I created this reference page to help travelers to Panama understand the local lingo. (Of course, it helps to understand Spanish as well.)
This is a work in progress. If you have any more Panamanian idiom, colloquialism, slang term or saying additions or corrections, let me know. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it!
Special thanks to my wife and kids who helped me with the list!
| Colloquialisms | United States English Equivalent/Translation/Literal Meaning |
Description/Use | Example in Spanish & Translation |
| Ajo! |
Oh! Ooh! lit. garlic |
Exclamation used when you are suprised by something or when you are trying to instigate something. |
Ajo! Te dehaste ganar. Ooh! You let him win! |
|
Alla la vida! Alla la Máquina! Alla la Bestia! |
Holy Cow! | Exclamation used when you are surprised by something that (usually negative) has happened. |
Alla la Vida! Chocaron los carros! Holy Cow! The cars crashed! |
| Arranque |
Party (n.) lit. starting point |
Vamos pal arranque! Let's go to the party! |
|
| Biencuidao | Person that normally stands aournd parking areas outside shopping centers, movie theaters, churches and just about anywhere there is parking lot and watches cars while people go where they need to go. They normally expect some money when you leave, normally 25 cents or more depending on the area and time of day. | ||
| Bobo/a | Dummy | Used as an adjective or noun to indicate that someone is foolish. |
Que boba es ella. Se dejo congiar. She's a dummy. She was taken for a fool. |
| Bueno/a (adj.) |
Fine Hot lit. Good (as in in good enough to eat) |
Used to informally describe a person that is sexually appealing to the speaker. |
Ese man esta bueno! That guy is fine! |
| Chachariar | Complain |
A ella si le gusta chachariar. She sure does like to complain. |
|
| Chifiar | To trick someone or to be tricked by someone | Verb used when a person tricks someone or a person is tricked. |
Te chifio. He tricked you. |
| Chiquillo/a | Kid |
El se porta como un chiquillo. He acts like a kid. |
|
| Chispa |
Sharp lit. spark |
Verb used to describe some that is very sharp and smart |
El esta bien chispa. Tiene puros 5s. He is very sharp. He has all A's. |
| Chuleta! |
Oh Man! lit. porkchop |
Exclamation used when something that you don't want to happen, happens. |
Chuleta! Me Olvidé mi cartera! Oh Man! I forgot my wallet! |
| Chuso! | Darn it! | Exclamation used when a person remembers that s/he forgot something or is surprised. |
Chuso! Me cortaste me braso! Darn it! You cut my arm off! |
| Cocobolo |
Bald Baldie |
Used as a noun or an adjective to refer to someone that is baldor going bald. |
Mira ese cocobolo! Look at that baldie! Esta a la par del tipo cocobolo. He's next to the bald guy. |
| Con el huevo encima |
Slow lit. carrying eggs |
Used as an adjective to describe someone that is or is being slow. |
Miralo! Anda con el huevo encima! Look at him! He is so slow. |
| Con la papa en la boca |
Speaks hoity-toity (similar) lit. with a potato in his/her mouth |
Used to refer to someone that talks in a pompous manner. |
Ella si habla con la papa en la boca. She talks very hoity-toity. |
| Congiar |
To be taken for a fool or to take someone for a fool Con someone |
Verb used to indicate that someone has been conned or that someone is conning someone else. |
No te dejes congiar! Pide un recibo! Don't be taken for a fool! Ask for a receipt! |
| Congo | Fool | Used as a noun to refer to somoeone that acting foolish or being taken as a fool. |
No seas congo, pide mas. Don't be a fool, ask for more. |
| De la high | High class | Used as an adjective to describe a person that is "high class" or is acting "high class" in a deragatory or "not so nice" manner. Often said mockingly "con la papa en la boca" (see below). |
Hay si, ella es de la high. Yeah, she's high class. El se cree de la high. He thinks he's high class. |
|
