Ecuadorian slang is heavy on the party and light on the insults. It’s playful, fun, and makes engaging with locals super easy — they’ll respect you right away if you can converse with the below phrases.
This is because these common Ecuadorian slang terms show you have put effort into communicating with them, even if you aren’t fluent in Spanish.
These slang terms used by Ecuadorians, catchy phrases, party sayings, old sayings, flirty expressions, and other figures of speech are usually regarded as an informal way of communication among people who either know each other well or who dislike each other. Ecuadorian slang is unique to Ecuador, most of these terms aren’t spoken in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, or other Latin American nations.
You’ll hear these slang words spoken in Quito and everywhere else in the country, maybe with some local variations, but largely meaning the same thing.
Bacán is the first word you should learn before visiting Ecuador. It is how Ecuadorians express satisfaction when they like something — similar to how Americans use the word ‘cool.’ It’s a bit more diverse, though, as it can also mean something is good.
For example:
¡Este lugar está bacán! — This place is so cool!
When you are excited about something, or excited to do something that someone invites you to do, you might reply with this. It means “absolutely” or “hell yes!”
For example:
Person 1:
¿Quieres caminar la montaña este fin de semana?
Person 2:
¡De ley!
Quite the opposite of the previous term, you likely wouldn’t be excited to hang out with someone who is Guacharnaco. This one refers to someone that is poorly put together, sloppy, or otherwise in bad taste.
For example:
Ese tipo no ha sido invitado a una fiesta en años because he is a guacharnaco. — That guy hasn’t been invited to a party in years because he is so sloppy.
An amiguero is the opposite of a guacharnaco — someone who is very social and well-liked. You want to be known as this in Ecuador.
For example:
¡Es tan sociable que siempre está invitado a farras! — He is so social, he is always invited to parties!
¿Mande? is how you’ll respond to someone calling your name. This term is Ecuadorian for “what?”
For example:
Person 1: Hey Ron!
Person 2: ¿Mande?
This is another one to know right away. This term expresses disbelief and is used commonly and casually in daily conversation, as if to say “No way!”
For example:
Person 1:
¡Gané $ 500 anoche en el trabajo! — I made $500 last night at work!
Person 2:
¿La plena? — No way!
This is how Ecuadorians refer to being hungover. You’ll find yourself feeling this way after a night of bielas, or beer.
For example:
John no pudo venir porque tiene un chuchaqui terrible.
A chiro is someone without any cash. It’s not always used as a derogatory term. You’ll commonly hear Ecuadorians call themselves chiros after a night on the town or as an excuse to not join a social outing.
For example:
No puedo ir al concierto este fin de semana. Estoy chiro. — I can’t go to the concert this weekend. I am broke.
This is Ecuadorian for party, in lieu of the common Spanish word “fiesta.”
For example:
¡La farra de anoche fue increíble! — The party last night was so awesome!
What you want to bring to the party — i.e. a case of beers. It’s not uncommon for Ecuadorians to roll with their own jabas for the night.
For example:
Traje un jaba a la fiesta. — I brought a case of beer to the party.
This is the verb which signifies “to go out drinking.”
For example:
Me voy a chumar este noche. — I am going out drinking tonight!
A drink, as you would order it in a bar.
For example:
¡Otra guaspete, amigo! — Another drink, my friend!
Ecuadorian for a crazy experience, such as a wild party, intense soccer game, or something else that you can’t wait to tell people about.
For example:
¡Que bestia juego! — What a crazy game!
How Ecuadorians refer to brothers and sisters.
For example:
Este es mi ñaño, Joe. — This is my brother, Joe.
To learn more about Ecuadorian slang (and the Spanish language), grab our FREE Spanish Survival Crash Course. We’ll send Spanish-learning material including study guides, audio lessons, and more straight to your inbox.
Let's connect you with a hand-picked native-speaking tutor today.