Modismos Chilenos al inglés

A
achuntar	den the nail on the head, guess
agarrar onda	get into (the swing of things)
agarrar papa	be keen on sth.; also: take advantage of
agarrar para el fideo/hueveo*	pull one's leg
¡No estoy ni ahí!	I don't give a rip, I don't care.
ahuevonado/a*, el/la	idiot (see 'huevón')
al tiro	immediately
apretado/a	stingy
arrugar*	bail/flake out
atado, el	problem, difficult situation; argument
atadoso/a	complicated (people and things); quarrelsome
atinar	do the right thing; get it

B
bacán	great, terrific (people and things)
bajón, el	bummer, crisis
El está bajoneado.	He's bummed.
bomba, la	gas station
pasarlo bomba	see 'pasarlo chancho'
bueno	OK
Bueno, ¡ya!	Alright!
bueno para…	be good at something
El es bueno para la pelea.	He likes to argue/to fight

C
cabro/a, el/la	boy/girl; young man/woman; guy
cabro/a chico/a	little boy/girl, kid
cachar	understand (from 'catch')
¿Cachai?	Get it?
Me pegué la cachada.	I got it.
cacho, el	difficult situation
Espérate un cachito.	Just a second!
cachureo, el	stuff, junk
caerse el cassette	spill the beans
Se le cayó el cassette.	He tattled on sth. (confidential)
cagada*, la	misfortune, mishap; disaster (see also, 'crema')
El dejó la cagada.	He wrecked everything.
cagado/a*	stingy; very; "fucked"
Estoy cagada de calor.*	I'm [very] hot.
El está cagado.*	He's in a fix.
cagar*	screw somebody, screw up
La cagaste.*	You screwed up.
ni cagando*	not under any circumstances, no way, never
caleta	quite a lot, very
caleta de veces	very often
callampa, la	slum
Esto vale callampa.	It isn't worth diddly squat.
cana, la	jail
caña, la	hangover (see also, 'hacha')
Ando con la caña.	I'm hung over.
capo, el	expert; clever guy
cara de raja* / careraja*	impudent, rude
cara de palo / carepalo	impudent, rude
carrete, el	bash, party
combo, el	wallop
Le pegué un combo.	II shot him one.
compadre, el	buddy
concho, el	leftover, dregs (esp. in a bottle)
condoro, el	mistake
Se mandó un condoro grande.	He messed up big time.
coñete	stingy
copete, el	alcoholic beverage, liquor
copucha, la	rumor, gossip
correr mano (a alguien)	feel somebody up (sexually motivated)
cortar el queque	have the say, decide (literally, divide the cake up)
¡Córtala!	Cut it out! Quit!
creerse la muerte / la raja	be stuck-up
crema, la	mess (literally: cream)
Quedó la crema.	It was a disaster. (see also, 'escoba')
cuero	figure (of a man/woman)
Ella tiene buen cuero.	She looks great.
cuico/a	snob, upper class person (derogatory)
curado/a	drunk
chacotero/a, el/la	joker, person who tries to be funny
chamullo, el	fib, lie (see also, chiva)
chancho, el	literally: pig
irse al chancho	exaggerate
pasarlo chancho	have a good time, enjoy
chapa, la	(door)lock; code name
chape, el	head
enfermo del chape	crazy (see also, 'mate')
chato/a	full
Estoy chato.	I've had it.
chiva, la	white lie, excuse (see also, 'chamullo')
chocho/a	content, proud, happy
choreado/a	angry, upset
Estoy choreado.	I'm ticked off.
chueco/a	dishonest, false
mandar a la chucha* (a alguien)	tell someone to go to hell
¡Andate a la chucha!*	Go to hell!
chupar	drink; steal
¡Chuta!*	Shit! Also, expression of surprise

D dar bola* / dar pelota* (a alguien) take sb. seriously, pay attention to sb. descueve, el excellent, hot, great despelote, el mess desubicado/a, el/la clueless; someone who flaunts social rules or behaves improperly ¡dónde la viste! You're kidding! (expression of disbelief) E embarrarla mess something up La embarraste con el Pepe. You've really ticked off Pepe. encachado/a great, interesting (people or things) ene lots (from math symbol 'n') enfermo/a de… totally … (literally: sick) El está enfermo de enamorado. He's totally in love. engrupir (a alguien) smoothtalk, talk someone into something (with lies) escoba, la disaster, mess (literally: broom) Ella dejó la escoba. She messed up royally. (see also, 'crema') estar en otra be disinterested El está en otra. His head is someplace else. F facha, la looks, appearance (see also, 'pinta') filo get lost; over firme, la truth fome boring fregado/a difficult; exhausted frito/a stuck, done for (literally: fried) G gallo/a, el/la guy (man or woman) gamba, la 100 pesos ganso/a stupid, naive, slow ¡No seai ganso! Don't be such an idiot! gil, el idiot grado uno/dos/tres "bases" of sexual relations: First base = Kissing; Second base = Petting; Third base = Coitus guagua, la baby guata, la belly guatón/a fatso

