Spanish Words That Sound Rude (But Aren't): 5 Funny Spain Spanish False Friends 😳🇪🇸
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Spanish is full of words that look rude, wrong or downright embarrassing to English ears. Most of them are totally innocent. A few of them will get you a very funny look in a Spanish chemist. 😅
These five come straight from my most watched TikTok, "Rules from a tough guy: Spain Spanish edition", where a very serious boss lays down the law on false friends. Learn them now and save yourself the blushes on your next trip to Spain.
1. Embarazada 🤰 (it doesn't mean embarrassed)
What it really means: pregnant.
This is the classic. It looks like "embarrassed", it sounds like "embarrassed", and it is absolutely not "embarrassed". If you've gone red and want to say so, use me da vergüenza or estoy avergonzado/a.
Example: Mi hermana está embarazada de seis meses. (My sister is six months pregnant.)
The funny bit: in the video, the big guy tells his mother-in-law he's embarazado. Now she's bought him a pram. 🍼
2. Constipado 🤧 (it's just a cold, honestly)
What it really means: you've got a cold, a blocked nose. Nothing else.
Tell a Spaniard estoy constipado and they'll offer you a tissue and a bit of sympathy. That's it. If your problem really is further south, you want estoy estreñido, but let's not go there.
Example: No voy a clase hoy, estoy muy constipada. (I'm not going to class today, I've got a stinking cold.)
The funny bit: "So that's why the pharmacist gave me tissues." 🧻
3. Coger 🚌 (innocent in Spain, honest)
What it really means: to take, to catch, to grab.
In Spain, coger is one of the most everyday verbs going. You coges the bus, a taxi, an umbrella, a cold. The twist? In much of Latin America it's a very rude word, so if you're in Mexico or Argentina, swap it for tomar or agarrar. In Spain, crack on.
Example: Cojo el autobús a las ocho todos los días. (I catch the bus at eight every day.)
The funny bit: it's the only word in this list that's innocent on one side of the Atlantic and gets you thrown out of a dinner party on the other. 🌍
4. Carpeta 📁 (not a carpet)
What it really means: a folder.
A carpet is una alfombra (a rug) or la moqueta (fitted carpet). A carpeta holds your homework, not your feet.
Example: Guarda los deberes en la carpeta azul. (Put your homework in the blue folder.)
The funny bit: the new recruit in the video proudly grabs his carpeta to go and sit on it. He's still not been promoted. 📂
5. Éxito 🏆 (not the way out)
What it really means: success.
The exit is la salida. El éxito is what you get when you finally stop mixing these up. Look for salida on signs at the airport, the metro and the motorway.
Example: ¡La fiesta fue un éxito! (The party was a success!)
The funny bit: "I'm off to find the éxito," says the new guy, walking straight into a cupboard. Close, mate. Very close. 🚪
Bonus: vale and tío 😎
You'll hear these two everywhere in Spain. Vale means OK, and tío (literally "uncle") is how Spaniards say "mate". So ¿Vale, tío? is basically "Alright, mate?". Not rude at all, just very, very Spanish.
🎬 Watch the original: Rules from a tough guy on TikTok. Which rule got you?
Quick recap
- Embarazada = pregnant (embarrassed = me da vergüenza)
- Constipado = got a cold
- Coger = to take or catch (fine in Spain, avoid it in Latin America)
- Carpeta = folder (carpet = alfombra or moqueta)
- Éxito = success (exit = salida)
FAQ
What are false friends in Spanish?
False friends are words that look like an English word but mean something different. Embarazada, constipado, carpeta and éxito are four of the most famous ones, and they catch out beginners and GCSE students all the time.
Is coger a rude word in Spanish?
Not in Spain. In Spain it simply means to take or catch. In much of Latin America it's vulgar, so use tomar or agarrar there instead.
How do you say "I'm embarrassed" in Spanish?
Say me da vergüenza or estoy avergonzado (or avergonzada if you're female). Just not estoy embarazada, unless you've got big news. 😉
Want the properly rude stuff?
For adults only, the X-Rated Spain Swear Words flashcards cover the words you'll hear in Spain but won't find in a textbook. For something a bit tamer, try the Slang & Colloquialisms flashcards.
Never get caught out again 🇪🇸
The Fun Learning Spanish app teaches the Spanish they actually speak in Spain, with games, flashcards and daily phrases that make the words stick. It's free to start.