Spanish Slang and Expressions used in Panama

Chévere - cool, great

Chamba - job, work

Pana - friend, buddy

Chuchaqui - hangover

Guapo/a - good-looking, attractive

Tuanis - good, nice

Chuspa - backpack, bag

Huevón/Huevona - lazy, slacker

Pisto - money

Chingar - to bother, to annoy

Chévere de peluche - extremely cool

Miércoles - an expression of surprise, similar to "oh my God"

Bacán - awesome, cool

Bregar - to work hard, to struggle

Joder - to mess with, to tease

Ñame - a person from the countryside or a rural area

Maje - guy, dude, boy

Vaina - thing, stuff, matter

Chamba - job, work

Parce - friend, buddy, mate

Chivo - cool, awesome, great

Pela - fight, argument

Guayabo - hangover

Pintoso/a - attractive, good-looking

Pila - a lot, much, many

Pana mío - my friend

Vergüitudo/a - shy, bashful

Plata - money

Coger - to take, to grab

Chuzo - sharp, clever, smart

Vaina loca - crazy thing, crazy situation

Patineta - skateboard

Marimba - an exclamation of surprise, similar to "wow"

Chiricano/a - a person from the city of Chiriquí in Panama

Rata - a dishonest person, a thief

Pura vida - an expression used to convey positivity or contentment, similar to "life is good"

Chingón/Chingona - great, awesome, cool

Sobado - tired, worn out

Tico/Tica - a person from Costa Rica

Pavo - silly, foolish

Tirar palante - to keep going, to persevere

Pintar - to look good, to be attractive

Huevear - to waste time, to goof around

Tocayo/Tocaya - someone who shares your first name

Chamaco/Chamaca - a child or young person

Pichón/Pichona - a beginner, a novice

Tocumen - an exclamation of surprise, similar to "wow"

Fula - fake, false, phony

Despelote - chaos, disorder, mess

Momo - an ugly or unattractive person

Pechocha - a busty woman

Plena - a type of traditional Panamanian music

Jato - home, house

Cuara - a five-cent coin

Chamuyero/Chamuyera - someone who talks a lot, who is a smooth talker

Chumillo - a small amount, a little bit

Muñeca - a wrist, but also used to refer to someone who is weak or timid

Fufurufa - a prostitute, a sex worker

Panameñismo - something that is typically Panamanian

Chusco - funny, humorous, amusing