10 Spanish Curse Words That Will Make Everyone Silent (Example Dialogues)

Spanish curse words are also part of the language. While you most certainly might not introduce these common Spanish phrases to your child or a kid, it’s good to let of some steam with Spanish swearing.

These expressions and chunks can express frustration, anger and you can even put emphasis on something if you’d like. All Spanish-speaking countries have their own taste in curses, so in this blog post, we won’t only share the 10 most common ones that are used everywhere but also mention some regional ones – look out for those!

For these regional ones, you can also check the video by Spring Spanish (one of my side projects). It’s age-restricted for a reason, so check it on YouTube.

Top 10 Spanish swear words and phrases in an all-in-one Table

Before we get a bit deeper, let’s take a quick look at all of these Spanish swear words in an all-in-one table. We also listed the vulgarity level so you know when you can use them.

Click on any of them to learn more about these curse words, and see some examples with them!

1. Mierda (Shit)

One of the most famous and most commonly used Spanish swear words is “Mierda,” which directly translates to “shit” in English.

It is often used to express frustration, disappointment, or annoyance, similar to its English counterpart. But, “Mierda” can also be used in a more lighthearted manner among friends or acquaintances.

Juan: “¿Has visto mis llaves?” (Have you seen my keys?)
María: “No, lo siento. ¡Mierda! ¿Dónde pueden estar?” (No, sorry. Shit! Where could they be?)

2. Joder (Fuck)

“Joder” directly translates to “fuck” in English. It is one of the most forceful Spanish curse words, used to express a whole range of really strong emotions from frustration to amazement.

Pedro: “Perdimos el tren.” (We missed the train.)
Lucía: “¡Joder! Ahora tenemos que esperar una hora.” (Fuck! Now we have to wait for an hour.)

3. Cabrón (Bastard)

“Cabrón” translates to “bastard” in English and is used to refer to someone who is annoying or unpleasant in situations. It is a strong insult and should be used with caution, because it can offend people.

José: “¿Por qué hiciste eso?” (Why did you do that?)
Ana: “¡Porque eres un cabrón!” (Because you’re a bastard!)

4. Hijo de puta (Son of a bitch)

“Hijo de puta” translates to “son of a bitch” in English. It is used to insult someone strongly, often implying deceit or betrayal. (If you watch a lot of football in Spanish, you might read the lips of footballers – unfortunately (or understandably), you can read this Spanish swear word a lot of the time.)

Carlos: “¿Escuchaste lo que dijo de ti?” (Did you hear what he said about you?)
Elena: “¡Ese hijo de puta!” (That son of a bitch!)

5. Coño (Cunt)

“Coño” translates to “cunt” in English. It is extremely vulgar and used to express strong emotions, both positive and negative. Best to use it very cautiously.

Luis: “¡Qué coño ha pasado aquí!” (What the fuck happened here!)

6. Pendejo (Idiot/Asshole)

“Pendejo” translates to “idiot” or “asshole” in English. It is a moderate insult often used in Latin America to describe someone who is being foolish or annoying. In a real-life example, it could look like this:

Miguel: “Olvidé hacer la tarea.” (I forgot to do the homework.)
Sofía: “¡Eres un pendejo!” (You’re an idiot!)

7. Gilipollas (Jerk/Asshole)

“Gilipollas” translates to “jerk” or “asshole” in English. Commonly used in Spain, it is a strong insult indicating that someone is acting stupidly or obnoxiously. (In some cases, it can used as a term for ‘silly’ too but it’s best to be cautious.)

Raúl: “No me importa lo que pienses.” (I don’t care what you think.)
Isabel: “¡Qué gilipollas eres!” (What an asshole you are!)

8. Carajo (Damn)

“Carajo” translates to “damn” in English. It is a moderate expletive used to express frustration, anger, or surprise. In a dialogue, let’s see how it would sound like:

Andrés: “Perdí mi billetera.” (I lost my wallet.)
Carmen: “¡Carajo! ¿Dónde la viste por última vez?” (Damn! Where did you see it last?)

9. Vete a la mierda (Go to hell)

“Vete a la mierda” translates to “go to hell” in English. It is a strong Spanish phrase used to tell someone off aggressively.

Jorge: “No quiero volver a verte.” (I don’t want to see you again.)
Sara: “¡Vete a la mierda!” (Go to hell!)

10. La madre que te parió (Your mother)

“La madre que te parió” translates to “your mother” in English. It is used to express extreme anger or frustration with someone, mentioning their mother – which is often a really thin line, so you know, carefully!

Alberto: “¿Crees que puedes ganarme?” (Do you think you can beat me?)
Natalia: “¡La madre que te parió!” (Your mother!)

Spanish insults in different Spanish-speaking countries

Now, this is not all!

The next table shows you the different Spanish slangs from all over the world.

Learn Spanish Curse Words with Conversation Based Chunking

Swearing and cussing is a colorful world in Spanish. And learning it in a new language is no small feat. It’s not just about swapping words like a Google Translate or a ChatGPT renegade.

No matter what, using the Conversation Based Chunking can still help you learn and memorize these Spanish swear words. It’s a method that focuses on the natural building blocks of the language – and curse words are part of it.

This method isn’t just about broadening your vocabulary; it is getting you into the cultural heartbeat of the Spanish language. If you sign up now, you’ll get your first essential Spanish chunking list and a chance to explore our Full Practice Worksheets and also my favourite resources to learn Spanish.