Spanish Bad Words

asqueroso — disgusting. Asco means disgust.

cabrón — big goat. Popular in Mexico, this can be a vulgar insult or a term of endearment, like “buddy.” In Costa Rica it’s usually used of someone who does something to screw someone else up.

comemierda — an eater of excrement. Obviously not a compliment. May be used of a vulgar or useless person, a bum.

hasta que me sale el botón — “until my button sticks out.” Botón is a euphemism for “anus,” and the expression implies great physical effort, like climbing 10 flights of stairs.

hijo de puta — son of a whore, sometimes shortened to hüeputa. This expression is not as vulgar in Spanish as in English and is widely applied, sometimes as an adjective. Este hüeputa carro no sirve — “This damn car doesn’t work.” Use with great caution if referring to another person who is not your friend, as these can be fighting words.

le pica el culo — literally “his/her/your butt itches,” this means, for example, that some woman wants to have sex, or somebody is being really bothersome, or does risky or dangerous things.

me cago — I soil myself. Me cagé de risa — “I pooped my pants laughing.” Si tengo que hacer ese Tarzan swing, me cago — “If I have to do that Tarzan swing, I’ll crap my pants.”

Me vale mierda — I don’t care, it doesn’t matter to me.

mierda — excrement. When something get screwed up or your car breaks down: Qué mierda!

No jodás — Don’t screw around. The verb joder literally means to have sex with someone, but it’s usually used to mean to mess with someone. When a friend says something funny and unexpected, you might laugh and say, No jodás — “Don’t mess with me.”

Pavorosa/o — fearful, distasteful, something to be avoided. Qué cosa más pavorosa! — What a terrible thing!

Pichazo — somewhat vulgar term for a physical blow of some kind, like a knockout in boxing — ¡Qué pichazo! Also used to mean “a lot,” like un pichazo de gente — “a bunch of people.”

Playo — queer. Do not call a gay person this unless you know him really well. But it’s considered a mild put-down among good friends. ¿Qué pasó, playo? — “What’s up, homo?”

Puta — whore, a woman who has sex for money. Obviously, this is never a compliment.

Repugnante — repugnant, disgusting; the Spanish word is used much more commonly than the English equivalent: ¡Qué repugnante!

¡Su madre! — Your mother! Use with extreme caution — these are fighting words.

Zorra/zorrona — slut, big slut. Words to be used with caution, though if one woman is telling another woman about her lust for some random man, the other might laughingly say, ¡Qué zorrona!