SPANISH MINDSET

If you want to live, work or travel to Argentina, you don’t just need “Spanish”.
You need Argentine Spanish – the way real people speak in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Patagonia and beyond.

This guide is based on one full hour of video lessons and years of teaching expats, travelers, digital nomads and people who want to retire in Argentina. Think of it as your Argentine Spanish survival toolkit:

• Argentinian Pronunciation (that famous “sh” sound 👀)
• Vos instead of tú
• Real Argentinian slang and lunfardo
• Argentinian Greetings, kissing culture, insults, nicknames
• Money and transport vocabulary
• Argentinian Expressions you’ll hear every single day
• And how to Learn Spanish in Argentina in a focused, realistic way

Whether you’re Living in Buenos Aires, planning your first trip Argentina, or doing business in Argentina, this is the most complete starting point you’ll find.

Why Argentine Spanish Is So Different

Argentine Spanish (often called español argentino or español rioplatense) is unique because of:

• Heavy influence from Italian immigration
• Local slang called lunfardo
• Different pronouns (vos, ustedes)
• Distinct pronunciation (Y and LL → “sh”)

So if you learned Spanish in Spain, Mexico or a generic online course, you’ll understand a lot—but you’ll quickly realize:

“Wow, people here speak in a different way.”

If you’re an expat in Argentina, a new resident in Argentina, retired in Argentina or someone who want to be fluent in Argentine Spanish adapting to how people actually talk will decide how fast you make friends and feel at home.

Subject Pronouns We Really Use in Argentina

Let’s start from the basics: who is doing the action?

In Argentina we use these subject pronouns:

• yo – I
• vos – you (informal, singular – our “you”)
• él – he
• ella – she
• nosotros / nosotras – we
• ustedes – you all (plural “you”)
• ellos / ellas – they

Notice what is not here: tú and vosotros.

We’ll come back to that in a second.

Special “emotion pronouns” with verbs like gustar

With verbs like gustar (to like), the structure is different. Instead of “I like”, in Spanish we say “to me it pleases”.

In Argentine Spanish you’ll see and hear:

• Me gusta… – I like…
• Te gusta… – You like… (vos)
• Le gusta… – He/She likes… or You (formal) like…
• Nos gusta… – We like…
• Les gusta… – They like… / You all like…

To make it very explicit:

• A mí me gusta el mate. – I like mate.
• A vos te gusta Buenos Aires. – You like Buenos Aires.
• A ellos les gusta Argentina. – They like Argentina.

You’ll use this non-stop if you’re talking about food, cities, people, work… basically, life.

Vos vs Tú: The Heart of Argentine Grammar

In most textbooks you learn:

• tú = you (informal, singular)
• usted = you (formal, singular)

In Argentina, the casual “you” is vos, not tú.

• We say vos trabajás, not tú trabajas
• People will talk to you as vos, not tú

So what happens with tú?

• In most of Argentina (Buenos Aires, Patagonia, central regions):

We almost never use tú in Argentine Spanish

• In some northern provinces (Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca, etc.) you’ll still hear tú, or a mix of tú and vos.

If your life is going to be mainly in Buenos Aires or other big cities, it’s much more useful to focus on vos.

Ustedes, not vosotros

For plural “you”, in Spanish you’ll see:

• vosotros – used in Spain 🇪🇸
• ustedes – used in Latin America

In Argentina we never use vosotros. We always say ustedes:

• Ustedes trabajan – You all work
• Ustedes viven en Argentina – You all live in Argentina

So your Argentina rules are:

• Vos (not tú)
• Ustedes (not vosotros)

Pronunciation: Sound Like a Real Argentinian

Argentine Spanish is famous for one sound: Y and LL pronounced like “sh”.

Argentine Spanish : Y and LL → “sh” (or “zh”)

In many countries:

• yo (I) sounds like “yo”
• lluvia (rain) sounds like “yu-via”
• llamar (to call) sounds like “ya-mar”

In Argentina, especially Living in Buenos Aires and around Río de la Plata, we say:

• yo → sho – I
• llamar → shamar – to call
• lluvia → shuvia – rain
• ella → e-sha – she
• pollo → roughly “po-sho” – chicken

Any time you see Y + vowel or LL + vowel, think “sh” sound (sometimes closer to “zh”, like in “measure”).

