Hablar como limeño
Everyday Lima slang. It is informal by definition, so each note says where it fits and where it would be odd. Nothing here is offensive, but some of it does not belong in an office.
Gente
el patamnoun
the mate
Mi pata is my mate. Works for men and women.
causa
mate
Used to address someone, and more informal than pata.
el chibolomnoun
the kid
A child or a teenager. Slightly dismissive of an adult.
la flacafnoun
the girlfriend
Nothing to do with being thin. Mi flaca is my partner; el flaco for a man.
Cómo estás
misioadjective
broke
Ando misio esta semana. · I'm skint this week.
estar palteado
to be flustered
From la palta. Paltearse is to get embarrassed or nervous.
el rochemnoun
the embarrassment
Qué roche. · How embarrassing.
Rochoso is the adjective. Very common.
el jatomnoun
home
Me voy al jato. · I'm off home.
bravazoadjective
excellent
Peruvian, and enthusiastic.
bacánadjective
great
Cosas y situaciones
la chambafnoun
the work
Tengo mucha chamba. · I've got a lot of work on.
Chambear is the verb. Heard across every class in Lima.
bambaadjective
fake
Ese reloj es bamba. · That watch is a fake.
huachafoadjective
tacky
Hard to translate: pretending to a taste or a class you do not have. Very Peruvian.
la manchafnoun
the group of friends
Vamos con toda la mancha. · We're all going.
hacer hora
to kill time
Estoy haciendo hora hasta las seis. · I'm killing time until six.
de frente
straight on
Both directions and time: sigue de frente, or fuimos de frente al restaurante.
Muletillas
pe
then
Ya pe, vamos. · Come on then, let's go.
Attaches to the end of almost anything: sí pe, no pe, ya pe.
oe
hey
Gets attention. Informal, and not for a stranger much older than you.
¿ya?
all right?
Tacked onto a request: me avisas, ¿ya?
nomás
just
Pasa nomás. · Come on in.
Softens an instruction and makes it welcoming rather than blunt.
un toque
a moment
Espérame un toque. · Give me a second.
Same word as al toque, opposite size: al toque is fast, un toque is a short wait.