Common Phrases
Idiay, vos? is a very popular phrase used among Nicaraguans from every age and social status. Idiay is an idiomatic expression that resulted from the contraction of y de ahí (and from there). Now idiay is used to greet people, to complain; it practically means what happened? Or how are you? Nevertheless, this phrase is common among Nicaraguans only. Rarely, will a Nicaraguan use it while talking with a senior or with a foreigner, except if the familiarity level is high.
Nicaraguans also love to express themselves in an informal way. For Nicaraguans, vos—the informal meaning of you—simply entails familiarity and most Nicaraguans use it even in the first encounter, especially with people in the same age bracket. However, a young Nicaraguan does not use the vos form with a senior, on the contrary, usted is used.
Moreover, when Nicas want to say then or so or mmmm, they use pues or puej, as you hear it. As we stated previously, Nicas do not always pronounce the 's' at the end of the words. Nicaraguans tend to use pues as a tag. If you hear pues and then a pause it is a mmmm….of hesitation. If you hear pues in the middle of a sentence, it is like North Americans saying 'well' for a pause.
Dale pues is a fancy way of saying yes. Nicaraguans will use it a lot in any circumstance and to reply to any person. It is very popular and easy to say.
Maje is a typical word of Nicaraguan people. It means guy, girl, person in a very informal way. Mostly young people use it because adults may feel offended if they are called maje.
Marimba de chavalos is used to refer to a large family. The marimba is a typical native music instrument that has many keys. Moreover, chavalos is the expression used to refer to kids. However, kids or children are also called chigüines.
Hombé! is the colloquial way of saying hombre (man). Nicaraguans use it a lot, even referring to women or children or seniors. In a typical conversation, the sound you hear is hombé.
Sometimes, Nicaraguans use different popular sayings that reflect the idiosyncrasy of the native Indians of Nicaragua..
“Un indio menos, un plátano más”
“An Indian less, a banana more” or “An Indian less, a tortilla more”
There is more food when there is less people.
"Machete caído, indio muerto"
“Machete falls, dead Indian”
When people stop working, there is no life left. Machetes are the instrument Indians use to survive but when they stop using it, they will not have a way to survive.
“Indio comido, puesto al camino"
“Eaten Indian, walking Indian”
When an Indian has eaten, they leave immediately.
“Salírsele a uno el indio"
“To get the Indian out of oneself”
Everyone has an Indian part that occasionally comes out in times when they are angry.
“Si sos puro indio"
“If you are all Indian” (Insult)
When you tell this phrase to someone, you might be insulting the other person. It will depend if the person feels proud or not of having an Indian part.
“Cuando el indio se levanta y el chancho chilla, ya es de día"
“When the Indian rises and the pig scream, it is day”
Indian people wake up really early.
“Hacer fila india”
“To make Indian line”
To be in a line where one person follows the other.
“¡Qué tal te verés con caites!
“How would you look with caites?” (Insult)
If stating someone looks bad in their clothing but with caites (Indian shoes) they would look even worse. This phrase insults the person being referred to.
“¡Te voy a enseñar cuántos hoyos tiene un caite!”
“I am going to teach you how many holes are there in a caite”
If you hear this, it means that someone is about to hit you. Generally, it describes a furious state.
“El muerto al hoyo y el vivo al bollo”
“The dead to the hole, the living to the bun (the pastry)”
It is an ironic way to describe how families or relatives tend to forget their dead soon.
“Parecer jugado de cegua”
“To appear to be played by the cegua”
The cegua is a mythical, enraged woman that now fools around the cheater and drunk men. If someone is acting like dumb or absent-minded, this phrase is applicable.
“Vos creés que la vida es moronga”
“You think that life is moronga”
Moronga is a typical Nicaraguan plate made of rice and pig blood and skin.
“Ser peor que un pujo de vendabal”
“You are worst than rainfall”
Nicaraguans do not like rainfalls—continuous rain—because they lose a lot of time and it is boring to be inactive. When someone is annoying and is disturbing then it is worst than the obstruction of rainfall.
