The Puerto Rican Dialect: An essential guide to sounding like a Boricua
by Besanya Santiago
Ahhh, Puerto Rico. La Isla del Encanto. The quintessential getaway for any person seeking an enchanting paradise to escape from their day-to-day routine. An island where, even when it’s raining, the sun still radiates through the smiles of its local people. The warmth is palpable in the way the island embraces you the moment you set foot onto it. In every woman, you will find your abuela, your mami, your hermana and titi. And as a Spanish learner, this is the perfect place to arrive, listen to the local language and say to yourself: WHAT THE HELL DID SHE JUST SAY?
Yeeeaaa, I know. Latinos usually agree that the Spanish from Puerto Rico is one of the most challenging dialects to understand. Some time ago, I met a woman from Argentina who said to me: “When Puerto Ricans speak Spanish, they sound like they’re rapping a Reggaeton song during the entire conversation.” She’s not wrong. We speak insanely fast and use slang in every other sentence. Additionally, there are certain words that are more or less the same in other countries but drastically different in Puerto Rico.
Ay dios mio…
Puerto Rico was originally named Borikén, a Taíno word translated as “land of the brave people.” The Taínos are an indigenous people who have lived on the island since prior to Spain’s colonization. When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493, it was renamed to Puerto Rico, meaning “rich port”. This was due to its abundance of natural resources in addition to having generous amounts of gold nuggets in its rivers. Today, Puerto Ricans refer to themselves as Boricuas in order to illustrate recognition of their Taíno heritage. The dialect is a mix of the Taíno, Spanish and English language with African pronunciations, making it truly distinctive. Locals will be tremendously impressed if you manage to include some Puerto Rican slang into your Spanish. Lets explore this dialect further and get you sounding like a true Boricua.
Nuestro acento
It’s important to mention that accents always vary by region. These language tendencies will not apply to everyone. Some may not use any of them. However, these are the most recognizable characteristics of the Puerto Rican dialect. I just wanted to make that clear to avoid getting bulldozed by a fellow compatriot: “OYE PERO YO NO HABLO ASI!!!!! “
Love you, mi gente. Vamos allá.
The letter “R”
We’re constantly made fun of for this one. We roll our R’s only sometimes. More often than not, the R is pronounced as an L. Puerta is Puelta. Porque is Polque. Verde is Velde. However, this is not the case if the R is at the beginning of a word. Puerto Rico would be pronounced Puelto Rico. In certain regions, the R is never rolled. Instead the guttural R is used, which sounds identical to the R in French.
The letter “D”
Almost non-existent in word endings. We don’t say cerrado. We say cerrao. Pegado is pegao. However, if there is another D in the same word, it is still pronounced. Confundido would be confundio.
The letter “S”
Frankly, I don’t even know why we include this one in our alphabet. Again, almost non-existent and sounds like an H. Cómo estás turns into cómo ehtah. Pescar is Pehcal (don’t forget to make that R an L!) and mezclar is mehclal. The letter Z functions exactly like the S.
Word endings
These tend to be chopped off. The word para is actually pa. Therefore, para nada becomes pa’ na’ and para que becomes pa’ que. It also occurs in feminine words that would ordinarily drop the letter D. For instance, cerrado becomes cerrao but when speaking about a feminine object, it then becomes cerra. So now you can say: La puelta ehta cerra.
Nuestro Dialecto
Slang words are used quite often in Puerto Rico. Try to incorporate some of these fun expressions into your everyday Spanish to truly immerse yourself in the dialect.
“Ay Bendito!”
You cannot leave Puerto Rico without hearing this one. It’s used to express pity, shock, anger and sometimes even sarcasm. Similar to the expression “oh my gosh.”
Example: Ay bendito, pero que te pasó? / Oh my goodness, what happened to you?
“Janguear”
One of the most well-known examples of Spanglish meaning “to hang out.”
Example: Vamos a janguear esta noche? / Are we hanging out tonight?
“Wepa”
This is as Boricua as it gets. You don’t say it. You yell it. It demonstrates pride and joy, particularly in situations where people are feeling patriotic. Which for us is ALL. THE. TIME.
Example: Ricky renunció!!! Weeeeeeeeepaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! / Ricky (Rosselló) quit! YAAAASSSSSS!!!!
“Revolú”
Used to describe loud commotions and disorder. An absolute racket.
Example: Oístes el revolú que hubo anoche? / Did you hear that racket last night?
“Brutal”
A compliment used to describe something that is beyond incredible. It has the same strength as the word “brutal” in English but for something good. And there’s a lot of intensity behind it when spoken.
Example: Nena, el pelo te quedó brutal! / Girl, your hair turned out incredible!
“Pichear”
To forget or ignore something in the maximum way possible. “Ghosting” is probably the most accurate description.
Example: Antes tu me pichabas, ahora yo picheo…. #badbunnyforever / Before you ignored me, now I ignore you…
“Al garete”
Something that is disorganized, out of control or a complete mess. In a more literal sense, it means “without a given path.”
Example: No pongas las manzanas así al garete. / Don’t place the apples like that, all disorganized.
“Bochiche”
Gossip. A person who gossips constantly is called a Bochinchero(a).
Example: Esa madre tuya es una bochinchera. / Your mother is such a gossip.
“Fó”
There is no translation for this. It’s what you say when you smell something awful or see someone doing something gross. Usually preceded by an ay.
Example: Ay, fó! Limpiáte esos pies que apestan! / Ew! Clean your feet, they stink!
“Corillo”
A large group of people or friends. Simply put: your people.
Example: Dile al corillo que vamos pa’ la playa! / Tell the crew we’re going to the beach!
“Pana”
A very close friend. Someone who is a partner-in-crime and you trust completely. Not to be confused with the delicious breadfruit in Puerto Rico also called Pana (even though I would trust that Pana with my life, too.)
Example: Manuel, mi pana, como estamos? / Manuel, my friend, how we doing?
“Perreo / Perrear”
The Boricua way to dance and party. And party hard. And usually to Reggaeton music.
Example: Prepárate que esta noche nos vamos de perreo! / Get ready, tonight we’re gonna party it up!
Now it’s your turn!
Try them out! And don’t worry if you can’t make it all the way to Puerto Rico. We are everywhere and are especially known for being warm, social beings. So, grab your corillo and head to the nearest discoteca for a long night of perreo. Order some piña coladas and engage is some real life Puerto Rican bochinche. By the end of the night, you’re sure to be officially recognized as a Boricua de corazón. WEPA!
About the Author
Besanya Santiago Ayala (IG: @besanyasantiago) is an actress, world traveler and writer based in New York City. She is best known for her work on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. As a multilinguist, she enjoys helping others achieve an extensive understanding of language and culture. Originally from Puerto Rico, her aim is to bring an authentic perspective about Caribbean life to people from all over the world. Check out her website, www.besanyasantiago.com.
Thumbnail photo by Ernesto Tapia on Unsplash.