🇩🇴 Dominican Spanish
How Dominican Republic says it — Santo Domingo, word by word
Carajito, Teteo, Calimete. 27 everyday things and the word Santo Domingo uses for each, beside what Buenos Aires, Santiago, Medellín, Santo Domingo, Madrid, Mexico City, Lima and San Juan say. Click any row for the full comparison and its sources.
Santo Domingo word by word
| In English | In Santo Domingo | Elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| a kid informal | carajito | pibe cabro chico pelao chaval chamaco chibolo nene |
| a party / going out | teteo | joda carrete rumba fiesta / salir de marcha peda tono jangueo / un party |
| a straw | calimete | sorbete bombilla pitillo pajita popote cañita sorbeto |
| dude | manín | che weón parce tío güey causa pana |
| what's up? | ¿Qué lo que? | ¿Qué hacés? ¿Cómo estái? ¿Qué más? ¿Qué tal? ¿Qué onda? ¡Habla! ¿Qué es la que hay? |
| a T-shirt | franela | remera polera camiseta camiseta playera polo t-shirt |
| ok / sure | ta' to' | dale ya po listo vale sale ya dale |
| popcorn | cocaleca | pochoclo cabritas crispetas palomitas palomitas canchita popcorn |
| right away | ahora mismo | ya mismo al tiro de una enseguida ahoritita al toque |
| a job | trabajo | laburo pega camello curro chamba chamba |
| cool | chévere | copado bacán bacano guay chido |
| gas station | bomba | estación de servicio bencinera gasolinera gasolinera grifo |
| money | cuartos | guita plata plata pasta lana plata chavos |
| the bus | guagua | colectivo micro bus autobús pesero micro |
| a beer with friends | una fría | birra chela una caña chela chela |
| a birthday cake | bizcocho | torta torta tarta pastel torta |
| a hangover | resaca | la caña guayabo cruda hangover |
| a pen | lapicero | birome lápiz pasta boli pluma pluma |
| a traffic jam | tapón | embotellamiento taco taco atasco embotellamiento embotellamiento |
| beans | habichuelas | porotos porotos fríjoles judías / alubias frijoles frejoles |
| a banana | guineo | banana plátano banano plátano plátano plátano |
| eyeglasses | espejuelos | anteojos lentes gafas gafas lentes lentes |
| a car | carro | auto auto coche coche |
| a swimming pool | not sourced yet | pileta piscina piscina piscina alberca piscina piscina |
| an apartment | not sourced yet | departamento departamento apartamento piso departamento departamento apartamento |
| avocado | aguacate | palta palta palta |
| sneakers | not sourced yet | zapatillas zapatillas tenis zapatillas tenis zapatillas tenis |
Each row links to the full eight-country comparison with its sources. Grey = the standard dictionary word is the local word too.
Habla como un dominicano
The in-app «Talk like a local» guide for Dominican Spanish — the words and turns of phrase Santo Domingo's characters use in conversation, so you recognise them when they come at you at speed.
| They say | It means | You'll hear |
|---|---|---|
| guagua | bus (elsewhere: autobús) | Cojo la guagua para el Malecón. Shared with Puerto Rico and Cuba — the Caribbean agrees here while the mainland does not. |
| concho | shared route taxi (elsewhere: taxi compartido) | Móntate en el concho de la Duarte. A car running a fixed route that picks up until it is full. Nothing like a private taxi. |
| motoconcho | motorcycle taxi (elsewhere: mototaxi) | Coge un motoconcho, llegas más rápido. How most of Santo Domingo actually moves. Agree the price before you get on. |
| colmado | corner shop (elsewhere: tienda de barrio) | Voy al colmado a buscar una fría. Also Puerto Rican. Sells everything, often delivers, and doubles as the social centre of the block. |
| cuartos | money (elsewhere: dinero) | No tengo cuartos hasta el viernes. Literally "quarters". "Dinero" is understood everywhere but sounds formal here. |
| chin | a little bit (elsewhere: un poco) | Dame un chin de café. Probably the most Dominican word on this list. "Un chin-chin" is even less. |
| vaina | thing / whatsit (elsewhere: cosa) | ¿Qué vaina es esa? Endlessly useful and mildly coarse. Fine among friends, not at a government counter. |
| zafacón | rubbish bin (elsewhere: papelera) | Bota eso en el zafacón. Shared with Puerto Rico. |
| funda | plastic bag (elsewhere: bolsa) | ¿Me da una funda, por favor? "Bolsa" is understood but a Dominican shop will say funda. |
| bulto | backpack / school bag (elsewhere: mochila) | El niño dejó el bulto en la escuela. |
| habichuelas | beans (elsewhere: frijoles) | Arroz, habichuelas y carne — la bandera. "Frijoles" is the Mexican word; asking for them here marks you instantly. |
| mangú | mashed green plantain (elsewhere: puré de plátano) | Mangú con los tres golpes. Breakfast. "Los tres golpes" are the fried cheese, salami and egg beside it. |
Everyday phrases
- ¿Qué lo que? — what's up? The Dominican greeting. Written "klk" in messages, and you will see that everywhere.
- Dime a ver — go ahead / tell me How a Dominican answers the phone or invites you to get to the point.
- Ta' to' — all good / it is sorted From "está todo". The clipped final -s is Dominican speech in miniature.
- ahorita — later — NOT now The opposite of the Mexican sense, where ahorita leans toward right-now. Here it means in a while, and it is the single most useful difference to know if you move between the two.
- A la orden — at your service / you are welcome What a shopkeeper says as you leave, and the answer to "gracias".
- dique — supposedly / allegedly Signals you do not believe it. From "dizque".
Practise it with someone from Dominican Republic
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