SPANISH MINDSET

What is a «APODO»? Well, in English, a nickname is the same as apodo in Spanish, which we can describe as names that family or friends affectionately give to their loved ones.

Now, why do I want to talk about this today? It’s because in Argentina, everyone—or almost everyone—has a nickname. But the nicknames I’m talking about are not very common in English—not at all. If you’re not familiar with Argentine culture, traditions, or how Argentinians are, these nicknames might sound racist, rude, aggressive, or offensive to you.

However, the truth is that in Argentina, these nicknames are super common—or as we say here, «moneda corriente«. This is a Spanish phrase that means something very common. These nicknames are moneda corriente because everyone uses them, and people call their friends by similar nicknames.

Now, what are these nicknames? Well, I’m going to tell you some of them.

Let’s start with the first one. For example, if you’re a white person with blonde hair, your nickname would be Polaco or Ruso (Polish or Russian).

Why? Well, because you look like you’re from that country. You might also be called Gringo. You should know that it doesn’t matter whether you’re actually German, Russian, or Polish—it really doesn’t matter. If you look like someone from Russia or Poland, we will call you Polaco or Ruso, regardless of your actual nationality.

Another very common and famous nickname—used even in my own family—is Negro, Negrito, or Negrita. This word literally means «black» in English, but in Argentina and all over Latin America, we use it affectionately, like a friendly term. It is not an insult, not offensive, and not a bad thing at all. In Latin America, and in Argentina specifically, we have never had issues with this term. In fact, we were the first country in Latin America to abolish slavery.

So, we use this nickname for people who are somewhat or completely dark-skinned. For example, my mother, my father, and some relatives of mine have a darker complexion, a more «Latino» skin tone, and their common nickname is Negro or Negrito. In the whole family, they are known by these names.

Now, let’s look at other examples.

The word Gordo, Gorda, Gordi, Gordito, etc., literally means fat—that is, a person with a large body or a big belly. This nickname is super common everywhere.

In fact, I have friends and relatives—three uncles, actually—who are known as Gordo because they are overweight. So, they don’t have a name anymore—they are just Gordo at least in our family and among their friends.

It’s also important to know that this word is widely used between couples, between boyfriends and girlfriends. It’s common for a woman to call her boyfriend Gordi, or for a man to call his girlfriend Gordi. It’s funny because it literally means «fat,» but Gordi is the affectionate or diminutive form of Gordo.

So, you have to keep in mind that in Argentina, you’ll hear a lot of words like these.

I’m going to tell you a couple more nicknames so you can get familiar with them and understand that this type of word is very common:

• Cabezón: A person with a big head.
• Chino: A person with Asian features (not necessarily Asian).
• Narigón: A person with a big nose.
• Turco: A person with Arab or Turkish-like features.

And there are many more! Really, there are tons of nicknames based on animals and all sorts of things.

For example, in Argentine football (soccer) or television, there are many famous people or well-known players with nicknames like these.

So, if you’d like to learn more about these kinds of nicknames, you have to come to Argentina, talk to Argentinians, and ask them what their nickname is or if they have one. You can also watch Argentine TV shows, series, or videos, and you’ll come across many, many of these nicknames.

SPANISH MINDSET PROGRAM.

By the way, if you’re a traveler to Argentina looking to learn Spanish for living or for a trip, I invite you to check out my Spanish Mindset program. With this program, you can learn Spanish in 1 / 4 months (for traveling) or 8 months (for living). Just click on the bottom «Apply now» above!