Argentinian Spanish: How to Sound Like a Native Speaker (Phrases Included!)

¡Hola, che! (Hey, dude!) Do you want to speak like a world champion? If the answer is yes, you’re in the right place. 

Argentina is known globally for its prowess in fútbol—its soccer team most recently won the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Its status as reigning champion, though, is only the tip of the iceberg. From the mountains of Patagonia to the beaches of Buenos Aires, Argentina is a beautiful place to find yourself. The people behind its vibrant and beautiful culture are equally wonderful, and worth getting to know in every corner of the world, from Argentina and beyond. 

To feel right at home with Argentina and its culture, it helps to understand the nuances of Argentinian Spanish. From pronunciation to vocabulary, there are certain elements that differ from standard Latin American Spanish. With the help of this guide, you’ll be speaking Argentinian Spanish like a rioplatense in no time. 

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Why is Spanish spoken in Argentina? 

Before we uncover what makes Argentinian dialects so unique, let’s talk about the language that most heavily influenced Argentinian Spanish: Castilian Spanish.

Juan Diaz de Solis was the first Spaniard to reach Argentina in 1516. From there, Castilian Spanish slowly overtook what once were widespread indigenous languages, like Quechua, Wichi, and Kolla.  

Between the late 19th century and early 20th century, Argentina was the richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita; immigrants from all over the world arrived in Argentina with their own languages, culture, and dialects, the latter of which influenced Spanish. Argentinian Spanish has quite the melting pot of influences, and as such, sounds distinct from other Spanish dialects. But don’t worry—your knowledge of general Latin American or Peninsular (European) Spanish will still come in handy! 

How many people speak Spanish in Argentina?

As Argentina’s primary language, Spanish is spoken by roughly 90 percent of Argentina’s 47 million inhabitants. It is slightly different from standard Latin American Spanish. For starters, over 60 percent of Argentina’s population can trace their roots back to Italy—now you know why so many of your favorite Argentine sportsmen like Fangio, Maradona, Ginobili and Messi, or tango musicians like Astor Piazzolla or Santos Discepolo, all have Italian last names. You’ll notice in the vocabulary lists below that many words or phrases unique to Argentinian Spanish resemble their Italian counterparts. 

As such, the second most spoken language in Argentina comes as no surprise: it’s Italian. Many in Argentina grow up learning Italian alongside Spanish, and may even speak the language at home. 

Argentina attracts a diverse range of people—Buenos Aires is considered the world’s most popular city for digital nomads!—and you’re likely to find pockets of Chinese, Arabic, German, English, French, and even Welsh speakers.   

What does an Argentinian Spanish accent sound like?

Spanish accents differ between countries, but they also differ between regions. You may notice a slight difference in the Spanish spoken at the northernmost tip of Argentina to what is spoken farther south. Geographic and socioeconomic factors work together to influence how Spanish sounds. 

However, the vast majority of speakers sound like those native to its capital, Buenos Aires. This accent is closest to a Neapolitan Italian accent. If you’re planning to visit Argentina and happen to have some knowledge of Italian, you’ll have a definite advantage! 

You’ll find that most Argentinian Spanish speakers typically pronounce y and ll like the English sh sound. This way of speaking started in less affluent neighborhoods but was soon adopted by the rest of the population, eventually becoming synonymous with the sound of the porteños (people from Buenos Aires). 

In parts of Northwest Argentina, accents tend to be slightly more monotonous. The y and ll are pronounced like an i – not unlike what you will hear in many parts of Central America. 

Another accent worth mentioning is the accent from Córdoba, which elongates the syllable preceding an accented syllable. When pronouncing the word chegusán (“sandwich” in Argentinian Spanish), you would elongate the syllable gu. 

If you spend an extended period of time in Argentina or around Argentinian speakers, you may naturally adopt their accent. But please—there’s no need to copy it! Avoid the uncomfortable territory and simply speak Spanish to the best of your ability.  

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Is it difficult to learn Argentinian Spanish?

Learning Argentinian Spanish can be both rewarding and challenging, especially if you’re already familiar with other Spanish dialects. While the fundamentals of the language remain the same, the unique accent and vocabulary used in Argentina can pose a learning curve for some. 

However, with the right resources and practice, anyone can become proficient in Argentinian Spanish!  With a greater challenge comes a greater reward, which is how you will feel when you start adopting the very musical and charming Argentine accents. 

A good recommendation is not to worry too much about sounding like a local: embrace the way you sound! Embrace it just like the immigrants to Argentina embraced it, since we wouldn’t be talking about the uniqueness of Argentine Spanish if it weren’t for the immigrants embracing their own. Focus on being understood, and let time do the rest: find whichever musicality and sound fit you, and keep in mind that we use language to communicate, not to sound a certain way.

What are the differences between Argentinian Spanish and Latin American Spanish?

Argentinian Spanish boasts several distinctive features that set it apart from the Spanish dialects spoken in the rest of Latin America. Here are some notable differences:

“Y” and “ll” pronunciation (Sheísmo)

As mentioned above, many regions of Argentina, particularly in Buenos Aires, the y and ll sounds are pronounced as sh, resembling the English sh sound. This particular way of pronouncing these two sounds is known as sheísmo. For instance, pollo (chicken) is pronounced “posho,“ yo is pronounced “sho,” and ella (she) is pronounced “esha.”