This small change will instantly make you sound more local—like someone who wants to Learn Spanish in Argentina, not just pass through.

How to Use Vos: Regular Verb Conjugations

Now the fun (and very important) part: verbs with vos.

Just like in English:

• I am
• You are
• He is

…in Spanish, verbs change depending on the subject. With vos, we change both the ending and the stress.

Vos with -AR verbs (trabajar, hablar, mirar…)

Take trabajar (to work):

• yo trabajo – I work
• tú trabajas – you work (textbook)
• vos trabajás – you work (Argentina)

See the difference?

• Ending: -ás
• Stress: on the last syllable → trabajaJÁS

Other examples:

• vos hablás – you speak
• vos mirás – you look / you watch

Pattern for -AR verbs with vos:

vos + root + -ás
vos trabajás, vos hablás, vos mirás…

Perfect for daily life:

• Vos trabajás remoto. – You work remotely.
• ¿Vos hablás español? – Do you speak Spanish?

Vos with -ER verbs (comer, aprender, hacer…)

Now comer (to eat):

• tú comes – textbook
• vos comés – Argentina

Examples:

• vos aprendés – you learn
• vos hacés – you do / make

Pattern for -ER verbs with vos:

vos + root + -és
vos comés, vos aprendés, vos hacés…

Examples useful for a Traveler in Argentina:

• ¿Vos comés carne? – Do you eat meat?
• ¿Qué hacés en Argentina? – What do you do in Argentina?

Vos with -IR verbs (vivir, escribir, recibir…)

For -IR verbs, vos usually takes -ís:

• vos vivís – you live
• vos escribís – you write
• vos recibís – you receive

Pattern for -IR verbs with vos:

vos + root + -ís
vos vivís, vos escribís, vos recibís…

You’ll need these all the time:

• ¿Vos vivís en Buenos Aires? – Do you live in Buenos Aires?
• ¿En qué barrio vivís? – In which neighborhood do you live?

Essential Irregular Verbs with Vos

These are the verbs you absolutely need for Living in Buenos Aires, doing business in Argentina, or being a confident traveler.

I’ll give you yo and vos:

• ir – to go
  • yo voy
  • vos vas – you go
• ser – to be (permanent)
  • yo soy
  • vos sos – you are

Vos sos extranjero. – You are a foreigner.

• estar – to be (temporary/location)
  • yo estoy
  • vos estás – you are

¿Vos estás en Argentina ahora? – Are you in Argentina now?

• tener – to have
  • yo tengo
  • vos tenés – you have

Vos tenés tiempo mañana. – You have time tomorrow.

• hacer – to do/make
  • yo hago
  • vos hacés – you do

¿Qué hacés acá? – What are you doing here?

• poder – can / to be able to
  • yo puedo
  • vos podés – you can

¿Podés hablar más despacio? – Can you speak more slowly?

• poner – to put
  • yo pongo
  • vos ponés – you put
• venir – to come
  • yo vengo
  • vos venís – you come

¿Cuándo venís a Argentina? – When are you coming to Argentina?

• salir – to go out / to leave
  • yo salgo
  • vos salís – you go out
• decir – to say / tell
  • yo digo
  • vos decís – you say / you tell

¿Qué decís? – What are you saying? / What do you think?

If you only master these verbs with vos, you can already survive a big part of your trip to Argentina.

Greetings and Kissing Culture in Argentina

If you’re new in Argentina, there is one cultural thing that surprises everyone:

We greet with a kiss on the cheek. Everyone. All the time.

The famous Argentinian cheek kiss

• Man to woman ✅
• Woman to woman ✅
• Man to man ✅ (friends, family, coworkers)
• Adults and kids ✅

It’s usually one kiss on the cheek in Buenos Aires. In some areas like Córdoba or other provinces, it can be two.

It’s not a “real” kiss—just cheeks touching lightly.

If you meet your partner’s parents and only shake hands, it can feel too cold or too formal. The kiss shows warmth and closeness.

Everyday Argentinian Spanish greetings

Some super common Argentine greetings:

• Hola, ¿cómo andás?
  Literally: “How do you walk?” – Actually means: How are you?
• Hola, ¿todo bien? – Hi, everything good?
• ¿Cómo va? – How’s it going?
• ¿Qué onda? – What’s up? (informal)
• Hola, ¿cómo andás, che? – Hi, how are you, mate?