Diablo Rojo dee-ah-bloh roh-hoh |
lit. Red Devil | Panamanian buses | |
|
Doctor/a |
Sir Madame |
In addition to using this salutation when addressing someone that has graduated from a university with a doctorate's degree, this salutation is used to address someone in a polite manner. Most of the time, people that have Bachelor's Degree or higher want to be addressed as licenciado/a or enginiero/a so some people default to doctor when addressing someone so that others may not be offended. |
Doctor, como le puedo ayudar? Sir, how can I help you? |
| Fashion |
Stylish In fashion |
Used as an adjective to describe someone that is stylish. |
Ella si esta fashion con ese vestido. She's really stylish with that dress. |
| Fitness |
In shape, good physical condition |
Used as an adjective to describe someone that is in shape. |
Ahora si estoy fitness! Now I'm in good shape. |
| Fren | Friend, Bud, Dude | This is the Panamanian version of the English word: Friend |
Que sopa, fren! What's up, bud! |
| Fulo/a | Blondie |
Esa fula está buena! That blondie is hot! |
|
|
Is (pronounced eess) |
Yes | ||
| Jooo! (J pronounced like an H and the long o sound as in "whoa" or "oh") | Sometimes similar to Whoa! (US English) | An exclamation used to express one's surprise when someone else haas exaggerated (in any manner including consumption of food). |
JOOO! Tu SI comes! Whoa! You sure DO eat! |
| Jefe, Jefa | Boss | In addition to using this salutation when addressing the boss, this salutation is used to address someone in a polite manner who is in higher position. |
Donde quiere esto, jefe? Where do you want this, boss? |
| Joven |
Miss Mister (not usually) |
Salutation normally used to politely address a younger lady working at store or other place where they tend to customers. It is not normally used to address men. |
Joven, me puede dar la cuenta por favor? Miss, may I please have the bill? |
| Lizo |
Smart-alecky Fresh lit. slippery |
Adjective used to describe someone that is fresh or smart-alecky. |
Tu eres lizo! Porque me tocaste? You are fresh! Why did you touch me? |
| Juega Vivo | lit. play alive | ||
| Loco |
Man lit. crazy |
Normally means crazy, but depending on the context could mean "man." |
Que paso, loco? What's up, man? |
| Los Locos Somos Mas! | lit. (as closely translated as possible) There are more of us crazy people! | Common slogan used by the Ricardo Martinelli 2009 Presidential Campaign. The campaign started using it after the competing party's presidential candidate Balbina Herrera called Martinelli "loco" (crazy). It was often seen on bumper stickers. | N/A |
| Meto! |
Man! Hey! |
General exclamation used for any number of things. See examples. This expression is only customary of people from the Panamanian province of Chiriquí. |
Meto! Man! Meto! Que te pasa? Man! What's wrong with you? |
|
Mi Amor |
Honey Hun (as commonly used Baltimore, Maryland) Love |
Besides it's use when speaking with a loved one, many use the term when they are comfortable or being friendly with someone they have just met. A female cashier could say "Mi Amor" to a male customer to let them know what the price is. The expression is normally said by women in these circumstances. Men may also use but normally only to address a woman. Men and women can also use this term when they are flirting. |
No, mi amor, la leche esta alla. No, honey, the milk is over there. Mi amor, como te llamas? What's your name, Love? |
| Miercoles! |
similar to the "Man!" exclamation lit. Wednesday |
Could be used similar to "Alla la vida!" or "Chuleta!" Used also to replace the more offensive word that starts with the same first four letters of "Miercoles!" and ends in "da." |
Miercoles! Se estrampo la vida! Man! She hurt herself! |
| Mogo | Dummy | Used as a noun or adjective as an insult, but can also be used when playing around. |
Tu eres mogo? Are you a dummy? |
| Mongolo |
Dummy lit. Mongolian |
