Málaga Slang for Tourists: 30 Words You Need to Know

The Spanish spoken in Nerja and throughout the Axarquía region of Málaga has a personality all its own. The eastern Andalusian accent, local expressions, and unique vocabulary can leave even the most seasoned traveller bewildered. This guide will help you understand — and perhaps even use — the most common words.

Greetings and basic expressions

• Quillo / Quilla — Colloquial form of «chiquillo/a» (kid). Used like "mate" or "pal". «Quillo, ¿qué pasa?» ("Hey mate, what's up?")
• Aro — Yes, of course. «¿Vienes a la playa?» «¡Aro!» ("Coming to the beach?" "Sure!")
• Picha — A term of affection (yes, really). «Eh picha, ¿qué tal?» ("Hey mate, how's it going?"). Don't be offended — it's actually a good sign.
• Miarma — "My soul". A term of endearment, more common in Sevilla but heard throughout Andalucía.
• Echá palante — "Push forward", meaning keep going, cheer up.

Food and drink

• Pitufo — A small bread roll. In Málaga you order «un pitufo con aceite» for breakfast (anywhere else in Spain and you'll get some very puzzled looks).
• Sombra — Coffee with a lot of milk. In Málaga, coffees have their own names: solo, largo, semi largo, solo corto, mitad, entre corto, corto, sombra, nube. Yes, there are 9 types.
• Nube — Coffee with a very large amount of milk (almost entirely milk with just a hint of coffee).
• Porra antequera — A close cousin of salmorejo but thicker. Served topped with tuna and hard-boiled egg.
• Ajoblanco — A cold almond and garlic soup, the ancestor of gazpacho. A speciality of the Axarquía.
• Chanquete — A tiny fish that used to be fried whole. It is now a protected species, and what you're served at beach bars is usually an imitation (a very small anchovy).
• Tapa — In Málaga, unlike in Granada, tapas are NOT free. However, the portions are generous.

Everyday life

• Mojá — Woman (from Arabic). «Ahí viene la mojá». Used mainly by older people.
• Malagón — A strong, dry wind from the northwest. When it blows, the heat becomes stifling.
• Terral — Another warm wind from inland that sends temperatures soaring in summer. «Hoy pega el terral» = it's unbearably hot today.
• Churumbel — A young child. From Romani.
• Boquerón — As well as being a type of fish (anchovy), it is the informal name for people from Málaga: «los boquerones».
• Espetón — Sardines skewered on a cane and grilled over a fire on the beach. The most iconic dish of Málaga's cuisine.

Useful expressions

• Malaá — The local way of saying «Málaga». People from Málaga tend to drop the final letters of words.
• Alega — When someone «alega», it means they are complaining or protesting about something.
• Enganchao — Hooked on or obsessed with something. «Está enganchao al móvil» ("He's glued to his phone").
• Pechada — A large amount of something. «Nos pegamos una pechada de andar» = we walked an enormous amount.
• Quedarse tieso — To run out of money, or to be very cold. Depends on the context.
• Mangue — Me / to me. From Caló. «A mangue no me cuentes eso» ("Don't tell me that").

Phonetics: how it sounds

Features of the Málaga accent you'll notice in Nerja:

• Final s sounds are aspirated or dropped entirely: «la playa» sounds like «la plahá», «vamos» like «vamoh».
• The «d» between vowels disappears: «pescado» → «pescao», «cansado» → «cansao».
• Words are run together: «¿qué haces?» → «qué hase?».
• The rhythm is fast and musically quite different from the Castilian Spanish of central and northern Spain.

Don't worry if you don't understand everything at first. Smile, ask people to repeat themselves, and enjoy the accent. The people of Nerja appreciate it when visitors show an interest in the way they speak.