Use the more informal ones (¿qué onda?) with friends, not with your doctor or in very formal situations.

Saying goodbye in Argentinian Spanish

We almost always say:

• Chau – bye
• Nos vemos – see you
• Nos vemos, chau. – See you, bye.

Often with another cheek kiss when you leave.

Insults, Nicknames and “Che”: How We Really Talk

Every foreigner notices the same thing:

“Argentines insult a lot… but they’re laughing!”

Context is everything.

Friendly insults: boludo, pelotudo & more

Two of the most famous words:

• boludo / boluda
• pelotudo / pelotuda

Literally they mean something like “idiot / stupid”, but:

• With friends, boludo often means “dude / bro”

Che boludo, mirá esto. – Dude, look at this.

• Pelotudo is stronger, more offensive. You might still hear it among close friends joking, but be careful.

We also have many expressions like:

• ¡La concha de la lora! – A very strong “damn it!”
• La puta madre – Another strong “damn/f*ck”

These are not usually directed at a person, but at a situation (you drop your phone, miss the bus, etc.).

“Che”: the magic Argentine word

Che is our classic word. It’s used to:

• Call someone’s attention: Che, escuchá. – Hey, listen.
• Say “dude / man / hey you”: Che, boludo.

You can move it:

• Che, ¿qué hacés? – Hey, what are you doing?
• ¿Qué hacés, che? – What are you doing, man?

It’s informal, but extremely common in daily life. If you want to sound more local, start using che.

Chamuyar: flirting and sweet-talking

A very Argentine verb: chamuyar.

It can mean:

• To flirt
• To sweet-talk
• To “BS” (say what people want to hear, not always true)

Examples:

• Los políticos chamuyan mucho. – Politicians sweet-talk/lie a lot.
• Tengo un amigo que chamuyá a todas las minas. – I have a friend who tries to flirt with every girl.

Nouns:

• el chamuyo – the flirting / the BS / the sweet-talk
• chamuyero / chamuyera – someone who flirts or sweet-talks a lot

Very useful if you’re dating or doing business in Argentina and you want to recognize when someone is selling you a dream. 😉

10 Essential Argentine Expressions You’ll Hear on Day One

Here are expressions you will hear in your first week in Argentina:

1. ¿Cómo andás? – How are you?
2. Che boludo… – Hey dude… (friendly)
3. Estoy al horno. – I’m in big trouble / I’m screwed.
4. Estoy al pedo. – I have nothing to do / I’m just chilling.
5. Ni en pedo. – No way / Hell no. (literally: not even drunk)
6. ¡Qué quilombo! – What a mess / What a disaster.
7. Ponele… – Let’s say… / Kind of… / Maybe…
8. Estoy hecho bolsa. – I’m exhausted / I’m destroyed.
9. Tengo fiaca. – I feel lazy / I don’t feel like doing it.
10. Hoy estoy boludeando. – I’m just messing around / doing nothing important today.

Memorize these and you’ll suddenly understand much more of what happens around you.

Talking About People the Argentinian Way

We have lots of words to refer to people, especially in a friendly or informal way.

• pibe / piba – kid, young guy/girl

Mi hermano tiene dos pibes. – My brother has two kids.

• nene / nena – child, little boy/girl
• flaco / flaca – guy / girl / dude (literally “skinny”)

¿Qué hace este flaco? – What is this guy doing? (can be a bit aggressive depending on tone)

• chabón / chabona – guy / girl, very common
• tipo / tipa – guy / woman (neutral, used in many countries)

For parents, in slang we say:

• mi viejo – my dad
• mi vieja – my mom

Example:

• Mi viejo me dijo que va a laburar. – My dad told me he’s going to work.
• Mi vieja quiere que vaya con ella. – My mom wants me to go with her.

Careful: in Mexican Spanish, mi vieja can mean “my girlfriend/wife”. In Argentina, that’s usually mi novia, mi mujer, or we use a nickname.

Money Vocabulary for Surviving Prices in Argentina

If you’re Living in Buenos Aires or planning a trip Argentina, you must understand how we talk about money. We have many words just for pesos.