“Yo no creo en santos que orinan”
“I do not believe in saints that urinate”
When people do not trust in others, they use this phrase. Even though people look and act like saints, they may not be trustworthy.
“Eso es más hojas que nacatamal”
“That is more leaves than nacatamal”
When the clever Nicaraguan has discovered that someone or something seems to be more than it actually is.
“Músico pagado no toca buen son”
“A musician paid in advance does not play as well”
If you give money in advance for any work, the employee would not perform a good job.
“Andar a pincel”
“Walking by paint-brush”
Walking by foot
“Andar coyoteando”
“To be a coyote”
To get money from different people, so your own will not be spent.
“Beberla o derramarla”
“Drink it or spill it”
When people tend to make many mistakes
“El que nació para olote, aunque el invierno sea copioso”
“The one who has born to be olote, even if the winter is copious…” (Insult)
Sometimes Nicaraguans believe in predestination. Someone that was born to be poor, will always be it. Even having the opportunity, the unskilled will not be able to learn or to improve.
“Pelar el ojo”
“To peel the eye”
To pay special attention to a particular event or circumstance
“Donde manda capitán no manda marinero”
“Where the captain commands, the sailor does not”
This saying is used to indicate the hierarchy levels.
“El tiempo perdido los santos lo lloran”
“Saints cry for lost time”
Wasting time is nothing good
“Andar como que no has quebrado un plato”
“Going around as if you have not broken any plate”
To play around pretending to be innocent
“Ser un águila”
“To be an eagle”
To be very perceptive and smart
“Ser un caballo”
“To be a horse” (Insult)
To be ignorant, brute or dumb
“Ser un pulpo”
“To be an octopus” (Insult)
To be ambitious and with no scruples
“Ser una víbora”
“To be a viper” (Insult)
To be a bad person with no scruples
“Ser una serpiente cascabel”
“To be a bell snake” (Insult)
To be violent and full or rage
“Ser un coyote” o “Ser un parásito”
“To be coyote” or “To be a parasite” (Insult)
To live off of other people, especially to eat and drink off of other people’s money
“Ser un piojo”
“To be a louse” (Insult)
To be really silly and annoying
“Ser un conejo”
“To be a rabbit”
To be a fast runner, restless
Nicaraguans also love to express themselves in an informal way. For Nicaraguans, vos—the informal meaning of you—simply entails familiarity and most Nicaraguans use it even in the first encounter, especially with people in the same age bracket. However, a young Nicaraguan does not use the vos form with a senior, on the contrary, usted is used.
Moreover, when Nicas want to say then or so or mmmm, they use pues or puej, as you hear it. As we stated previously, Nicas do not always pronounce the 's' at the end of the words. Nicaraguans tend to use pues as a tag. If you hear pues and then a pause it is a mmmm….of hesitation. If you hear pues in the middle of a sentence, it is like North Americans saying 'well' for a pause.
Dale pues is a fancy way of saying yes. Nicaraguans will use it a lot in any circumstance and to reply to any person. It is very popular and easy to say.
Maje is a typical word of Nicaraguan people. It means guy, girl, person in a very informal way. Mostly young people use it because adults may feel offended if they are called maje.
Marimba de chavalos is used to refer to a large family. The marimba is a typical native music instrument that has many keys. Moreover, chavalos is the expression used to refer to kids. However, kids or children are also called chigüines.
Hombé! is the colloquial way of saying hombre (man). Nicaraguans use it a lot, even referring to women or children or seniors. In a typical conversation, the sound you hear is hombé.
Sometimes, Nicaraguans use different popular sayings that reflect the idiosyncrasy of the native Indians of Nicaragua..
“Un indio menos, un plátano más”
“An Indian less, a banana more” or “An Indian less, a tortilla more”
There is more food when there is less people.
"Machete caído, indio muerto"
“Machete falls, dead Indian”
When people stop working, there is no life left. Machetes are the instrument Indians use to survive but when they stop using it, they will not have a way to survive.
“Indio comido, puesto al camino"
“Eaten Indian, walking Indian”
When an Indian has eaten, they leave immediately.
