SPANISH MINDSET

If you’re planning to Travel to Argentina, chances are your first stop will be Buenos Aires. Maybe you’re one of the many expats in Argentina, or maybe you’re thinking about being retired in Argentina and enjoying a slower lifestyle.

Whatever your plan is, there’s one thing you’ll notice immediately:

👉 People don’t speak the Spanish you learned in textbooks.

They use Argentine Spanish (also called español rioplatense), full of slang, special pronunciation, and unique expressions. In your first week living in Buenos Aires, you will hear the 10 phrases in this article again and again.

So let’s turn confusion into confidence.
By the end of this post, you’ll understand:

• What each expression means
• When you should (and shouldn’t) use it
• How locals use it in real life

Perfect if you want to Learn Spanish in Argentina and sound less like a tourist and more like someone who gets it.

1. “¿Cómo andás?” – The Real “How are you?” in Argentina

In standard Spanish, you probably learned:

¿Cómo estás? – How are you?

We do say that in Argentina, but the most natural, local version is:

¿Cómo andás? – How are you? / How’s it going?

The verb andar literally means to walk / to go around, but in Argentine Spanish we use it a lot like the verb to be / to be doing.

How to answer “¿Cómo andás?”

A simple, friendly answer:

• Ando muy bien, gracias. ¿Y vos?
  I’m doing very well, thanks. And you?

You can also use andar + gerund to say what you’ve been up to:

• Ando trabajando acá. – I’ve been working here.
• Ando estudiando acá. – I’ve been studying here.
• Ando visitando Buenos Aires. – I’ve been visiting Buenos Aires.

Or with adjectives:

• Ando feliz. – I’m feeling happy lately.
• Ando cansado. – I’m feeling tired.
• Ando medio triste. – I’m kind of sad.

💡 If you’re a traveler or a new expat in Argentina, this is a great “anchor phrase” to start small talk with locals.

2. “Che, boludo” – The Iconic Argentine “Hey, dude”

Two of the most famous Argentine words together:

Che, boludo.

Rough translation: “Hey, dude.”

• che ≈ hey / yo / mate
• boludo literally means stupid, but that’s not how we usually use it.

In everyday Argentine Spanish, boludo is often a friendly word meaning “dude / bro / man”.

Boludo – Friendly vs. offensive

It’s all about tone and context:

• Friendly:
  • Che, boludo, ¿cómo andás? – Hey dude, how’s it going?
• Angry or aggressive tone:
  • Then it really means “idiot / jerk”.

If you’re Living in Buenos Aires and hanging out with locals, you’ll hear boludo all the time among friends. As a foreigner, it’s safer to listen first and then slowly copy how your local friends use it.

⚠️ There is also pelotudo, which is stronger and more often an insult. Learn it so you understand it, but use it carefully.

3. “Estar al horno” – To Be “In the Oven”

Literally:

Estar al horno – to be in the oven 🍞

Real meaning: to be in trouble / in a bad situation.

Example:

• Mañana tengo un examen y no estudié nada. Estoy al horno.
  Tomorrow I have an exam and I didn’t study at all. I’m screwed.

You can use it anytime you feel stuck, stressed or in a problem you can’t easily fix:

• Con los trámites para el banco estoy al horno.
  With the bank paperwork I’m in trouble.

Useful phrase for expats in Argentina dealing with visas, banks, AFIP, etc. (you’ll use it a lot 😅).

4. “Estar al pedo” – To Have Nothing to Do / To Be Pointless

This one is very Argentine and very informal.

Estar al pedo – break down

• pedo = fart 🤢
• But here it means:
  1. To have nothing to do
  2. To be pointless / useless

Meaning 1: Having nothing to do

You’re free, bored, and don’t have plans:

• Che, Nico, el sábado estoy al pedo. Si querés, nos juntamos.
  Hey Nico, on Saturday I have nothing to do. If you want, we can meet.

Perfect for digital nomads in Argentina on a lazy weekend.

Meaning 2: Something that has no purpose

When something exists for no reason, or you pay for something you don’t use:

• Pagar el gimnasio es al pedo porque nunca voy.
  Paying for the gym is pointless because I never go.
• Comprar otra computadora es al pedo porque no la voy a usar.
  Buying another computer is pointless because I won’t use it.

Very useful when you start looking at prices and subscriptions while living in Buenos Aires and thinking: “Esto es al pedo.”

5. “Ni en pedo” – No Way / Hell No

Very close to al pedo, but with a different meaning.

Ni en pedo – literally “not even drunk”.

If I were drunk, I still wouldn’t do it. So the real meaning is:

• No way
• Hell no

Example:

• Ni en pedo viajo 10 horas en un colectivo.
  No way I’m traveling 10 hours on a bus.

(You’ll say this at least once in Argentina… and then you’ll end up taking that 20-hour bus to Patagonia anyway.)

