cerote

seˈɾo.tescatological, character attack, regional

What does cerote mean? cerote is a Spanish strong that translates to “turd / piece of shit / dude” in English.

large piece of excrement / wax block

01

"turd / piece of shit / dude"

A piece of shit. Figuratively: a despicable person, or completely paradoxically, a close friend.

Guatemalan greeting: '¿Cómo estás, cerote?' (How are you, dude?)

Central America
Mexico

Context

  • Informal settings where profanity is accepted
  • Expressing strong frustration or emphasis

Avoid

  • Professional or formal settings
  • Around elders or authority figures
  • Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations

Cultural Context

In Mexico, it strictly means a literal, floating turd or a universally hated person. But step into Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador), and the word flips inside out. '¡Qué onda, cerote!' is the standard, affectionate greeting between male best friends, translating almost exactly to 'What's up, dude?'. It showcases the Latin American tendency to use the foulest words as endearments among the inner circle.

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3 / 5character attack, sexual act

pajero

paˈxe.ɾo

wanker / lazy bastard / flake

Someone who masturbates a lot; figuratively, a supremely lazy person or someone who talks a lot but never follows through.

4 / 5scatological, character attack

comemierda

ˌko.meˈmjeɾ.ða

arrogant prick / stuck-up bitch / full of shit

A deeply arrogant, conceited person who thinks they are better than everyone else, or alternatively, a complete fool.

4 / 5exclamation, anatomical

la concha de la lora

la ˈkon.tʃa ðe la ˈlo.ɾa

for fuck's sake / godfuckingdammit

An exclamation of extreme frustration, surprise, or anger. It vividly expresses that a situation has gone completely wrong.

3 / 5sexual, gendered slur

puta

ˈpu.ta

whore / bitch / fucking (as intensifier)

Prostitute or promiscuous woman; used as general expletive or intensifier. When combined with 'madre' becomes extremely severe.

4 / 5sexual, homophobic

puto

ˈpu.to

fucking (intensifier) / male whore / faggot

Male prostitute; homophobic slur; or intensifier similar to 'fucking'.

3 / 5class-based, intensifier

pinche

ˈpin.tʃe

fucking / damn / stupid

Kitchen helper in Spain; in Mexico, a versatile intensifier meaning 'fucking' or 'damn'.

4 / 5verb, sexual

follar

foˈʎaɾ

to fuck / to shag

To have sexual intercourse. It is the absolute standard vulgar verb for sex in Spain.

2 / 5anatomical, character attack

pelotudo

pe.loˈtu.ðo

idiot / moron / dumbass

Stupid person, idiot. Similar to boludo but slightly more insulting in Argentina.