Cuban Spanish Guide

 

Cubans speak Spanish as well as other Latin American countries, with some variations and peculiar meanings like anywhere else.

 

Banana....................................................Plátano

Small private restaurant......................... Paladar

Private Homestay.................................. Casa Particular

Bus........................................................ Guagua (WaWa)

!Qué Bolá!............................................ ¿What´s up?

Hello!, Hi!............................................. ¡Dime!

Lend me a hand...................................... Tírame un cabo

Do you have a lighter?......................... ¿Tiene candela?

Fire......................................................... Candela

Bye!....................................................... ¡Chao!

How are you?....................................... ¿Cómo andas?

To hitch................................................ Coger botella

Vegetable and fruit market.................... Mercado campesino

Car......................................................... Carro

Truck..................................................... Camión

Boy................................................... Muchacho, Chico

Girl.................................................... Muchacha, Chica

ID..................................................... Carné

Documents............................................. Papeles

Car tires................................................ Gomas

Papaya.......................Fruta bomba (also refers to the woman´s genitalia)

Problem.................................................. Lío

What a problem!.................................... ¡Tremendo lío!

Drunk or Drunkard................................. Curda

Cigar.................................................... Puro

To be in trouble...................................... Estar embarcao

A black man........................................... Un prieto

A fight................................................... Una Bronca

 

En la lucha means trying to solve a problem or earn some money.

Jinetero is the person who harrasses tourists in order to deal with them in any sense.

¿El último? stands for: Who´s the last?, to be asked when about to stand in a line. eg. Bank or Immigration

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