20 Peruvian Spanish Slang Words and Expressions Only Locals Use
From causa to al toque, Peruvian Spanish has a slang all its own. Here are 20 words and expressions locals use every day, explained with examples.
Peru has a slang that can leave even other Spanish speakers guessing. Peruvian Spanish slang blends Quechua, coastal humor, and a lot of Lima street talk, and using a few of these words is the fastest way to stop sounding like a textbook and start sounding like a local.
Below are 20 Peruvian Spanish slang words and expressions locals really use. For each one you get the meaning, an example in context, and the English translation, so you know exactly when to drop it.
Peruvian Slang for People and Friends
Peruvians have a whole vocabulary just for their crew.
1. Causa
Meaning: Close friend, buddy. Yes, it is also a famous potato dish, but here it means your ride or die.
Example: "¿Qué tal, causa?" ("What's up, buddy?")
2. Pata
Meaning: Friend, mate. Mi pata is my friend, and una pata can also mean a good person.
Example: "Él es mi pata del colegio." ("He's my friend from school.")
3. Chochera / choche
Meaning: Your group of close friends, or a single close friend. Very limeño.
Example: "Salí con la chochera anoche." ("I went out with my crew last night.")
4. Chibolo / chibola
Meaning: A kid, a young person, sometimes said to tease someone acting immature.
Example: "Ese chibolo no sabe nada de la vida." ("That kid knows nothing about life.")
5. Pituco / pituca
Meaning: A posh, snobby, upper class person. Usually said with a raised eyebrow.
Example: "Se fue a vivir a la zona pituca." ("He moved to the posh part of town.")
Peruvian Slang for Everyday Life
The words that fill ordinary conversation in Peru.
6. Al toque
Meaning: Right away, immediately, in a flash.
Example: "Termino esto y voy al toque." ("I'll finish this and come right away.")
7. Jato / jatear
Meaning: Jato is home or a place to crash; jatear means to sleep.
Example: "Estoy cansado, me voy al jato." ("I'm tired, I'm heading home.")
8. Chamba / chambear
Meaning: Work or a job; chambear is to work. In Peru it carries real pride in hustling.
Example: "Mañana tengo chamba temprano." ("I've got work early tomorrow.")
9. Bacán
Meaning: Cool, great, awesome. One of the most positive words in Peruvian Spanish.
Example: "La fiesta estuvo bacán." ("The party was awesome.")
10. Tono / tonear
Meaning: A party; tonear is to party. Where the whole chochera ends up on a Saturday.
Example: "Hay tono en casa de Juan." ("There's a party at Juan's place.")
11. Misio / misia
Meaning: Broke, out of money.
Example: "No puedo salir, ando misio." ("I can't go out, I'm broke.")
12. Luca
Meaning: One sol (the currency). Diez lucas is ten soles.
Example: "Me costó veinte lucas." ("It cost me twenty soles.")
Slang like this only clicks when you hear it in real conversations. Our Short Stories in Peruvian Spanish drop these words into everyday Lima scenes, so you learn the rhythm and the context, not just a list.
13. Yapa
Meaning: A little something extra, thrown in for free (from Quechua yapay, to add). Ask for it at any market.
Example: "Casera, ¿me da mi yapa?" ("Vendor, can I get a little extra?")
14. Roche
Meaning: Embarrassment, shame. Qué roche is how embarrassing.
Example: "Me caí en la calle, qué roche." ("I fell in the street, so embarrassing.")
15. Palta
Meaning: Literally avocado, but as slang it means an embarrassing or awkward situation.
Example: "Se olvidó mi nombre, qué palta." ("He forgot my name, how awkward.")
16. Piña
Meaning: Bad luck. Estar con piña is to be having a rough run.
Example: "Perdí las llaves, estoy con piña." ("I lost my keys, I'm having bad luck.")
Peruvian Slang Expressions and Reactions
Whole phrases that pack in the attitude.
17. Asu / asu mare
Meaning: An exclamation of surprise or admiration, softened from a su madre.
Example: "¡Asu, qué carro!" ("Whoa, what a car!")
18. Habla causa
Meaning: A casual greeting, roughly what's up, dude. Habla on its own also works.
Example: "¡Habla causa! ¿Cómo va todo?" ("What's up, man! How's everything?")
19. Floro / florear
Meaning: Smooth talk, sweet talk, or plain BS. Puro floro means all talk, no substance.
Example: "No le creas, es puro floro." ("Don't believe him, it's all talk.")
20. Monse
Meaning: Dull, silly, a bit slow or lame.
Example: "Esa película estuvo monse." ("That movie was lame.")
How to Use Peruvian Slang Naturally
To go from reading to sounding like a limeño:
- Start with the safe ones. Bacán, al toque, chamba, and causa are friendly and hard to misuse. Lead with those.
- Watch the register. Slang is for friends and casual settings, not a job interview or a formal email.
- Meet the words in context. The Peruvian Spanish Phrasebook gives you the everyday language these expressions live inside.
Keep exploring Latin American Spanish: compare Peru with 20 Chilean slang words and expressions and 20 Argentinian slang expressions from lunfardo, and dig into the wisdom side with 25 Latin American proverbs.