Dominican Slang 101: What they say and what it means What if during your stay on the island you were invited to an event or a date and at the last moment you decided not to go with the person(s) at a future meeting that person could reply by saying, “me sacaste lo pie!” or “eres bultero(a). But you can then explain to your friend that you ‘dissed’ that you were broke from all your trips on the island by saying, “estoy en olla,” which means you have no money. More likely than not you’ll meet great people while you visit here, but what do you do when you no longer want to interact with a person or a group. You can say, “que lo soltaste en banda,” or that you broke of ties and went of in your own direction.

But what if you met a person or group that you would like to get together with. Instead of saying let’s meet and hang out, you would say, “vamos hacer un coro!” And what would you do if one of the many people you meet sparks an interest in you? You could sneak away somewhere “para chulear te lo(a), or make out, just make sure you don’t get in too deep while here because Dominicans don’t fall in love, “ellos se afixian.”

And as you continue your adventures be careful with what you do because the food here, “te puede dar churria,” or give you a case of the runs and you don’t want to spend your time on the island, “quillao(a),” or mad.

I’m not an expert, or “verdugo,” on Dominican slang, but these phrases and the few others that follow should be a good introduction into Dominican talk.

Always remember that a key to understanding what Dominicans say is knowing that the slang is rich in metaphors, word play, and double entendres. Though there are no direct translations to certain phrases or sayings, or any literal ways of understanding the slang, usually the context can help. If this is also hard here are a list of 31 other slang terms and words commonly used in everyday speech. Though some of the words are fun in nature, you should be very comfortable in your group of friends before you start using them. Enjoy!

De lo mejor: Ta apero (o aperisimo)
Dejar de molestar: suelta en banda
Masturbar: se hace la paja.
Engańar: te lo mete frió
Sale a pasear: se va a anda
Ser infiel: pega cuernos
Ser mentiroso: es jablador
Ser experto: ser un verdugo
Eyacular: echa un polvo
Conseguir: liga o guisa
Andar en autobus: anda en guagua
Dar un aventon: le dan una bola
Emborracharse: se da un jumo
Resbalar: patina
Espiar: brecha
Burlarse de: tripea
Convencer: da muela
Lamer: lambe
Molestar: fuńe
Llenar su estomago: se harta
Molestarse: se quilla
Golpear: te pelota
Sufrir de diarrea: sufre de churria
Fracasar: se guaya
Encontrar: halla
Compartir en grupo: hace coro
Trepar: se encarama
Bajar: se aplata
Bajarse: se apea
Hacer una siesta: echar una pavita
Convencer: Dar muela
 

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