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🇩🇴 Jerga · Practice & Play

Jerga de República Dominicana

The 20 words and phrases you’ll hear in Dominican Republic, with friendly pronunciation, 3 examples each, games and dialogues to practice.

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Paso 1

Las 20 · The 20 words and phrases

Dominican Spanish is fast, playful and packed with local words: the Academia Dominicana de la Lengua's Diccionario del español dominicano (2013) collects thousands of them. Some slang borrows from English, like 'jevi' (from 'heavy') and 'yipeta' (from 'Jeep').

Tap any word to see its meaning, 3 examples and a cultural note. Pronunciation: the CAPITAL syllable is stressed. 🔊 uses your device’s Spanish voice, so the accent may not match República Dominicana exactly.

¿qué lo que?/KEH loh keh/What's up? (greeting)

phrasecasual [qué lo que]

Literally: what is it that?

3 examples

  • ¿Qué lo que, Johan? Tiempo sin verte.What's up, Johan? Long time no see.
  • ¿Qué lo que? ¿Vienes al juego de pelota hoy?What's up? Are you coming to the baseball game today?
  • ¿Qué lo que, familia? Llegué con el pan.What's up, family? I'm here with the bread.

Often written 'KLK' in texts. Usually explained as a short form of '¿Qué es lo que hay?'. Very informal; use it with friends.

vaina/BYE-nah/thing, stuff; situation (an all-purpose word)

wordcasual [vai-na]

Literally: pod, sheath

3 examples

  • Pásame esa vaina que está en la mesa.Pass me that thing on the table.
  • ¡Qué vaina! Se fue la luz otra vez.What a pain! The power went out again.
  • Esta vaina del examen me tiene nervioso.This exam thing has me nervous.

Also common in Venezuela, Colombia and Panama. Keep it casual: some phrases with 'vaina' can sound rough.

un chin/oon CHEEN/a little bit, a tiny amount

phrasecasual [un chin]

3 examples

  • Ponle un chin de sal al arroz.Put a little salt in the rice.
  • Espérame un chin, ya bajo.Wait a sec, I'm coming down.
  • Estoy un chin cansada después del trabajo.I'm a little tired after work.

Works for amounts and for time ('wait a sec'). Dominicans joke that it's the national unit of measure.

jevi/HEH-bee/cool, awesome

wordcasual, youthful [je-vi]

Literally: from English 'heavy'

3 examples

  • Tu camisa nueva está jevi.Your new shirt is cool.
  • La fiesta en Santiago estuvo jevi.The party in Santiago was awesome.
  • ¡Qué jevi que aprobaste el examen!How awesome that you passed the exam!

Also spelled 'jebi'.

tíguere, tíguera/TEE-geh-reh/street-smart, bold person who can talk their way out of anything

wordcasual (praise or criticism) [tí-gue-re]

Literally: tiger

3 examples

  • Mi primo es un tíguere: consiguió boletos para el concierto.My cousin is a smooth operator: he got concert tickets.
  • Ese vendedor es un tíguere, siempre te convence.That salesman is really slick; he always talks you into it.
  • Tranquila, que yo soy tíguere y conozco el camino.Relax, I'm street-smart and I know the way.

Can be a compliment (clever, charming) or a criticism (cheeky, shady) depending on tone. Use it carefully and only with people you know.

concho/KOHN-choh/shared route taxi (public car on a fixed route)

wordneutral, casual [con-cho]

3 examples

  • Tomé un concho para ir a la universidad.I took a shared taxi to the university.
  • El concho de la Churchill va lleno.The route taxi on Churchill Avenue is full.
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta el concho hasta el centro?How much is the shared taxi downtown?

