué lo qué” used a few times in Gritty Spanish Original. Here is a very short clip from the beginning of episode #15 (Bodega Chat) of Gritty Spanish Original, you’ll hear the character joyfully greet a friend/customer as he enters his store…

Do you hear the Dominican music playing in the scene? Little details like that is one of the MANY great things that makes Gritty Spanish so unique and engaging!

If you want to really take your Spanish to another level, be sure to sign up for free episodes after reading the article.

2. Chin

This word is an interesting one as it has indigenous origins. It’s assumed that it was part of the language of the native inhabitants of the island from before the colonization. “Un chin” means “A little” or “a bit”.

You can have a “Chin” of this or a “chin” of that. It might seem weird since in English, “chin” has nothing to do with proportions… unless you want to say you have a big chin. But that’s just part of the charm of learning a language.

Examples:

“Sólo me serví un chin de comida, ya que no tengo mucha hambre”

“I’m just having a little food, I’m not too hungry”

“Estoy un poco atrasada con mi trabajo, así que me quedaré un chin más tarde hoy.”

“I’m kind of behind schedule with my job, so I’ll be staying a little bit longer today”.

3. Vaina

This one is widely used in many Central American and Caribbean countries, and Dominican use it a lot. Vaina basically means “Thing” or “stuff”, however anything can be a “vaina”. It might be used when referring to something –and sometimes someone—you don’t like, or a person that annoys you.

It’s sometimes used when talking about something complicated or problematic. You’ll hear a healthy amount of this slang word being used in Gritty Spanish, especially Parte II, Subscribe to our mailing list and download some free episodes!

Examples:

“¡Qué vaina! Ahora voy a tener que levantarme más temprano que de costumbre.”

“Damn it! From now on, I have to wake up earlier than usual.”

“Luisa, por favor búscame la vaina que está encima de la otra vaina.”

“Luisa, please get me the thing that’s on top of the other thing.”

“Sí. Escuché que él y su hermana han estado presos como cuatro veces ya. Esa gente son una vaina.”

“Yes, I heard he and her sister have been in jail like four times already. They’re problematic people.”

4. Concho

Public transportation is a little different in the Dominican Republic. Although you will find subway and buses, there’s also the “conchos” which are basically public taxis. They’re old sedan cars, however they carry up to 6 people without including the driver.

They precisely use old cars, like 70’s and 80’s models, because their interior is bigger than your typical, modern sedan. It’s still far from comfortable, people just cram themselves in there. If you don’t like strangers to be that close, you can just pay for 2 or take a regular taxi.

This is where “motoconchos” comes from, they are just motorcycle taxi used for public transport…

Examples:

“Para llegar a tu casa, debes coger un concho que vaya derecho.”

“In order to get to your house, you should take a “public taxi” which goes all the way straight.”

5. Guagua

Speaking about public transportation, Dominicans call buses “guaguas”. Guaguas are also a little bit more different than a regular bus, as they stop just anywhere, not only at some designated stops.

You can literally board a guagua anywhere on any main avenue, and although conchos are the same way, guaguas are faster and also have longer routes. Because of them going very fast, they’re also sometimes referred to as “voladoras”(flyers).

Examples:

“Si vas a Santiago, deberías irte en guagua y no en tu carro, así ahorras combustible.”

“If you are going to Santiago, you should take a bus rather than using your car, so, you can save money on gas.”

“En horas pico, las guaguas suelen ser más cómoda que los conchos, ya que hay más espacios en los asientos.”

“At peak hours, buses are better than public taxis because there are more space among the passengers.”

6. Jeva/Jevo

Jeva and Jevo in feminine and masculine respectively, mean “girl” and “boy”. It’s an informal, but not disrespectful way to refer to someone.

Examples:

“Ese jevo cree que me va a engañar.”

“That boy thinks he’s gonna fool me.”

“Esa mujer tiene cuarenta años pero parece una jevita por su forma de pensar, ¡qué inmadura!”

“That lady is forty years old but she acts as a little girl, so immature!”

7. Tripear

Conjugated “tripeando” can mean joking around, making fun of someone, the colloquial verb “tripear” has so many meanings and it can be used in so many different instances.

Most of them related to playing around or fooling someone, in a harmless way. It could be translated as “pulling someone’s leg”. At the same time, “tripear” can also be used to describe something you like.

When something “te tripea” it means you like it. It is also used when referring to people in a romantic or sexual way. If Carlos “no te tripea”, you’re not interested in him that way.

Examples:

“Yo estaba tripeándolo cuando le dije que me iba del país. ¿Cómo voy yo a irme del país sin siquiera tener pasaporte?”

“I was joking around when I told him that I was going to travel to another country . How can I leave the country if I don’t even have a passport?”

“La verdad es que esa oferta no me tripea para nada, cuando vienes a ver, te sale más caro.”

“The truth is I don’t like that offer at all, it might even end up costing you more than it was supposed.”

8. Colmado

Colmados are basically convenience stores. What most Latinos call “bodegas”, Dominicans call “colmados”.

However in the DR, most colmados, if not all, have delivery service. So if you weren’t able to go the supermarket or just don’t want to, but need something small, like a bottle of salt or some plantains, you can just call the Colmado and have it delivered.

Like convenience stores, they’re normally really close to your home, and that’s why they can afford to deliver to you without costing them much.

Examples:

“Ve al colmado y compra pan y queso para la cena”.

“Go to the convenience store and buy bread and cheese for dinner.”

“Llama al colmado para que traigan dos cervezas, un botellón de agua, y cambio para 500 pesos.”

“Call the convenience store so the bring 2 beers, 5 gallons of water, and change for 500 pesos.”

9. Grillo

Although it’s also used when talking about the insect, “cricket”. “Grillo” is also used to talk about a man or woman who is considered ugly.

Example:

“¡Bárbaro! ¡Mira qué grillo esa tipa! La verdad es que me da pena”

“Bro! Look at her, she so ugly! I really feel sorry for her.”

10. Quillao/Quillá

When you’re super mad about something, then you might say you are “quillao” or “quillá”. You can also be “quillao” with someone. At the same time people can “tener un quille”, which literally means “having a mad”or “having anger” and that doesn’t really make sense in English. So it can be translated as being pissed or mad as well.

Examples:

“¡Yo tengo un quille! No pasé el examen y ahora tengo que repetir la materia.”

“I’m so mad! I failed the test and now I have to take the class again.”

“El ‘tá quillao conmigo porque no le presté el dinero. Yo lo conozco, no me lo va a pagaría de regreso.”

“He’s mad at me because I didn’t lend him money. I know him, he wouldn’t pay me back.”

The Dark Side Of Dominican Slang: Cursing!

Dominican curse words are equally as important to know.

If you love this article, be sure to click here to check our article on Dominican curse words where we focus on some pretty insulting curse words.

In Conclusion

As you may have noticed, aside from words and phrases, Dominicans have a lot of made up verbs, which are conjugated depending on the pronoun used as any other verb recognized by the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy).

It might be the case in some countries, but using slang for Dominicans does not mean the person lack education. Slang is widely used by most Dominicans and accepted as every day, informal language. Surely, if you decide on using some slang when talking to a Dominican, they will probably appreciate it and perhaps help you learn some more!

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