GLOSSARY
Below you will find a list of local terms and words in Spanish that we have prepared to help you out during your stay in Argentina.
Cajero Automático: ATM machine. Easily identified by signs that say “Banelco” or “ Link”.
Banco: bank
Efectivo: cash
Cheque: check
Locutorio: call centre for local, national and international phone calls. Most of them also have Internet access.
Ciber / cyber: a variation of cybercafé. They have computers and Internet access, available at fixed prices for every 15 minutes used.
Kiosco/ Kiosko: candystore. They usually sell softdrinks, biscuits, cigarettes and a few basic medical supplies such as bandaids, aspirins, ibuprophen, etc.
Colectivo / Micro: bus.
Remises: privately hired cars. They are a strong competition to taxis and a good alternative if travelling long distances.
Farmacia: pharmacy/ drugstore. You will find over-the-counter and prescription drugs, medical supplies, personal hygiene items and, usually, beauty products.
Country: gated community, found in the suburbs. (Pronounced with strong argentine accent, and sounds like “cantry”)
Barrio: neighbourhood.
Calle: street
Porteños: people born and raised in Buenos Aires city.
Che: is a way of saying “hey, you”. Used in conversations with friends, at the start of sentences.
Gaucho: a cowboy of the Argentine pampas
Sensación Térmica: wind chill factor. It indicates the temperature that is actually felt due to the influence of the humidity and wind. During your stay in Argentina you’ll hear plenty about the sensación térmica, as people tend to refer to it more than to the real temperature.
Empanadas: originally from Northern Argentina, empanadas are fried or oven baked pasties, semicircular in shape, traditionally filled with beef though also available with ham and cheese, chicken, cheese and onion, Swiss chard and cheese, etc.
Medialunas: croissants. You will be asked if you want them “de manteca” (made with butter) or “de grasa” (made with fat).
Café con Leche: café au lait.
Café: when you ask for a café you will be brought a small cup of strong, black coffee (but not as strong as the Italian expresso).
Cortado: coffee as above with a drop of milk.
Asado: barbeque. The traditional asado has a variety of meat cuts cooked over the embers of a carbon coal fire, or a woodburning fire.
Milanesa: breaded cutlet, very popular in Argentina.
Mate: local herb tea. The traditional way to drink it is by preparing it in a special “cup”, usually made of pumkin but that can also be made of wood, leather, etc. It is drunk using a metal straw called “bombilla”. If you want to drink it as a proper tea, ask for “mate cocido” and you’ll receive what looks like a tea bag, to be prepared in a cup of boiling water.
Dulce de Leche: is a kind of caramel, but slightly sweeter. The literal translation is milk jam.
Alfajores: two circular sweet biscuits usually with dulce de leche in the middle and covered in dark chocolate, white chocolate or powdered sugar. Delicious!
Cerveza: beer
Vino: wine (Tinto: red wine; Blanco: white wine)
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