“Salírsele a uno el indio"
“To get the Indian out of oneself”
Everyone has an Indian part that occasionally comes out in times when they are angry.
“Si sos puro indio"
“If you are all Indian” (Insult)
When you tell this phrase to someone, you might be insulting the other person. It will depend if the person feels proud or not of having an Indian part.
“Cuando el indio se levanta y el chancho chilla, ya es de día"
“When the Indian rises and the pig scream, it is day”
Indian people wake up really early.
“Hacer fila india”
“To make Indian line”
To be in a line where one person follows the other.
“¡Qué tal te verés con caites!
“How would you look with caites?” (Insult)
If stating someone looks bad in their clothing but with caites (Indian shoes) they would look even worse. This phrase insults the person being referred to.
“¡Te voy a enseñar cuántos hoyos tiene un caite!”
“I am going to teach you how many holes are there in a caite”
If you hear this, it means that someone is about to hit you. Generally, it describes a furious state.
“El muerto al hoyo y el vivo al bollo”
“The dead to the hole, the living to the bun (the pastry)”
It is an ironic way to describe how families or relatives tend to forget their dead soon.
“Parecer jugado de cegua”
“To appear to be played by the cegua”
The cegua is a mythical, enraged woman that now fools around the cheater and drunk men. If someone is acting like dumb or absent-minded, this phrase is applicable.
“Vos creés que la vida es moronga”
“You think that life is moronga”
Moronga is a typical Nicaraguan plate made of rice and pig blood and skin.
“Ser peor que un pujo de vendabal”
“You are worst than rainfall”
Nicaraguans do not like rainfalls—continuous rain—because they lose a lot of time and it is boring to be inactive. When someone is annoying and is disturbing then it is worst than the obstruction of rainfall.
“Yo no creo en santos que orinan”
“I do not believe in saints that urinate”
When people do not trust in others, they use this phrase. Even though people look and act like saints, they may not be trustworthy.
“Eso es más hojas que nacatamal”
“That is more leaves than nacatamal”
When the clever Nicaraguan has discovered that someone or something seems to be more than it actually is.
“Músico pagado no toca buen son”
“A musician paid in advance does not play as well”
If you give money in advance for any work, the employee would not perform a good job.
“Andar a pincel”
“Walking by paint-brush”
Walking by foot
“Andar coyoteando”
“To be a coyote”
To get money from different people, so your own will not be spent.
“Beberla o derramarla”
“Drink it or spill it”
When people tend to make many mistakes
“El que nació para olote, aunque el invierno sea copioso”
“The one who has born to be olote, even if the winter is copious…” (Insult)
Sometimes Nicaraguans believe in predestination. Someone that was born to be poor, will always be it. Even having the opportunity, the unskilled will not be able to learn or to improve.
“Pelar el ojo”
“To peel the eye”
To pay special attention to a particular event or circumstance
“Donde manda capitán no manda marinero”
“Where the captain commands, the sailor does not”
This saying is used to indicate the hierarchy levels.
“El tiempo perdido los santos lo lloran”
“Saints cry for lost time”
Wasting time is nothing good
“Andar como que no has quebrado un plato”
“Going around as if you have not broken any plate”
To play around pretending to be innocent
“Ser un águila”
“To be an eagle”
To be very perceptive and smart
“Ser un caballo”
“To be a horse” (Insult)
To be ignorant, brute or dumb
“Ser un pulpo”
“To be an octopus” (Insult)
To be ambitious and with no scruples
“Ser una víbora”
“To be a viper” (Insult)
To be a bad person with no scruples
“Ser una serpiente cascabel”
“To be a bell snake” (Insult)
To be violent and full or rage
“Ser un coyote” o “Ser un parásito”
“To be coyote” or “To be a parasite” (Insult)
To live off of other people, especially to eat and drink off of other people’s money
“Ser un piojo”
“To be a louse” (Insult)
To be really silly and annoying
“Ser un conejo”
“To be a rabbit”
To be a fast runner, restless
