Simpa, turismofobia, smartphone... what do all the new words in Spain's official dictionary mean?

The Real Academia Española (RAE) has released version 23.8.1 of the Spanish dictionary, adding 330 new words, some of which may be of particular interest to expats

The Spanish Dictionary has added 330 new words, some of them you may have already seen in headlines, online, or overheard at your local bar.

Some of the additions that jump out are words like Turismofobia, the fear or dislike of tourists. It’s pretty clear why this made it in, mass tourism being one of the biggest headlines in Spain this year. From the impact on the property sector to tourists being sprayed with water, turismofobia is certainly on the rise, and now it is officially in the dictionary. The theme of immigration continues with another new addition, this time mena, the word for unaccompanied minor migrants. And for anyone who rolls their eyes at Europe or the EU there’s eurófobo.

The words everyone is already talking about

Some of the fun slang words have also been added, like simpa, which is the act of leaving the bar without paying (don’t try this at home). It comes from the words sin pagar, which means without paying.

Brutal, meaning amazing, has also been included, which many thought had already been made official, as it is quite commonly used.

Some other fun ones are bocachancla, which means bigmouth but literally translated means flip-flop mouth, and braguetazo, which means marrying for money but sounds like a play on the English word brag!

Some other Englishisms such as loguearse (to log in), streaming, smartphone, gif, hashtag and okey have been added. Along with one for the tech bros as fixing is now an official word in the Spanish Dictionary in relation to the exchange rate. Unfortunately, ‘bro’ didn’t make it this year, but they have advised that it is under consideration for next year!

Many of the new words are scientific or technical, mixed in with everyday expressions and the occasional cheeky slang. 

So make a note of the new words, some of them definitely make it easier to speak Spanish! Check out the full list in the RAE’s official announcement or have a look at the online dictionary yourself.

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