Before coming to Spain, I understood Spanish because my mom’s Mexican, so I understand the language fairly well. Spanish spoken in Spain and Spanish spoken in Mexico are pretty different, especially when it comes to slang. Here are some slang phrases that I hear pretty much every day.
1. “Que Guay!”
This means, cool! It can be used for objects or people. I hear it all the time. When I tell people I’m from Chicago, the response is always, “Que Guay!”
2. “Vale!”
The amount of times I hear this a day is a little sickening. Vale, can basically be used for anything, but it’s meaning is okay. But, it’s said probably more than 100 times a day. It can also be used as like yes! For an example: “We’re going out tonight?” “Vale” or “I’ll see you later,” “Vale!”
3. “No Pasa Nada”
This is a very common phrase used by adults, such as professors, house family, international directors, etc. It’s just a reassurance that everything’s all good. One time I ran late to a meeting and as I arrived, I apologized to my international director. “No pasa nada,” the director said. It’s just a way to tell you that you’re fine and not to worry.
5. “Guapo(a)”
Guapo literally means handsome and guapa means beautiful. It’s very common to say that you look nice or cute at that moment, in a friendly way. But, it all depends how you say it, because you can also use it in a flirting way to a guy or girl you think is cute.