Most of you know that Spanish is my first language. I have been truly blessed to be spending time in countries where the predominant language is Spanish and can understand and make conversation pretty easily.
However, now that my team has been in Peru for a week, I can definitely say that the Chilean Spanish I was exposed to was so much harder to understand than the Peruvian Spanish I have been spending the last few days around.
When in Chile, I ended up having to write a list of words I was unfamiliar with— many of them slang words. But there were so many moments where I really had no idea what was happening or when Chileans did not understand me. Sometimes I honestly wondered, am I not speaking Spanish right now?
So, here are some Chilean fun facts followed by a fun little list of words I was not familiar with because I knew them by different words or because, in Mexico, it is said differently.
Chile fun facts:
- Academic school year runs from March to December
- Highest grade a student can get is a 70 (7)
- Addressing people, even those you have just met, as Tía (Aunt) and Tío (Uncle) is very common.
- Uber is illegal in Chile but still available.
- Home of the biggest open copper mine in the world.
- Home to the driest desert in the world— the Atacama desert.
- The oldest mummy in the world is from Chile.
(Can’t get this picture to go upright BUT it was at a restaurant in San Pedro de Atacama (Barros Restaurant) and it is “Useful Slags to survive in Chile.”)
In Chile – Mexico – English
Colación – botana – snack
Sala – clase – classroom
Pinta – la traes – tag (the game)
Once- cena – dinner
Bacán- curado – cool
Plata- lana or dinero – money
Zapatilla- zapato – shoe
Pololo – novio – boyfriend
Polola – novia – girlfriend
Polera – playera – shirt
Al tiro- ahorita – right now
Tallarines- pasta – pasta
Garabatos- groserías – cuss words
Luca- mil – thousand
Pieza- recamara – bedroom
Palta- aguacate – avocado
Frutilla- fresa – strawberry
Pulento- bueno – good
Cachai- entiendes – do you understand?
Flaite- naco – tacky (person)
Cuico- fresa – preppy
Volado- drogado – high (drugged)
Wawa- bebe – baby
Pucha- rayos – dang it
Tuto- cansado – groggy
Tire- jala – pull
Consulta- pregunta – question
Ciao- adiós – goodbye
English Day in the square of San Pedro de Atacama
