If you’re going to move to Miami, the first step will be making sure that you’ll adjust well to the local culture and habits of your future neighborhood. One of the most important things which you should get up to speed on is definitely the Miami slang. If you’ve taken a Spanish class back in high school, as you’ve probably already heard numerous times, it will come useful after your relocation to Florida. In case you’ve never really been into the Romance languages, you should before your move. A short crash course of Spanish will go a long way in Miami, after all.
Now, if you’re thinking that the natives of this famous city speak only Spanish or only English, let us destroy that fantasy early on. After you start your new life in Miami, you’ll realize that the locals have a distinct, so called Miami, accent in which they deliver numerous Spanglish sentences. Don’t worry, if you’re still not fond of Romance languages, we have the perfect solution for you. Simply, read through the two of our posts on Miami slang, and you’ll be ready for your move to the beach!
The first word in our Miami slang guide is: Doralzuela
After you move to Miami, you should probably know your way around this large city, right? Well, the first step to that is knowing the local slang for places and neighborhoods. A great one to be aware of is Dorazuela. This is the most famous nickname for Doral, the city in Miami-Dade county. It gained this nickname due to its high population of Venezuelans. And, if you’re a golf lover, you should definitely remember Dorazuela. After all, you ought to try out at least one of its six magnificent golf courses after you move to Miami!
Another piece of slang which you should know before you
move to Miami is: Get down from the car
This is a slang phrase which you will definitely hear often after your change of address. While there
are different versions of it, such as ‘get off of the car’, but this is the one which is used the most. So, let us quickly tell you that you will not be seeing any people standing on top of their cars after you move to Miami. In fact, there is a very good reason for this strange expression. As we’ve mentioned before, Spanish is a big thing in Miami, also known as the ‘Capital of Latin America’. The phrase ‘get out of the car’ translated from Spanish to English, gives us this common slang phrase ‘get down from the car’. Learn it and use it well after your relocation.
An easy slang word that you’ll know as soon as you move to Miami is: Irregardless
You’re probably easily guessing what this one means, as it’s not actually a Spanglish phrase, at all. This is, in fact, Miami’s own brand of ‘regardless’. And while you may dislike it now, you’ll hear yourself using it mere few weeks after you move to Miami.
Another common slang term in Miami is: Leetirally
If you’ve been in touch with any of the millennials, you’ll be familiar with this pronunciation of the word ‘literally’ even before your move. But, you’ll notice after your relocate just how many of the young Miamians are prone to overusing or misusing this word. And, the Miami accent in which it is usually spoken will make it all the more memorable for you. Who knows, you might find yourself using it just as much as the local youth after you move!
You’ll probably know this piece of slang even before you move
to Miami: Mami and Papi
These slang words can be heard all over, so you might be familiar with them even before you change your address to one with a Miami local area code. While you’re going to be familiar with these from your Spanish class, or by using the ever handy Google Translate, don’t be overly literal with their meaning. As you’ve heard from Jennifer Lopez, Mami and Papi can be used in a flirtatious manner, as well. So, after you’ve hit your first bar to celebrate your move, don’t be surprised if you hear this.
A piece of slang which you’ll find yourself using as soon as you move to Miami is: A mission
This one you might want to start using as soon as right away. Let us give you an example: “Packing is such a mission!”. As you can guess, this often repeated slang term is used for something which takes a long time, thus, a mission. As you probably already know, packing for your move is going to take at least a month, so, feel free to agree with the locals and call it ‘a mission’.
You’ll immediately recognize this slang phrase upon your relocation: Pero like
This is a piece of slang which the teens of Miami use in their everyday conversations all the time. ‘Pero’ means but in Spanish, and it is accompanied by ‘like’ usually, making it a definite Spanglish term. It’s usually used to interrupt a sentence and turn the meaning around. So, don’t be surprised to find yourself replacing your ‘but’ with ‘pero like’ after you move to Miami.
A common Spanglish term in Miami is: Porfa
While you’re familiar with ‘por favor’ or ‘please’, even before you move to Miami, you might want to get used to hearing ‘porfa’ instead of these two. It is the shortened version of the Spanish term and it’s widely used in Miami. After you relocate, you might find yourself forgetting to say ‘please’ and instead using this piece of local slang.
Learn this before you move to Miami: Que cute
If you have children, you’re probably familiar with the Japanese anime, like Naruto or Bleach. But, even if you’re not a parent, you might be familiar with the Japanese expression ‘kawaii’, or in other words ‘cute’. Que cute is the Miami version of this phrase, and it’s used quite often. Feel free to get familiar with it, as you’ll be hearing it a lot after you move to Florida.
Hopefully, this small Spanglish guide has provided you with some knowledge before you move to Miami. Of course, these aren’t the only words of local lingo which you will need to make yourself familiar with after you relocate. We wish you luck with the Spanglish of Miami!