Practical
Chilean Spanish
Chile has one of the most distinct dialects in Latin America. Many Spanish speakers do not easily understand Chileans, and Chileans do not always understand them either. In person, that usually becomes a bonding moment of teaching and roasting. But auto-translate is far less forgiving.
The essentials
Taco
Traffic jam
Nothing to do with food. "Mucho taco" = gridlock.
Cachai
"You know?"
Chileans end every sentence with this.
Po
Emphatic yes/no
"Sí po" = yeah. "No po" = nope. The most Chilean word.
Luca
1,000 pesos
"Cinco lucas" = 5,000 CLP. Essential for markets.
Pololo/a
Boyfriend / Girlfriend
NOT novio — that means fiancé in Chile.
Carrete
Party, night out
"Vamos al carrete" = let's go out.
Fome
Boring, lame
A "fome" restaurant is one to skip.
Bacán
Awesome, cool
High praise.
Palta
Avocado
NOT aguacate. You'll get a blank stare.
Once
Afternoon tea / snack
Pronounced "OHN-seh." Light meal around 5–7pm.
Micro
Public bus
Don't look for signs that say "bus."
Al tiro
Right away
"Lo hago al tiro" = I'll do it right now.
Completo
Loaded hot dog
Chile's iconic street food.
Guagua
Baby
In the Caribbean this means "bus." In Chile, baby.
A warning about auto-translate
Speech to text often misses the cultural meaning, intention, and context behind Chilean Spanish. A Google review saying "Don't go on the weekends, too much taco" has nothing to do with food.