In Spanish, cuenta usually means "bill," "check" (in a restaurant), or "account," but in slang and idiomatic expressions, it frequently refers to taking responsibility, realizing something, or telling a story. Common usages include darse cuenta (to realize), por mi cuenta (on my own), or cuenta gotas (slowly).
At its core, 'cuenta' translates to 'account,' but it encompasses much more than just financial implications. In everyday conversation, you might hear someone say, "¿Tienes cuenta?" which means "Do you have an account?" This could refer to a bank account or even an online profile.
To count something. It is also one of the conjugations of the verb "contar" (3rd person in the singular form and simple present tense). For example, when your friend buys something and the cashier gives her/him a lot of change: "Ella/Él cuenta el dinero". It is used also to talk about a bank account (cuenta bancaria).
🤔 It literally means “what father,” but in Mexican Spanish, it actually means “how cool!” 🇲🇽 In this short, we'll show you how to use it naturally in real conversations — like “¡Está bien padre!” when something's awesome. Padre, what does that mean?
Beyond chulo or chula on their own, it is very common to add qué in Spanish to intensify their meaning: qué chulo or qué chula, meaning how pretty or how cool. This expression is a great way to hype your friends up with some compliments!
"Muy poquito" means "very little," "just a tiny bit," or "not very much at all" in Spanish, intensifying the word "poco" (little) with "muy" (very) and adding the diminutive "-ito" for emphasis, often conveying a sense of smallness, scarcity, or even humor depending on the context. It's used for tiny quantities of things (money, time, food) or to downplay something significantly.
Tipping is never required, even in Spain's most tourist-heavy city. Locals don't tip routinely, and service staff don't expect it. That said, Barcelona sees more visitors, so you might see tipping more often in central restaurants or hotels. If you feel the service was worth it, leave a euro or two.
Spanish slang for a "hot girl" varies by region but includes terms like mamacita, divina, buena, chula, or rica, alongside more direct English loanwords like sexy, with chica guapa/bonita (pretty/beautiful girl) being common, but avoid "chica caliente" (spicy hot/sexually aroused) as it's often misunderstood for temperature or arousal, not attractiveness.
Chula can be an adjective or a noun. Calling a woman mami chula has a much more sexual tone. Female friends and family call one another chula as a term of an endearment … … and men may call their female significant others chula in the same, sweet way.
Why do reggaeton artists say “como que” so much?! 😭 Here's what como que REALLY means in Spanish (it's the filler word like “like / kinda / I mean…”) so you can understand fast Spanish + sound natural. Want to speak conversational Spanish like this?
Yes, "papi" is often a flirty or affectionate term, meaning "daddy" but used more broadly like "baby" or "my man" for a romantic interest, signaling desire and attraction, but it can also be a casual term for a friend or even a father, depending heavily on the context, tone, and relationship.
In Mexico, saying “¡provecho!” (short for buen provecho, meaning “enjoy your meal”) is more than just good manners — it's a sign of warmth and respect.
