Language & culture
How to Learn Slang in a Foreign Language
Here's how to learn slang in a foreign language without embarrassing yourself: hear it from real speakers, ask what it means and who they'd say it to, then try it in a low-stakes conversation. Textbooks rarely keep up, and slang changes by country, city and age group, so a person beats a word list every time.
This guide covers question scripts that get honest answers, how to judge register and region, the words to steer clear of, and a simple routine for making new expressions stick.
Why informal language is worth learning
Slang and informal speech are a big part of how people actually talk, especially in relaxed conversation. Without them, you can be perfectly correct and still sound like a textbook.
- You'll understand more. Casual speech is full of shortcuts, fillers and expressions that courses don't cover.
- You'll sound warmer. A well-placed informal phrase shows you're relaxed and paying attention to how people really talk.
- You'll learn culture. Slang is packed with local references to food, places, music and humor.
The catch is that slang is the easiest part of a language to misuse. The goal isn't to sound like a local overnight. It's to understand more and use a handful of expressions well.
Ask real speakers: question scripts that work
Native speakers are the best slang dictionary there is, as long as you ask the right questions. These scripts get meaning, register and region in one go:
- "How would you say that casually, with friends?"
- "Would you say that to your boss? To your grandmother?"
- "Is that rude, or just informal?"
- "Do people your age say that, or is it older slang?"
- "Is that only used where you live?"
- "Can you give me an example sentence?"
- "What's a word everyone uses there that I won't find in a textbook?"
If you're practicing in the language itself, here are the key questions ready to use:
| Question | Spanish | Portuguese (Brazil) | French |
|---|---|---|---|
| How do you say that casually? | ¿Cómo se dice eso de manera informal? | Como se fala isso de um jeito informal? | Comment on dit ça de façon familière ? |
| Is that rude? | ¿Es grosero? | É ofensivo? | C'est grossier ? |
| Do people really say that? | ¿De verdad la gente dice eso? | As pessoas falam isso mesmo? | Les gens disent vraiment ça ? |
More Spanish phrases for live conversation are on our page for practicing Spanish with native speakers.
Learn the register, not just the word
Register is how formal or informal a word is. Most slang mistakes aren't about meaning; they're about using a word in the wrong setting. When you learn a new expression, note where it sits on this scale:
| Register | Who you'd use it with | English example |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | Officials, older strangers, work | "Good evening. How are you?" |
| Neutral | Almost anyone | "Hi, how are you?" |
| Casual | Friends, people your age | "Hey, how's it going?" |
| Slang | Close friends, people who share it | "Yo, what's good?" |
| Vulgar | Avoid with strangers | Anything with swearing |
Let them use it first. If the person you're chatting with uses a slang word, it's usually safe to use it back with them. Introducing it yourself, with someone you just met, is riskier.
Same language, different slang
A word that's everyday in one country can sound odd, old-fashioned or simply foreign in another country that speaks the same language. If you want to learn slang in Spanish, this is the first thing to know:
| Meaning | Mexico | Spain | Argentina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool | chido | guay | copado |
| Money | lana | pasta | guita |
| Job, work | chamba | curro | laburo |
| Bus | camión | autobús | colectivo |
Portuguese splits the same way: Brazilians say "legal" for cool, while in Portugal you'll hear "fixe." Our page on practicing Portuguese has more on the two varieties. English is no different. "Arvo" means afternoon in Australia, and "wahala" (trouble), from Nigerian Pidgin, turns up in a lot of Nigerian English. See practicing English with native speakers for more on the many Englishes you'll hear.
Where to find slang besides a dictionary
- Series and films with subtitles in the target language, so you see the slang spelled out.
- Music. Lyrics are packed with informal language. Look them up and ask a speaker about anything confusing.
- Social media comments and memes. Current, but often very local or ironic, so check before you borrow.
- Crowd-written slang dictionaries. Useful for a first guess, but entries can be jokes or out of date.
- Live conversations. The only source that tells you whether a word is still used, by whom, and how it sounds.
On Omlet, matching is Worldwide by default, so you'll hear informal speech from all over. If you want one variety in particular, such as Mexican rather than Argentinian Spanish, the country filter lets you choose one country: your first day is free, then it's $3 one time for that device and browser. The free day starts with a card, and the $3 is charged once when it ends unless you cancel in Settings. There's no language matching or translation, so ask early whether someone is up for a little language practice. You can start a random video chat without signing up.
Avoid offensive terms, even by accident
- Don't repeat words you can't define. If you heard it in a song or a joke, check before using it.
- Skip swear words and slurs entirely with strangers, even if they sound casual in films. They land differently coming from a foreigner.
- Watch friendly insults. In Mexico, "güey" is an everyday word between close friends but can sound rude from a stranger. "Boludo" in Argentina works the same way.
- Be careful with words about people. Terms for nationalities, ethnic groups, bodies or religion are where slang turns hurtful fastest.
- Don't add an accent impression. Slang said naturally in your own accent is fine; slang plus an imitation can come across as mockery.
Gestures follow the same pattern, with harmless ones at home that are rude elsewhere. Our guide to hand gestures that mean different things abroad covers the main ones.
How to sound like a native speaker: collect, check, use
Sounding natural comes less from rare slang and more from small, common words. Fillers and connectors are the easiest place to start:
- Spanish: "pues" (well), "o sea" (I mean), "bueno" (okay, well)
- French: "du coup" (so), "bah" (well), "genre" (like)
- Brazilian Portuguese: "tipo" (like), "né?" (right?), "então" (so)
- English: "like," "you know," "kind of"
Then run each new expression through three steps:
- Collect. Write it down with the sentence you heard it in, plus who said it (country and rough age).
- Check. Ask a second speaker whether they'd use it, and with whom.
- Use. Try it in your next chat and watch the reaction. A laugh or a nod means it worked; a puzzled look means more checking.
For a full routine for practicing with strangers, see our language exchange tips, and for building confidence out loud, read how to improve speaking in a new language.