Swearing is a bit more acceptable in Spanish than it is in English, although make sure to listen out to whether other people are cursing to make sure you aren’t going to offend anyone. That’s the most common swear word in Spain which is comparable to an F-bomb. ( Look at that! I think the guy over there is a famous vlogger.) 9. ¡Fijate! Creo que ese chico allí es un vlogger famoso. You can use it to simply draw someone’s attention to something, but as an exclamation, it’s also used to express surprise, like “Look at that!” The reflexive verb fijarse means to pay attention, so fíjate means “pay attention to this/that.” This is an exclamation you might use very often in Spanish when being asked “Why?” ¡Porque sí! means “Just because!,” while ¡Porque no! can mean “Just no.” It’s usually a friendly exclamation, though it can also be used to express sympathy, disgust, or surprise. The addition of hombre (man/dude) allows you to use it more softly, kind of how we’ll laughingly say “shut up!” to express disbelief in conversational English.Īlso, like ¡Venga! you can use it to mean “bullsh*t”: Venga literally means “(you) come,” but it’s used in the same way as the English exclamations “come on!” or “yeah right.” ( What a scare! I thought there was a burglar in the house.) 4.

¡Qué susto! Pensé que había un ladrón en la casa. It’s used to express shock, both to show when you’re shocked yourself and also to show you understand when someone is telling you about a fright they experienced themselves. ¡Qué susto! is used to mean “What a scare!” Spanish speakers often use Dios (“God”) and Dios mío (“My God”) as expressions of amazement or sometimes disgust (if said with a sneer), similar to the English exclamation “Oh my God!”

It can also be a pleading or bored appeal for someone to stop what they’re doing and move on. Por favor means “please,” but you can use it like “For goodness sake!” or “come on” when you’re exasperated and telling someone off. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. How can we language learners avoid sticking out like a sore thumb when in casual speaking situations?īy “kitting ourselves out” with a whole toolbox of Spanish interjections and exclamations for any occasion, of course! These are often exclamations, but not always. The key is that the word or phrase “interjects” or “interrupts” the rest of the phrase. Interjections are words or brief phrases that express emotions or feelings. One big thing that marks you out as a foreigner? A lack of Spanish exclamations and interjections. Octo47 Spanish Exclamations and Other Interjections for Lively Conversations

Aiy karamba