Every language has some quite interesting words which people tend to notice. If you’d like to be the knowledgeable person at a party who shows off their wisdom about languages, we have some very cool Spanish terms that you might like to memorize to share with your friends whenever someone starts a “Did you know that…?” conversation.
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| Spanish Word | English Translation | Why It’s Funny |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chirimbolo | Gadget | The word sounds like a mix between a dance and a jingle, making it amusing to say. |
| 2. Cachivache | Junk | It resembles a sneeze, and the sound is entertaining to hear. |
| 3. Guayabera | Tropical Shirt | The word rolls off the tongue, making it enjoyable to pronounce. |
| 4. Zalamero | Smooth-talker | The way it sounds resembles a snake’s hiss, giving it a humorous effect. |
| 5. Papanatas | Gullible Person | It’s a playful word that sounds like a mix between “papa” (potato) and “natas” (cream). |
| 6. Mamporrero | Stableman | The word is a tongue-twister and sounds like it could be a superhero name. |
| 7. Chupacabras | Goat Sucker | The mythical creature’s name literally means “goat sucker,” which is an amusing concept. |
| 8. Churrete | Smudge | It sounds like a cute, tiny creature, making it a fun word to say. |
| 9. Mondongo | Tripe | The word sounds like a dance or a catchy tune, making it comical. |
| 10. Trasijado | Dilapidated | The word seems to be stumbling over itself, which is a fitting description of its meaning. |
| 11. Empalagar | To Overwhelm | It sounds like a magical spell, giving it a whimsical quality. |
| 12. Pantufla | Slipper | It sounds like “pan” (bread) and “tufla” (made-up word), giving it a humorous twist. |
| 13. Cuévano | Basket | It sounds like a mix between “cueva” (cave) and “vano” (vain), making it a funny blend. |
| 14. Blandengue | Weak, Spineless | The word feels like it’s wobbling, which is fitting for its meaning. |
| 15. Tiquismiquis | Picky, Fussy | The word is a fun tongue-twister that sounds like a small, fast-moving creature. |
Spanish is a rich and expressive language filled with unique words that may not have direct English translations. We’ve selected 17 strange and funny Spanish words to share with you. Each word is followed by its meaning and an example sentence to showcase its usage.
16 strange Spanish word selection:
- Arrebol Meaning: Red color seen in clouds illuminated by the sun, especially at dawn and dusk. Example: El arrebol en el cielo parecía una obra de arte (The arrebol in the sky looked like a piece of art).
- Madrugada Meaning: Time after midnight and before sunrise. Example: No pude dormir durante la madrugada (I couldn’t sleep during the madrugada).
- Crápula Meaning: A man who leads a licentious life and has customs considered unethical, basically “a rake.” Example: Juan es un crápula que siempre está metido en líos (Juan is a crápula who is always getting into trouble).
- Imberbe Meaning: Literally “no beard”; used to describe someone who does not have the maturity or experience of adulthood. Example: A pesar de tener 25 años, Pedro todavía parece imberbe (Despite being 25 years old, Pedro still looks imberbe).
- Desvelarse Meaning: To stay awake during the night. Example: Me desvelé anoche viendo películas (I stayed awake last night watching movies).
- Empalagoso Meaning: Used to describe something annoyingly sweet, be it food or a situation. Example: Este pastel está tan empalagoso que no puedo comer más (This cake is so empalagoso that I can’t eat any more).
- Sobremesa Meaning: After-dinner conversation. Example: Disfrutamos de una sobremesa animada hablando sobre nuestras últimas vacaciones (We enjoyed a lively sobremesa talking about our latest vacations).
- Anteayer Meaning: The day before yesterday. Example: Compré estas flores anteayer (I bought these flowers anteayer).
- Friolento/a Meaning: This adjective describes someone who gets cold easily or is always cold. Example: Soy tan friolenta que siempre llevo una chaqueta conmigo (I’m so friolenta that I always carry a jacket with me).
- Alumno Meaning: Literally “someone who has no light”; used as a synonym for “student” to connote that students are people without metaphorical “light” or knowledge, and the teacher is supposed to provide it. Example: Los alumnos esperaban impacientes la llegada del profesor (The alumnos were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the teacher).
- Tocayo Meaning: A person who has the same first name as you. Example: Mi tocayo trabaja en la misma empresa que yo (My tocayo works at the same company as me).
- Trámite Meaning: Each of the administrative steps and procedures that must be followed in a matter until its conclusion. Example: Hacer un trámite en el banco puede ser tedioso (Doing a trámite at the bank can be tedious).
- Morbo Meaning: Unhealthy interest in a morbid person, thing, or situation. Example: Las películas de terror despiertan morbo en algunas personas (Horror movies arouse morbo in some people).
- Parrandear Meaning: To party really hard. Example: Este fin de semana, vamos a parrandear con nuestros amigos (This weekend, we’re going to parrandear with our friends).
- Alfajor Meaning: A snack composed of two thin slices of dough adhered to each other with dulce de leche (caramel) and sometimes covered in chocolate. Example: Compré un delicioso alfajor en la panadería local (I bought a delicious alfajor at the local bakery).
- Narizón Meaning: Adjective used to describe someone who has a big nose. Example: A pesar de ser narizón, Jorge es muy guapo (Despite being narizón, Jorge is very handsome).
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Interesting, right? Let’s try to make a couple of sentences using some of them!
Anteayer el imberbe alumno se desveló toda la madrugada parrandeando con su crápula tocayo
(The day before yesterday the immature student stayed up all night with a licentious person who has the same name as he)
La amazona narizona se empalagó con un alfajor bajo el arrebol
(The horsewoman with a big nose thought the snack was too sweet under the redish clouds illuminated by the sun)
I can guarantee no non native Spanish speaker will understand what on Earth you’re talking about!
