Spanish is one language with many local flavors. Argentina and Spain share almost everything, yet a few high frequency words will instantly reveal where you learned. This guide shows the most useful swaps, with examples you can use today.
For quick, leveled reading practice that exposes you to both varieties, try our Spanish stories.
Context check
This article focuses on vocabulary. Argentina also uses vosyou (informal) instead of túyou (informal) in many contexts, and pronunciation can differ. Those are fun topics, but here we stick to words you will hear every day.
Quick wins you will hear everywhere
- autocar (AR) vs cochecar (ES)
- computadoracomputer (AR) vs ordenadorcomputer (ES)
- celularcell phone (AR) vs móvilmobile phone (ES)
- colectivobus or bondibus (AR) vs autobúsbus (ES)
- subtesubway (AR) vs metrometro (ES)
- jugojuice (AR) vs zumojuice (ES)
Drag the handle to compare
Important verb swap
In Spain, cogerto take is perfectly normal. In Argentina, avoid it and use tomarto take or agarrarto grab.
Want to conjugate these confidently across regions? Review regular present tense patterns here: A1 present tense — regular -ER and -IR verbs.
Everyday objects
If clothing terms trip you up, skim our A1 set on everyday wear: Spanish clothing vocabulary.
| English | Argentina | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| car | autocar | cochecar |
| sunglasses | anteojosglasses | gafasglasses |
| computer | computadoracomputer | ordenadorcomputer |
| cell phone | celularcell phone | móvilmobile phone |
| apartment | departamentoapartment | pisoapartment |
| swimming pool | piletapool | piscinapool |
| jacket | camperajacket | chaquetajacket |
| t-shirt | remerat-shirt | camisetat-shirt |
| skirt | polleraskirt | faldaskirt |
| straw | sorbetedrinking straw or cañitadrinking straw | pajitadrinking straw |
| bandage | curitabandage | tiritabandage |
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Food and drink
Want to reinforce produce names? Try our A1 list for fruit: Spanish fruits.
| English | Argentina | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| juice | jugojuice | zumojuice |
| potato | papapotato | patatapotato |
| peach | duraznopeach | melocotónpeach |
| avocado | paltaavocado | aguacateavocado |
| strawberry | frutillastrawberry | fresastrawberry |
| pineapple | ananápineapple | piñapineapple |
| beans | porotosbeans | alubiasbeans or judíasbeans |
| peas | arvejaspeas | guisantespeas |
| soda | gaseosasoda | refrescosoft drink |
| popcorn | pochoclopopcorn | palomitaspopcorn |
Which word means peach in Argentina?
Getting around
Build a core travel set with our A1 overview: Modes of transportation.
| English | Argentina | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| bus | colectivobus or bondibus | autobúsbus |
| subway | subtesubway | metrometro |
| to drive | manejarto drive | conducirto drive |
| gas petrol | naftagasoline | gasolinagasoline |
| ticket | boletoticket | billeteticket |
| rush hour | hora picorush hour | hora puntarush hour |
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Money and shopping
Level up your transactional Spanish with our A2 guide: Money and banking.
| English | Argentina | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| money slang | platamoney or guitacash | pastamoney |
| change | vueltochange (money) | cambiochange (money) |
| receipt | ticketreceipt or facturainvoice | ticketreceipt or facturainvoice |
| pastry | facturapastry | usually bollopastry or bolleríapastries |
| sandwich | sándwichsandwich or sánguchefilled bread | bocadillosandwich or bocatasandwich |
Memory trick
Think food colors. ananápineapple and duraznopeach feel more local in Argentina. piñapineapple and melocotónpeach feel Iberian.
Slang and social talk
Get comfortable with casual talk using our A2 set: Socializing and relationships.
| Meaning | Argentina | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| cool | piolacool, copadocool | guaycool, molacool |
| dude pal | chedude for attention, boludofriend among close friends | tíodude or tíagirl |
| kid | pibekid or pibakid | chavalkid or chavalakid |
| ok | daleok | valeok |
| job gig | laburojob | currogig |
Use slang carefully
Words like boludofriend or insult depending on tone can be affectionate among friends in Argentina but harsh with strangers. When in doubt, skip it.
Verbs and small but mighty words
- to take or grab
- Argentina prefers tomarto take or agarrarto grab
- Spain uses cogerto take
- to drive
- Argentina manejarto drive
- Spain conducirto drive
- you informal
- Argentina often uses vosyou with forms like tenésyou have
- Spain uses túyou with tienesyou have
Build confidence with core forms like tener: A1 — the verb tener.
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Mini practice
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
Which pair is Argentina Spanish?
Real world phrases to copy
-
Argentina
- ¿Dónde tomo el colectivobus para Palermo?
- ¿Podés cargar mi tarjetabus card acá?
- Me quedé sin créditocredit for phone en el celularcell phone.
-
Spain
- ¿Dónde cojo el autobúsbus para Malasaña?
- ¿Puedes recargar mi tarjetatravel card aquí?
- Me quedé sin saldocredit for phone en el móvilmobile phone.
Heading to a neighborhood? Refresh movement phrases with A1 — the verb ir.
Key takeaways
- Learn the high frequency pairs first
- auto vs coche, computadora vs ordenador, celular vs móvil, jugo vs zumo
- Food words shift a lot
- durazno vs melocotón, frutilla vs fresa, palta vs aguacate
- Travel and city words matter
- subte vs metro, colectivo vs autobús, nafta vs gasolina
- Mind the verbs you pick
- tomar or agarrar in Argentina, coger in Spain
Explore typical city places and signs next: A1 — places in the city.
How to sound natural fast
When you land, switch three words and you will blend in quickly. Say celularcell phone in Buenos Aires and móvilmobile phone in Madrid. Ask for jugojuice in Argentina and zumojuice in Spain. Call the bus colectivobus in Argentina and autobúsbus in Spain.
Ready to master both varieties? Save the tables, try the practice, then test yourself on the street or in your next conversation. For a gentle challenge, read one of our A2 Spanish stories.