Yucatecan dictionary: 60 words only understood here

Yucatecans don’t speak bad Spanish: they speak a different Spanish. Mixed with Maya, with its own melody, and with words that no one else in Mexico understands. Here are 60.

If you move to Mérida, for the first few days you’ll nod along without knowing what was said to you. This list gets you out of trouble. Many words come from Yucatec Maya; others are old Spanish that survives here. The words stay in Spanish — that’s how they’re used. For the full set expressions, also read 10 Yucatecan expressions.

People and family

Chich / chiche — grandmother. “Voy a casa de mi chich.”
Tuch — navel.
Escuincle / güiro — kid, child.
Nojoch — big, important (Maya). “El nojoch de la oficina” = the office boss.
Mare — an exclamation of surprise, from madre. “¡Mare, qué calor!”
Wach — a person from central Mexico; can be derogatory, use with care.
Chan — small (Maya), goes before the name. “El chan Luis” = little Luis.

The body and ailments

Xix (shish) — the leftovers, what’s at the bottom. “El xix del café.”
Bak’ — meat.
Chokwil — a fever, a temperature.
Se me hizo tuch — I got a craving / I was left wanting.
Pujado — with hiccups.
Tomar la fresca — to sit outside as evening falls.

Food

Sac’ / xac — a basket.
Papadzul, salbute, panucho, polkán — Yucatecan snacks; order them by name.
Toksel — a filling of ground pumpkin seed and chives.
Pib — the underground oven; also the Day of the Dead mucbipollo.
Kibi — kibbeh, a Lebanese legacy.
Chaya — the Yucatecan “spinach”, in drinks and with eggs.
Pichi’ — guava.

Verbs that aren’t what they seem

Tirar — to throw away, to bin. “Tíralo” = bin it. (Elsewhere it means “to shoot / pull”.)
Fajarse — to hurry up, to make an effort. “Fájate con la tarea.”
Bookear (from book, Maya) — to stink. “Booky el zapato” = the shoe stinks.
Chuchuluco — a sweet, candy.
Wiro / wirito — again kid, but also “young guy”.

Weather and the home

Bochorno — heavy, humid heat.
Nortear — when a cold front comes in from the north. “Va a nortear.”
Ma’alob — “good / it’s fine” (Maya). You’ll hear it daily.
Box (bosh) — black, dark (Maya). “El perro box” = the black dog.
Xtabentún — the anise-and-honey liqueur; also the flower.
Colojché — a dry-stone wall.

Fillers and exclamations

¡Uay! — surprise, “whoa!”.
¡Chan poco! — “you don’t say!”.
Lo busco, lo busco y no lo busco — “it’s right in front of me and I can’t see it”.
A poco no — “right? / isn’t that so?”.
De hoy en ocho — a week from today.

One tip

Don’t force the accent. The Yucatecan sound is in the intonation (that little “melody”) and the soft /f/, and it sounds fake if you imitate it. Just understanding is enough. Once ordering a marquesita “con todo” and saying ma’alob comes naturally, you’re one of us.

Continue with Yucatecan bombas and the traditions of Yucatán month by month.