H hacer dedo hitch-hike hacer el quite (a alguien) javoid someone hacerse el leso pretend hacer tira destroy hacer tuto see, 'tuto' hacer una vaca go in on (buying sth.) (literally: vaca = cow) hacha, el hangover (alcohol-induced; literally: axe; see also, 'caña') hinchar get on s.o.'s nerves huevada*, la anything, usually unpleasant hueveo*, el practical joke huevear* get on s.o.'s nerves huevón/a*, el/la depending on tone and context, can be friendly ("buddy") to vicious ("Idiot"); often at end of sentence indicating familiarity J jodido/a* complicated Estoy jodido. I'm in trouble. junior, el gofer (in an office) L lanza, el pickpocket lata, la boredom ¡Qué lata! ! What a shame! lesera, la garbage lolo/a, el/la teen-ager luca, la 1000 pesos M maestro chasquilla Handiman who repairs everything, but nothing right mandar a la chucha* see, 'chucha' mate, el head enfermo del mate mentally ill medio/a great, huge (literally: half) ¡La media mina! A hot chick! meter la pata see, 'pata' micro, la city bus de miedo excellent, great mijito/a Dear (from: 'mi hijito/a' = my little son/daughter) milico, el Military personnel (derogatory) mino/a, el/la man / woman (with erotic connotations) mino rico hot guy mortal to kill; great (see, 'muerte') mostrar la hilacha reveal one's real self (negative) movida, la move, robbery; illegal deal; party muerte, la to die for; great N nana, la cleaning woman, nanny, cook (usually all in one) nana puertas adentro live-in maid O once, la "elevenses", tea time onda, la attitude; mood; kind of person; style (see also, 'agarrar onda') Ella es buena onda. . She's nice. ¡Qué mala onda el tipo! That guy is being such an idiot! P paco, el pig (derogatory for: policeman) papa, la baby food; simple and lucrative deal parranda, la boozing pasarse outdo oneself; help (appreciative) ¡Te pasaste! Great job (thank you)! (see also, 'siete') pasarse rollo/película imagine sth., make sth. up; dream of sth. (literally: roll a movie) pata, la literally: foot, leg a pata on foot a pata pelada barefoot meter la pata put your foot in (your mouth), mess up mala pata bad luck patota, la group of friends, followers patudo/a impudent, rude pega, la job, position pelambre, el gossip pelar (a alguien) gossip about a person, badmouth a person pelar cable lose it, act crazy; be mentally ill pelotudo/a* idiot penca cheap, boring pendejo/a, el/la childish person picada, la la cheap (but good) place to eat picarse be mad, upset pichanga, la ipick-up soccer game pichintún a little bit pila a lot of pilas, las literally: batteries ¡Ponte las pilas! Go for it! Try harder! pilucho/a (half) naked (see also, 'en pelota') pillar (a alguien) catch someone pillo/a clever, sharp; rude pinta, la looks, appearance (see also, 'facha') Ella tiene buena pinta. She's goodlooking. pintar monos ato show off, to act exaggeratedly (in order to call attention to oneself) piola perfect; satisfied, full (from eating); quiet, relaxed Quédate piola. Stay calm. pasar piola not call attention to oneself pituto, el (to receive special treatment or privileges) plop expression of surprise or perplexity (from the Chilean comic strip 'Condorito') ¡Quedé plop! I was speechless. po emphasis; usually placed at the end of a sentence (from: 'pues') ¡Ya po! Get going already! pololo/a, el/la boyfriend / girlfriend pololear go steady, to have a serious relationship with someone ponerle color exaggerate, embellish ponerle pino/empeño make one's best effort with something ponerse las pilas see, 'pilas' porfa please (abbreviation of 'por favor') por las puras in vain, for nothing porsiaca just in case; by the way (from: 'por si acaso') pucha oops!, shucks!; sympathy or regret for a bad turn of events (e.g., 'Pucha, Ricardo!') pucho, el cigarette Q queque, el butt (funny) cortar el queque see, 'cortar' R raja* beat, very tired la raja amazing, excellent rajado/a very fast rayado/a crazy, insane rasca of bad quality, poorly made (things); of bad taste or with lacking manners (people) regio/a great, excellent (upper-class slang) regalonear pamper someone; pet rico/a sexy, attractive (literally: delicious) rollo, el difficult situation (see also, 'pasarse rollo') Se metió en un rollo. He's in a fix. roto/a clumsy or vulgar or low class person (upper class slang) S sacarse la mugre/cresta slave, work very hard Me saqué la cresta. . I worked my fingers to the bone. Also: I took a beating. (e.g. in an accident) Le sacaron la cresta. They beat him up. sepa Moya Who knows! siete, un a 10; expression of highest appreciation (from the Chilean school system, 7 = highest grade/mark) Eres un siete. Great job, thanks! (see also, 'pasarse') sonar fail, be very unsuccessful Sonó nuestro plan. Our plan failed / was nixed. soplado/a a very fast; very simple; very clean subirse por el chorro (try to) take advantage of someone or something T taco, el traffic jam talla, la joke Le echamos una talla. We pulled his leg. tincar guess, have a hunch; like Me tinca que esto no va a funcionar. I think that won't work. ¿Te tinca? Do you like that? Do you agree? tira, el plainclothes policeman (derogatory) tirar para arriba overcome a difficult situation (professional or social life, health) Está tirando p' arriba. He's doing better. tirar para la cola bail/flake out tiro al aire, un loose cannon; unpredictable or aimless person tomar el pelo (a alguien) pull someone's leg tuto, el sleepiness (cute) ¿Vamos a hacer tuto? Shall we go to sleep? Todavía tengo tuto. I'm still tired.