Use of vos (Voseo)

In Argentina, like in a few other countries and regions inside Latin America, the informal second-person singular pronoun vos is commonly used instead of tú. This variation includes unique verb conjugations, which you will see below, and resembles the conjugation of vosotros. Its main difference in conjugation in relation to tú is that we stress the last syllable.

Spanish	English
Yo estudio	I study
Vos estudiás	You study
Él/ella estudia	He / She studies
Nosotros / nosotras estudiamos	We study
Ustedes estudian	You (pl.) study
Ellos / ellas estudian	They study

Spanish	English
Yo como	I eat
Vos comés	You eat
Él / ella come	He / She eats
Nosotros / nosotras comemos	We eat
Ustedes comen	You (pl.) eat
Ellos / ellas comen	They eat

Note that since the stress is on a different syllable with voseo, you do not need to change the stem of the verb. If you look at how querer and poder are conjugated below, you’ll notice that their stem-changing qualities do not apply for vos or nosotros forms. 

Spanish	English
Yo quiero	I want
Vos querés	You want (informal, Argentina)
Él quiere	He wants
Nosotros / nosotras queremos	We want
Ellos / ellas quieren	They want

Spanish	English
Yo puedo	I can
Vos podés	You can (informal)
Él / ella puede	He / She can
Nosotros / nosotras podemos	We can
Ellos / ellas pueden	They can

What words or phrases should I know if I’m traveling to Argentina?

This is where the fun begins! In this list, you’ll learn words and phrases you can use for conversations around travel, dining, and more. If you want to sound like a true porteño, practice saying these phrases out loud. Some phrases on this list come from Argentinian slang known as lunfardo, which is a blend of Italian, Spanish, French, and indigenous words. These can enhance your understanding of everyday conversations in Argentina and impress the locals. 

People and greetings

Spanish	English
¿Qué hacés?	What’s up? (Literally, “what are you doing?”)
¿Todo bien?	Everything good? (similar to “How’s it going?”)
che	dude / girl (casual interjection)
boludo / boluda	“Dude.” This is a colloquial term used to refer to someone in a friendly way. It can be translated to “dude,” but it can also be used as an insult, so be cautious with its usage! It comes from the term used to describe the soldiers at the very front lines, who were armed with boleadoras.
chavón	dude (informal)
el loco / la loca	dude (literally: “crazy”)
el flaco / la flaca	dude (literally: “thin”)
el chorro / la chorra	thief
la yuta	police
el vago	lazy person
la mina	girl (informal)
el pibe / la  piba	kid (informal)

Verbs

Spanish	English
parlar	to talk (from Italian parlare and French parler)
manyar	to eat (from Italian mangiare and French manger)
morfar	to eat
bardear	to tease or provoke
laburar	to work (alternative to trabajar)
chorear	to steal

Money and buying

Spanish	English
mango / sope	peso (slang)
gamba	100 pesos (slang)
luca	1,000 pesos (slang)
trucho	fake or counterfeit
cheto	snobby or posh, used for both people and items
la rata	cheapskate

Travel

Spanish	English
el bondi	bus
el tacho	taxicab (literally: “trash can”)
el subte	subway (short for subterráneo)
la ventanilla		teller window (the word ventana with the diminutive suffix -illa)
el quilombo		chaos or mess (If you visit downtown Buenos Aires during rush hour, you will understand the true meaning of quilombo.)

Food and drinks

Spanish	English
el asado	traditional Argentine barbecue
la birra	beer (from Italian: birra)
la muzza / la muza	pizza (short for “pizza de mozzarella”)
el mate	traditional Argentine herbal tea (also the name of the gourd where you put it)
chegusán	sandwich (all the syllables for sánguche, but out of order)
zapi	pizza (the letters for “pizza” but out of order and without a double z)
feca	coffee (the letters for “café” but out of order)
la gaseosa	soda pop
la coca / la coquita	soda (regardless of brand, similar to what some people would say in Atlanta)
la coca de 500/600	soda with its approximate volume in milliliters (equivalent to 16oz and 20oz, respectively)
el chori	chorizo sausage or choripán (chorizo sandwich)

Explore Spanish in every region with Rosetta Stone

By familiarizing yourself with the basics and embracing the unique accent and phrases of Argentinian Spanish, you will undoubtedly have a more enriching and immersive experience during your visit to this captivating country. Whether you’re planning a trip to Buenos Aires, dreaming of drinking mate in the forests of Palermo, or just want to connect with Argentinians on a deeper level, mastering the local lingo is the key! And what better way to do it than with Rosetta Stone?

Our language learning program is designed to give you more than just words. Rosetta Stone’s bite-sized lessons and learning tools offer you a ticket to immerse yourself in your target culture and explore the heart and soul of a place through its language, just like we did today. Plus, TruAccent can help you nail your pronunciation, so you can feel confident and conversation ready in no time. 

Start learning today!

Written by Diego Rodríguez

Polyglot copywriter, linguist, multi-instrumentalist, and Rosetta Stone user himself, Diego has worked as language coach and copywriter for companies such as Coca-Cola, Turner Broadcasting, Rolls Royce, and more. After a brain tumor nearly killed him and left him unable to speak, his drive to relearn his five languages simultaneously left him a renewed passion for them, as well as a deeper understanding of how they work and relate to one another.