Cool in Spanish

When you look at Spanish slang words for “cool” too literally, your head might hurt. When you look at the term “padrísimo”, commonly used as an interjection to mean “cool” in Mexico, it literally translates to…. Fatherly? Huh?

But, when you think about the word “cool” is used in English, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, either. Technically, it just means cold (but not freezing!) If someone tells you that they liked a movie or they just bought a new car, the one-word response “cool” is perfectly acceptable. It indicates that you were listening, appreciate what they are saying, and is not seen as curt or brusque – even though it doesn’t really mean anything at all.

So, take these for what they’re worth – slang develops in weird ways. But, knowing the right regional dialect goes a long way towards helping you fit in. (Think about it: when you hear someone say “groovy” in earnest, you instantly know that they’re probably not from America).

Slang for cool in Spanish

Here are some of the ways that Spanish-speaking people around the world say “cool”, grouped by where that slang is most common.

The absolute coolest Spanish words for “cool.”

Learning slang is fun, and useful, because you can actually use it in a real-world conversational setting. It makes you seem more at ease and “natural” when you are speaking. It just plan makes you sound more like a native speaker! People are also unconsciously more likely to accept you if you seem similar to them, and using slang that is relevant and familiar to them automatically makes them warmer towards you.

The tricky thing is that slang does evolve. Nobody says “the bees knees” anymore, even though that used to be an extremely common way of saying “cool” colloquially. The same is true in Spanish, so if you want to keep current, be sure to read newspapers, watch the news in Spanish, and listen to Spanish audiobooks. If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to read how to say “Awesome” in Spanish!

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