Used as a noun or adjective as an insult, but can also be used when playing around. (It literally means Mongolian.) |
No seas mongolo! Don't be a dummy! |
| Mopri | Cuz (as in cousin, friend) | Derived from changing the spelling order of the word cousin in Spanish (primo). |
Que sopa, mopri? What's up, cuz? |
| No Frieges! | You're joking! |
Exclamation used when a person doesn't believe something. |
No frieges! Se casaron de verdad? You're joking! They really married? |
|
No hombe No hombre |
No way! | Exclamation used when a person doesn't believe something or for emphasis. |
No hombe! No hagas eso. No way! Don't do that. |
| O Sea |
Well Or in other words |
||
|
Ofi Oficial |
Yeah You bet Okay lit. official |
Exclamation used to confirm (usually in a positive manner) what someone else has said. |
Ofi, nos vemos el lunes. You bet, see you Monday. |
| Ong | No | ||
| Pana | Friend |
Pana, me das permiso? Excuse me, friend. (used when trying to get by someone. |
|
| Payaso/a |
Arrogant Stuck-up Picky lit. clown |
No seas payaso! Bañate en el rio! Don't be stuck-up! Bathe in the river! Deja de la payasada y comete eso! Stop being picky and eat that! |
|
| Pritty |
Cool Good |
Derived from the English word "pretty." |
Ese carro esta bien pritty! That's a cool car! |
| Queloque-e? |
What's up? What's going on? Wanna piece of this? |
Sometimes used when defending someone and may be said right before a fight. |
|
| Que huevo! | |||
| Que sopa? | What's up? | Greeting used between friends. |
Que sopa, loco? Whassup, man? |
| Que wecha la tuya! | That's rude! | ||
| Rakataka (adj.) | Ghetto | Used to describe someone (especially a female) that is rude and dresses crudely. | |
| Rayos |
Heck lit. lightning |
||
| Se cree la gran vaina. |
She thinks she's the greatest thing since sliced bread. He thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. |
||
| Se estrampo la vida! |
She hurt herself! He hurt himself! |
||
| Se la llevo! |
S/he took the prize money. S/he won it all. lit. s/he took it |
Exclamation normally used to refer to someone that wins in games involving money (like bingo) or the national lottery. |
Jugamos bingo anoche y se la llevo. We played bingo last night and she won it all. |
| Tipo/a | Guy, Chick | Used as a noun in the same manner as guy and chick. Oftentimes used when someone is upset when referring to the other person. |
Oye, que le pasa a ese tipo? Hey, What's wrong with that guy? |
| Tomando el pelo |
Yanking my/his/her chain. Pulling my/his/her leg. Joking lit. Taking my/his/her hair. |
Expression used when when a person is joking or believes that someone else is joking. |
Te estoy tomando el pelo. I'm yanking your chain. Tu me estas tomando el pelo? Are you joking? |
| Vaina | Thing, Stuff | ||
|
Vidajena vee-dah-he-nah |
Nosy person |
Tu si eres vidajena. You sure are nosy. |
|
| Vivo |
Fresh lit. alive |
||
| Yeye | High-class | ||
| Colloquialisms You Probably Shouldn't Use | |||
| Ahuevado, awebao | Stupid | Used as an insult. |
Estas ahuevado? Are you stupid? |
| Arrecho/a |
Horny Sexually excited |
Ella si esta arrecha. She is really horny. |
|
| Babieco | |||
| Cagada | |||
| Carajo! | Damn! (but a little stronger) | ||
| Cholito | A not so nice way of referring to the Panamanian Kuna Indians. Also used to refer to someone as being ignorant. | ||
| Huevason | |||
| Kueko/a |
Faggot |
Derogatory way to call a homosexual person. | |
| Micha | female anatomy | not to be confused with the bread of the same name | |
| Negriar | |||
| No Jodas! | Stop bothering! (But stronger) | Exclamation used when a person is really bothered. |
No me jodas! Don't bother me! |
I hope you enjoyed the list!
content
created and continuously updated by Marvin "eMarv" Corea
to be added:
beyaca
pa lante
es un plomo
frekiaron
muerto de hambre
negriar
coño
sacar los trapos
de corazon
hijo de tu madre
chomba
presa
buco - beaucoup
feeling
piya