When you’re doing business in Spanish there are some words you should never say. Because you want to sound formal and serious. You want to impress business partners, your boss, investors, and colleagues.
And as much fun as some words are, they’re not all suitable for the workplace or a business. Because some words and phrases can send the wrong message, like making you sound informal or even disrespectful. For example: swear words.
We’re sure you don’t want that to happen. So here are some of those Spanish words you should avoid in a business environment.
Güey / Boludo / Weon
Many countries in Latin America have different words that work as an insult and, at the same time, as a way to call a friend.
“Güey” in Mexico, “boludo” in Argentina, and “weon” in Chile are examples of this.
This duality makes them very hard for foreigners to understand. Because it will cause confusion. That’s why you could say they’re words for advanced learners.
A good tip is to notice the context and the tone in which a person is saying it. So you can figure out if it’s in a friendly manner or you’re being insulted.
For example:
- “Eres un güey, no sabes hacer nada bien”. (You’re a dumbass; you don’t know how to do anything the right way).
- “¡Qué onda, wey! ¿Cómo estás?!” (What’s up, bro! How are you?)
Whatever the situation you’re in, if you’re in a business environment, avoid using these types of words! Even if you’re not using them as an insult, they’re very casual and informal, so it won’t look good in business.
You’ll sound rude, irreverent and shameless. You might even end up insulting someone, because they’re not your friends to talk to them like that.
Swear Words: “Estúpido”, “Imbécil”, “Gilipollas”…
We know that in a business environment problems, difficulties and differences can come up every now and then. That might make you angry and want to express it through some swear words, but you should never do that.
You don’t want to insult someone and make the problem even bigger. Try to communicate everything as best as possible and with patience. Remember to be kind. This will make you appear mature and a great fit for any business.
Even if you’re not insulting anyone and you’re just cursing because of the situation, don’t do it. Swear words are not well seen in business and work, even when they’re not directed towards any person.
Businesses are looking more for a formal and respectful language.
But in order to avoid this, you have to know swear words in Spanish. There are many, especially because each country has their own insults.
So, as odd as it sounds, we recommend you look up swear words from the country you’ll work in. Or from the country the people you’re working with are from.
This is because what if you hear an insult one day and you think it’s a nice word, so you repeat it? It’ll be an awkward experience. Better to know which words not to say.
¿Qué onda?
“¿Qué onda?” is a very popular way to greet someone in Spanish, especially in Mexico.
Though it’s a fun, easy going and very friendly expression, it’s not suitable for business environments. Nor for work, nor for meetings, nor for conferences, nor even for networking.
We recommend you keep your greetings more serious; research Spanish words and phrases for greeting formally. Words such as “buen día” (good day), buenas tardes (good afternoon), or “¿cómo está usted?” (how are you?) are great.
Even if your workplace is friendly and not as serious and strict as other places, there are other kinds but formal greetings. Like “hola” (hello), or even “¿qué tal?” (Hello/what’s up?)
Vale, Sip, Sipi
There are many different words and phrases in Spanish to give an affirmative answer. The most common one is “sí” (yes).
But we understand that sometimes you want to say something more than a simple “yes”. Maybe because you want to sound more serious or formal. Or perhaps you don’t want to sound too repetitive by saying the same affirmative word over and over again.
Nonetheless, in the business world you should avoid informal ways of agreeing to something or giving affirmations.
So, never say “vale”, “sip”, or “sipi”. “Vale” sounds very cool and chill. “Sip” and “sipi” are cute. Therefore, they’re words native Spanish speakers use with friends and family, not businesspeople.
Research more formal ways of saying “yes”, like “por supuesto” (of course).
Conversation Fillers
We’re not going to tell you to completely avoid conversation fillers in Spanish, because it’s not easy at all. Plus, they’re part of everyday conversations, even natives use them.
But you should minimize their usage.
Spanish conversation fillers like “hmmm”, “eh”, “este”, “bueno”, “como”, “tipo”, among others, can make you sound more natural. But only if used correctly and every now and then.
But they can also make you sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about. Or like you’re not fluent in Spanish, keep forgetting things, and hesitate your own ideas, research or work. This happens when you use them constantly.
So try to avoid them as much as possible.
There are also some scenarios where you should definitely avoid them at all. Like when you’re in a highly important meeting with potential business partners or investors, or when you’re the speaker of a conference. So you don’t sound nervous or like you’re hesitating. You have to look and sound confident.
We’ll Guide You to Speak Fluent Spanish for Business Like a Pro
If you want to keep learning which words in Spanish not to say and which business words you must know, we can help!
Fluency Corp offers corporate language classes in more than 10 languages, including Spanish! This means that we’ll customize the lessons for your language goals and needs. So you can be sure that you’ll achieve those objectives.
You don’t have to stop your learning process by having just learned a few words. We can help you keep improving your vocabulary or any other language skill you want, from grammar to listening.
Plus, we base every lesson on our Bellieu Method, which encourages students to speak in their target language using all they’ve learned so far. So, there’s going to be a lot of speaking practice in every single class. It’s the best way to achieve language fluency.
The best of all is that our lessons aren’t just for you; they’re for your whole workforce! Everyone will learn and, therefore, help improve the company with their bilingual skills.
Simply choose between our online or onsite classes, and get a free consultation now!