A 'motoconcho' is a motorcycle taxi. False friend: in Chile, Peru and other countries 'concho' means dregs or leftovers.

colmado/kohl-MAH-doh/neighborhood corner store (groceries, snacks, drinks)

wordneutral [col-ma-do]

Literally: filled to the brim

3 examples

  • Voy al colmado a comprar huevos y pan.I'm going to the corner store to buy eggs and bread.
  • El colmado de la esquina hace delivery.The corner store does deliveries.
  • Los vecinos ven el juego de pelota frente al colmado.The neighbors watch the baseball game outside the corner store.

The word exists elsewhere, but in the DR the colmado is a neighborhood hub where people shop, chat and listen to music.

guagua/GWAH-gwah/bus, minibus

wordneutral (everyday) [gua-gua]

3 examples

  • La guagua para Santiago sale a las ocho.The bus to Santiago leaves at eight.
  • Mi mamá maneja una guagua escolar.My mom drives a school bus.
  • En la guagua conocí a una chica de Puerto Plata.On the bus I met a girl from Puerto Plata.

Same in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Canary Islands. False friend: in the Andes (Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia) 'guagua' means 'baby'.

yipeta/yee-PEH-tah/SUV, four-wheel-drive vehicle

wordneutral, casual [yi-pe-ta]

Literally: from the brand name 'Jeep'

3 examples

  • Mi tío compró una yipeta negra.My uncle bought a black SUV.
  • Fuimos a Jarabacoa en la yipeta de Carla.We went to Jarabacoa in Carla's SUV.
  • La yipeta no cabe en ese parqueo.The SUV doesn't fit in that parking spot.

Any SUV is a 'yipeta', no matter the brand.

chercha/CHEHR-chah/lively chat full of jokes and laughter; fun hangout

wordcasual [cher-cha]

3 examples

  • Anoche hubo tremenda chercha en casa de Ana.Last night there was a great hangout at Ana's.
  • Dejen la chercha y terminen la tarea.Stop the chit-chat and finish your homework.
  • Los domingos la familia se junta para la chercha.On Sundays the family gets together to chat and joke around.

Friendly fun and harmless teasing.

de chepa/deh CHEH-pah/by luck, by chance, by a miracle

phrasecasual [de che-pa]

Literally: by luck

3 examples

  • Aprobé el examen de chepa.I passed the exam by sheer luck.
  • Encontré mi celular de chepa debajo del sofá.I found my phone by chance under the couch.
  • Llegamos de chepa: ya iban a cerrar la puerta del avión.We made it by a miracle: they were about to close the plane door.

'Chepa' alone means good luck in the DR. In other countries the word has unrelated meanings, so keep this one to the Dominican context.

chinola/chee-NOH-lah/passion fruit

wordneutral [chi-no-la]

3 examples

  • Quiero un jugo de chinola bien frío.I want a really cold passion fruit juice.
  • En el mercado, la chinola está barata hoy.At the market, passion fruit is cheap today.
  • Mi abuela hace un dulce de chinola riquísimo.My grandma makes a delicious passion fruit dessert.

Called 'maracuyá' in most countries and 'parcha' in Puerto Rico.

dique/DEE-keh/supposedly, so-called (shows doubt)

wordcasual [di-que]

Literally: dike, dam (standard meaning)

3 examples

  • Dique va a llover hoy, pero hay sol.Supposedly it's going to rain today, but it's sunny.
  • Él dique estudió toda la noche.He supposedly studied all night.
  • Ese restaurante dique es el mejor de Santo Domingo.That restaurant is supposedly the best in Santo Domingo.

A local form of 'dizque' ('they say that'). False friend: in standard Spanish 'un dique' is a dike or dam.

bufeo/boo-FEH-oh/joke, joking around, fun

wordcasual [bu-fe-o]

3 examples

  • Tranquilo, eso fue un bufeo.Relax, that was just a joke.
  • En el aula hay mucho bufeo antes de la clase.There's lots of joking around in the classroom before class.
  • ¡Qué bufeo la película de anoche!What a laugh last night's movie was!