Basic words for “money”

• plata – money (most common)
• guita – money (slang)
• tarasca – money (slang, very informal)

Example:

• No tengo plata. – I don’t have money.
• ¿Tenés guita? – Do you have money?

Amounts: mango, luca, palo, verde

• peso – the official currency, but we rarely say “dinero”, we say plata.
• mango – 1 peso / small amounts

No tengo un mango. – I’m broke.

• luca – 1,000 pesos

Sale cinco lucas. – It costs 5,000 pesos.

• palo – 1,000,000 pesos

Un auto usado cuesta como ocho palos. – A used car costs around 8 million pesos.

• verde – US dollar (“green”)

Cuesta ocho mil verdes. – It costs 8,000 dollars.

You’ll hear these constantly in business in Argentina, renting, buying, or just having a beer with friends.

Transport & Directions: Move Like a Local

To travel inside Argentina like a real traveler (and not get lost every five minutes), learn these words.

Vehicles in Argentinian Spanish

• auto – car (we don’t say carro here)
• colectivo / bondi – bus
• subte – subway (only in Buenos Aires)
• taxi – taxi
• tacho – taxi (slang)
• taxista / tachero – taxi driver

Examples:

• Tengo un auto azul. – I have a blue car.
• Voy en bondi. – I’m going by bus.
• ¿Dónde está el subte? – Where is the subway?

To stop the bus, you raise your hand a bit, like a signal. If you don’t, the bondi might just pass by.

Directions: acá, ahí, allá

We use:

• acá – here (we rarely say aquí)
• ahí – there (near)
• allá – over there (farther away)

Other essential words:

• dirección – address / directions
• cuadra – block
• esquina – corner

Examples:

• ¿Cuál es la dirección? – What is the address?
• ¿Cómo llego a esta dirección? – How do I get to this address?
• Faltan diez cuadras. – There are ten blocks left.
• En la esquina hay un kiosco. – There is a kiosk on the corner.

Paying and prices

• plata – money
• billete – banknote
• moneda – coin / currency (people rarely use coins)
• costar – to cost

Examples:

• ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? – How much does this cost?
• Sale cinco lucas. – It costs 5,000 pesos.
• Pago en efectivo, tengo billetes. – I pay in cash, I have banknotes.

How to Actually Learn Argentine Spanish in record time

Now that you’ve seen this giant overview, you might feel two things:

1. Excited, because Argentine Spanish is fun and expressive.
2. Overwhelmed, because there’s a lot to learn.

Here’s the good news:

You don’t need perfect grammar to:

• Move to Argentina
• Be fluent in Argentinian Spanish
• Start a business in Argentina
• Work as a digital nomad in Argentina
• Or enjoy being retired in Argentina without feeling isolated

What you really need is a “traveler / resident level”:

• You can order, ask, negotiate, explain basic things
• You understand vos, slang, money, transport
• You can handle real conversations, not just Duolingo sentences

That’s exactly what I work on in my 1 to 1 Programs to learn Argentinian Spanish:

Argentine Spanish: The Definitive Beginner’s Guide (1 hr video )

How I Can Help You Speak Argentinian Spanish

If you’re serious about traveling, moving to Argentina, or just finally learning the language that you’ve always wanted to speak — I’m here to help.

I’m Nicolas Gonzalez Miño, Argentine Spanish teacher, owner of the YouTube Channel “Spanish with Nico”, the founder of Spanish Mindset Academy – Learn Argentinian Spanish and the author of Mini Stories to Learn Spanish for Beginners, available on Amazon. Also, I have 2 podcast Argento Podcast, & Argentine Spanish from Scratch where I teach real Argentinian Spanish and slang.

In my YouTube Channel “Spanish with Nico”, with +1500 subscribers, I teach Spanish language and our dialect -Argentinian Spanish- and I explain everything about Argentinian history and culture.

In my individual programs (private 1:1 online classes), you can learn Argentine Spanish from scratch, for traveling, living, or doing business, and finally ACHIEVE FLUENCY in Argentine Spanish.  Start learning Argentinian Spanish with me right now and be free in ARGENTINA!

👉 Ready to start?

Check the links below to join my 1:1 program to learn Argentinian Spanish in private lessons or contact me directly on here.

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