You can use it anytime someone suggests something you strongly don’t want to do:

• —¿Querés ir al boliche hasta las 7 a.m.?
  Do you want to go clubbing until 7 a.m.?
• —Ni en pedo.
  Hell no.

Informal, but super common with friends, coworkers, roommates, etc.

6. “Qué quilombo” – What a Mess!

Another classic:

Qué quilombo. – What a mess / what a chaos / what a disaster.

quilombo = a big problem, a chaotic situation, a crazy mess.

Examples:

• El tráfico en Buenos Aires siempre es un quilombo.
  Traffic in Buenos Aires is always a mess.
• En migraciones había un quilombo de gente.
  At immigration there was a huge mess of people.

If you really want to emphasize:

• Qué desastre. – What a disaster (stronger)
• Es un requilombo. – It’s a huge mess.

This is one of those words you’ll hear constantly if you’re doing business in Argentina, dealing with bureaucracy, or simply trying to cross Avenida 9 de Julio at rush hour.

7. “Ponele” – “Let’s Say / Maybe”

This one is subtle but very Argentine.

Ponele – comes from poner (to put)

We don’t use it literally. We use it like:

• Let’s say…
• Maybe…
• Suppose that…

Examples:

• Ponele que mañana voy al kiosco.
  Let’s say I go to the kiosk tomorrow. / Maybe I’ll go to the kiosk tomorrow.
• Ponele que no me gusta el mate, ¿qué otra bebida me recomendarías?
  Let’s say I don’t like mate, what other drink would you recommend?

It’s very useful when you want to speak hypothetically or softly, instead of being too direct. Great for small talk, dating, or brainstorming business ideas in Argentina.

8. “Estar hecho bolsa” – To Be Exhausted / In Bad Shape

Literally:

Estar hecho bolsa – to be “made like a bag”.

Real meaning: to be destroyed / exhausted / in very bad shape.

You can use it about:

1. Your body / energy:
   • Después del gimnasio estoy hecho bolsa.
     After the gym I’m completely exhausted.
2. Places or things (very damaged):
   • Este lugar está hecho bolsa.
     This place is in really bad shape.

If you’re a traveler doing long hikes or a digital nomad in Argentina working late and then going out, you’ll love this expression:

• Dormí 3 horas, hoy estoy hecho bolsa.
  I slept 3 hours, today I’m dead tired.

9. “Tener fiaca” – To Feel Lazy

Another gentle, very Argentine way to talk about laziness:

Tener fiaca – to feel lazy / to not feel like doing something.

Examples:

• Tengo fiaca para ir al supermercado hoy.
  I feel too lazy to go to the supermarket today.
• Es una fiaca viajar tantos días.
  It’s such a drag to travel so many days.

You’ll hear this from retired in Argentina folks on a hot summer day, from locals on a Sunday, and from expats in Argentina when Spanish bureaucracy feels like too much.

It’s informal but not rude, so you can use it in most casual situations.

This expression comes from italian, learn more about Argentine Spanish and Italian here.

10. “Boludear” / “Pelotudear” – To Fool Around / To Mess with Someone

From our famous words again:

• boludo – stupid (but often “dude”)
• pelotudo – stronger insult (“idiot / asshole”)

From those words we get two verbs:

boludear and pelotudear

Boludear

Real meaning: to fool around / to waste time / to mess around.

Example:

• Hoy estoy en casa boludeando. No tengo nada importante para hacer.
  Today I’m at home just messing around. I don’t have anything important to do.

It’s informal, but used all the time. Perfect to describe those days when you’re not working, not studying, just scrolling and chilling.

Pelotudear

Same idea, but stronger, more vulgar.

• No me gusta que me pelotudeen.
  I don’t like people messing with me / treating me like an idiot.

Use it when you’re annoyed, when someone is disrespecting you, or when something feels unfair. If you’re doing business in Argentina, you might hear locals say it when they feel someone is trying to take advantage of them.

🔥 Rule of thumb:
boludear = to fool around (softer)
pelotudear = to fuck around / to mess with someone (stronger)

Learn more about Boludo & Pelotudo here.

How to Start Using These Expressions Safely

If you’re new to Argentine Spanish and your goal is to Learn Spanish in Argentina for real life (not just exams), these 10 expressions are gold.

Here’s how to practice them:

1. Choose 3–4 expressions to focus on this week.
   For example: ¿Cómo andás?, che boludo, ni en pedo, qué quilombo.
2. Write 3 example sentences for each one.
   Use your real life: work, friends, travel, your stay in Buenos Aires.
3. Use them with locals.
   In cafés, coworking spaces, language exchanges, or with Argentine friends online.
4. Listen for them in the wild.
   Watch Argentine series, YouTube, or listen to podcasts. Every time you hear quilombo or ponele, pause and ask yourself what it means in that context.

Watch this video where I explain more about this:

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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