False friend: in Peru and the Amazon, 'bufeo' is a river dolphin.

manín/mah-NEEN/bro, buddy

wordcasual, friendly [ma-nín]

3 examples

  • Manín, gracias por el favor.Bro, thanks for the favor.
  • Ese es mi manín desde la escuela.He's been my buddy since school.
  • Manín, ¿me prestas tu cargador?Bro, can you lend me your charger?

Often paired with the greeting: '¡KLK, manín!'.

¡diache!/DYAH-cheh/Gosh! Darn! (surprise or annoyance)

wordcasual, mild [dia-che]

3 examples

  • ¡Diache! Se me olvidó el paraguas.Darn! I forgot my umbrella.
  • ¡Diache, qué calor hace en Santo Domingo!Gosh, it's hot in Santo Domingo!
  • ¡Diache! Ganaron los Tigres del Licey.Wow! The Tigres del Licey won.

A softened form of 'diablo' (devil); variant '¡dianche!'.

dame luz/DAH-meh LOOS/fill me in; tell me what's going on

phrasecasual [da-me luz]

Literally: give me light

3 examples

  • Dame luz: ¿a qué hora es la reunión?Fill me in: what time is the meeting?
  • No fui a clase ayer. Dame luz, ¿qué pasó?I didn't go to class yesterday. Fill me in: what happened?
  • Cuando sepas el precio, dame luz.When you know the price, let me know.
comerse un cable/koh-MEHR-seh oon KAH-bleh/to be broke, going through hard times money-wise

phrasecasual, humorous [co-mer-se un ca-ble]

Literally: to eat a cable

3 examples

  • Este mes me estoy comiendo un cable.This month I'm totally broke.
  • No puedo ir a la playa, estoy comiéndome un cable.I can't go to the beach, I'm broke.
  • Después de las vacaciones, todos nos comimos un cable.After vacation, we were all broke.
con el moño hecho/kohn ehl MOH-nyoh EH-choh/all dressed up with nowhere to go (when plans get canceled)

phrasecasual, humorous [con el mo-ño he-cho]

Literally: with your hair bun done

3 examples

  • Cancelaron la fiesta y me dejaron con el moño hecho.They canceled the party and left me all dressed up.
  • Llovió y nos quedamos con el moño hecho.It rained and we were left all dressed up with nowhere to go.
  • Mi cita no llegó: ¡con el moño hecho!My date didn't show: all dressed up for nothing!

Used for anyone, not only people with a hair bun.

pin pun/PEEN POON/identical; the spitting image of someone

phrasecasual, playful [pin pun]

3 examples

  • Tu hijo es pin pun a ti.Your son is the spitting image of you.
  • Esas dos hermanas son pin pun.Those two sisters look exactly alike.
  • Tu dibujo quedó pin pun a la foto.Your drawing came out identical to the photo.

A playful sound-word for things or people that look alike.

Paso 2

Tarjetas · Flashcards

Say the meaning out loud, then tap the card to check.

Paso 3

Quiz · ¿Lo sabes?

10 quick questions: match each word with its meaning. You get instant feedback.

Paso 4

Diálogos · Dialogues

Three conversations, from beginner to advanced. Together they use all 20. Read and listen first, then press Practicar to fill in the blanks.

Frente al colmado (Principiante · Beginner)

Two friends meet outside a corner store in Santo Domingo.

  1. Johan:¿Qué lo que? ¿Todo bien, manín?What's up? All good, bro?
  2. Carlos:Todo bien. Voy al colmado por pan.All good. I'm going to the corner store for bread.
  3. Johan:Yo también. Quiero un jugo de chinola.Me too. I want a passion fruit juice.
  4. Carlos:¡Diache! No tengo dinero aquí.Darn! I don't have any money on me.
  5. Johan:Tranquilo, yo tengo un chin.Relax, I have a little.
  6. Carlos:Gracias. Oye, ¿qué es esa vaina en tu mano?Thanks. Hey, what's that thing in your hand?
  7. Johan:Es una lista. Mi mamá quiere arroz, habichuelas y plátanos.It's a list. My mom wants rice, beans and plantains.

