Yzabelle Bostyn
One of the hardest parts of moving to a new country is not being able to express yourself – particularly if you find yourself in a confrontational scenario.
That’s why we’ve made this handy guide of some of the best Spanish insults so you’ll sound like a local in no time.
While some are more common, others you may never have heard of. See how many of the 20 insults you know below.
Guiri
Often used to refer to foreign tourists, especially Brits, people often wonder if they should be offended when called a guiri. According to native Spaniards, although the term ‘has a negative connotation we use it with love.’
In essence, it all depends on the context and on the intention and tone of the person using the word.
Gilipollas
A mishmash of an unfortunate soul’s surname, ‘Gil’, and ‘pollas’ meaning chickens, the word is used in place of ‘***hole’, ‘d**khead’, ‘w**ker’ or ‘idiot’.
Hijo de puta
Used in the largely the same way as English speakers use ‘son of a b**ch’, you can use this handy phrase when something goes wrong or when referring to someone you don’t like.
Cabron
Literally meaning ‘goat’, this well-worn insult is used to call someone an ‘***hole’ or ‘bastard’. But don’t be shocked if a friend greets you with ‘Ey cabron!’ as it can also be a term of endearment.
Paquete
An common insult in Andalucia, ‘paquete’, meaning package, is used to make fun of someone who has messed up.
Capullo
Directly translated, this term refers to the head of a penis, or as us brits like to say, a ‘d**khead’ however in Spain, the word is used more casually to mean idiot or twit.
Me cago en tu puta madre
This fun little phrase literally means ‘I s**t on your b***h mother’. ‘Me cago en’ can be used as a starting point for many Spanish swears, for example, ‘me cago en todo lo que se menea’, meaning ‘I s**t on everything that moves’, ‘me cago en dios’, ‘I s**t on god’ and finally the slightly more polite, ‘me cago en diez’ ‘I s**t on ten’.
Tomar por culo
Much like ‘shove up your bum’, tomar por culo is often used to say ‘p**s off’ or ‘go to hell’.
El burro sabe mas que tu
Though an insult, this phrase is used to help children learn their vowels in the rhyme ‘a/e/i/o/u, el burro sabe mas que tu’. Translated, it means ‘the donkey knows more than you’ and is used to imply someone is stupid.
Eres tan feo/a qué hiciste llorar a una cebolla
‘You’re so ugly that you made an onion cry’, this phrase could really sting if used against you.
Hay dias tontos y tontos todos los dias
This funny quip translates to ‘some people have stupid days, others are stupid everyday’ and is much less harsh than some of the other phrases in this list.
La mona aunque se vista de seda, mona se queda
Similar to mutton dressed as lamb, this insult translates to ‘although a monkey dresses in silk, it’s still a monkey’, poking fun at people who try to change their look through clothes.
Que te folle un pez
Another example of Spain’s inventive insult style, this phrase translates as the (hopefully) physically impossible ‘I hope a fish f***s you’.
Pendejo
Meaning ***hole, this phrase is actually from Latin America but you’ll still hear it in Spain as the country has a big population of Latin American expats. The word varies in severity depending on who you’re talking to, so proceed with caution.
Tu puta madre en bicicleta
As if saying ‘your w**re mother’ weren’t enough, this phrase adds ‘on a bike’ to make saying ‘no way!’ ever more creative.
Vete a freir esparragos
Ever wanted to tell someone to go away in a more inventive way? Spain has your back with this phrase that translates to ‘go and fry asparagus!’
Pringado
If you’ve ever been called ‘pringado’, we’ve got some bad news. Meaning sucker, loser or gullible, it’s often used to refer to someone who has been conned or who has made a mistake.
Mamarracho
This biting insult is often used to look down on people, meaning ‘idiot’ or ‘jerk’. It can also be used to refer to ridiculous or unsightly objects, especially clothes.
Al carajo
Often used alongside ‘ir’ or ‘mandar’, meaning ‘to send’ or ‘to go’, this phrase is a vulgar way to say ‘to go to s**t’.
Huevon
If you had to guess what the Spanish translation of ‘layabout’ or ‘couch potato’, we bet you wouldn’t say ‘big egg’, but that’s exactly what ‘huevon’ means, a common phrase used to call someone lazy.
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