Meanings of “coger” in Spanish

There are some perfectly innocent-seeming words that can really land you in trouble if you use them in the wrong place. The Spanish word “coger” is one of them. In some areas, “coger” is a perfectly normal thing to say in everyday speech. You may use it to catch a train or a bus, pick something up, grab something, hold something, arrest someone, pinch somebody, accept something… The uses are extremely varied and very context-dependent.

Does coger mean something dirty?

But when does “coger” mean something dirty? In some Spanish dialects, “coger” is a very dirty word, and you can be perceived as being extremely vulgar if you use it around the wrong company. You might even land yourself in hot water by inadvertently offending somebody. So, let’s learn a bit more about what coger really means in Spanish – so that you can hopefully avoid embarrassing yourself.

Coger is viewed as a vulgar word in Spanish in the following geographies:

• Mexico
• Argentina
• Guatemala
• Paraguay
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

Coger is not technically a dirty word, but can lead to significant misunderstandings due to its second meaning in many parts of the world – where it carries the connotation of “taking” somebody sexually. In certain places, “coger” may also be used as Spanish slang for masturbating, having sex, and more. You may hear someone use it to say something like “Cogimos sin parar toda la noche” (we f*cked nonstop all night). Even if you are using it in a perfectly innocuous context (such as “coger el autobús”, which in many parts of the Spanish-speaking world is a very acceptable way of saying “catch the bus”), you could be saying something weird and profane (“f*ck the bus).

In parts of Central and Southern Spain, “coger” is also just used as an exclamation or to add emphasis. Spaniards may utter “coger” when they are surprised, amazed, impressed, or even just searching for the right word. It was seen as completely normal to be addressed “coger, tío que buen verte” (sh*t, dude, good to see you.) While technically vulgar (in this context), it’s not really seen as rude in the sense of being offensive – when it’s used among buds.

The important thing to note is that “coger” is not inherently a curse word in Spanish. A perfect analogy would be the way an American English speaker could say “screw”, “bang”, or “nail”. While perfectly acceptable in most contexts, there are a handful of situations where this takes on a sexual meaning. It is easy to discern when this is the case based on tone, audience, and contextual clues.

The long and short of it is that you just need to be aware of who you are speaking to when you pick your choice of words. (Even if you are in Central America, but you are speaking with someone who grew up in Spain, you may accidentally say something that can be misinterpreted). It is natural that certain words can evolve to take on different meanings in different dialects. Language is a living thing, constantly adapting, and slang develops differently in different geographies.

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