El viaje a Puerto Plata (Intermedio · Intermediate)

Two coworkers in Santiago de los Caballeros talk about their weekend trips.

  1. Paola:Dame luz: ¿cómo te fue en Puerto Plata?Fill me in: how was Puerto Plata?
  2. Ramón:¡Jevi! Fuimos el sábado en la yipeta de mi hermano.Awesome! We went on Saturday in my brother's SUV.
  3. Paola:¿Y no tuvieron problemas en la carretera?And you didn't have any problems on the road?
  4. Ramón:Sí, se nos dañó una goma. Pero mi hermano es un tíguere y la arregló en diez minutos.Yes, we got a flat tire. But my brother is street-smart and fixed it in ten minutes.
  5. Paola:¡Qué bueno! Yo fui a la playa en guagua con mis primas.Great! I went to the beach by bus with my cousins.
  6. Ramón:¿Y cómo llegaron desde la parada hasta la playa?And how did you get from the bus stop to the beach?
  7. Paola:Tomamos un concho. Llegamos de chepa, porque ya era de noche.We took a shared taxi. We made it by sheer luck, because it was already dark.
  8. Ramón:La próxima vez vamos todos juntos.Next time we'll all go together.
  9. Paola:¡Dale! Vamos a planearlo para el mes que viene.Deal! Let's plan it for next month.

¿Habrá fiesta o no? (Avanzado · Advanced)

Two university friends chat on a bench in Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial.

  1. Yokasta:¿Viste a Miguel? Es pin pun a su papá.Did you see Miguel? He's the spitting image of his dad.
  2. Wilmer:Sí, y dique va a organizar una fiesta este viernes.Yes, and supposedly he's throwing a party this Friday.
  3. Yokasta:Ojalá que sea verdad. La última vez canceló y me quedé con el moño hecho.I hope it's true. Last time he canceled and I was left all dressed up with nowhere to go.
  4. Wilmer:Ja, ja. Yo me reí mucho, pero para ti no fue un bufeo.Haha. I laughed a lot, but for you it was no joke.
  5. Yokasta:Para nada. Si cancelara otra vez, no le volvería a creer.Not at all. If he canceled again, I wouldn't believe him anymore.
  6. Wilmer:Bueno, no sé si pueda ir. Me estoy comiendo un cable este mes.Well, I don't know if I can go. I'm broke this month.
  7. Yokasta:No te preocupes. Es en su casa y cada uno lleva algo sencillo.Don't worry. It's at his house and everyone brings something simple.
  8. Wilmer:Entonces llevaré tostones. Son baratos y a todos les gustan.Then I'll bring tostones. They're cheap and everyone likes them.
  9. Yokasta:¡Perfecto! Sería bueno que alguien llevara música también.Perfect! It would be good if someone brought music too.
  10. Wilmer:Yo llevo la bocina. Con merengue y bachata, habrá chercha hasta tarde.I'll bring the speaker. With merengue and bachata, there'll be laughs and fun until late.

Paso 5 · Apply it

Habla y escribe: Un mensaje para un amigo

Record a voice note or write a text to a friend from República Dominicana. Tell them about your weekend and make a plan to meet. Use at least 5 words or phrases from the list.

  1. Open with a greeting from the list (or a friendly ¡Hola!).
  2. Tell 2–3 things you did, using slang to describe them.
  3. Suggest a plan: where, when and what you’ll eat or do.
  4. Close the way a friend from República Dominicana would.
  5. Now say it out loud, twice: once slowly, once at natural speed.

    Slang detection is a helper and may miss some forms.

    Self-check

    Need ideas? Re-read the advanced dialogue above. Want feedback on your Spanish? Book a free consultation.

    Sources and a note

    Slang changes fast and varies by region, age and social group. These are words and phrases widely used in República Dominicana today, checked against the sources below. Heard something different? Tell me.