My Best Travel Tip: Learn the Local Curse Words

Why I make it a point to learn local swear words when traveling.

There are a thousand reasons why exploring the world outside our neighborhood is good for us. Travel opens up our ideas about people and culture and challenges our thinking about norms. Some travel takeaways are tangible and intentional, like that snow globe souvenir you love, even though it’s a little bit cheesy. Other takeaways, like smells and words, are harder to define and are often unexpected and delightfully random.

I’ve never been a big souvenir person, but I collect little snippets of language when I travel. I love hearing the jumble of non-English speaking words flutter by my ears. Whether I catch bits of conversation from people rushing by me in an airport or a commentator on the radio speaking a language I don’t understand, I enjoy the reminder that I’ve purposefully moved away from what’s familiar to me.

I speak English. I wish I could add a list of other languages I speak fluently to that very short sentence, but besides being able to order coffee or beer in a small handful of different tongues, that’s what I’m working with. I also know swear words in half a dozen or so other languages, which is slightly ironic because I’m not that big of a swear word person. Hearing other people cuss a blue streak doesn’t faze me. I’m no pearl-clutcher, and while an expletive slips out when I’m extra frustrated or angry, my everyday discourse is pretty clean.

And Then I Learned ‘Puñeta’

Puñeta is a Puerto Rican slang word. I’ve been to Puerto Rico three times, and I’m currently planning trip number four. It’s anything but a “floating pile of garbage,” by the way, in case anyone has any misplaced doubt.

Although my biggest takeaways from Puerto Rico are the warmth of the people, the pleasant sting of straight rum in my mouth, and how ridiculously easy it is for U.S.A.-based travelers to get there–no passport, no currency exchange, and your cell phones work–I became acquainted with the word puñeta on my first trip to the island three years ago, and I’m enchanted with it.

Using the Word ‘Puñeta’

First and foremost, puñeta is considered a swear word, so don’t use it with someone you wouldn’t otherwise curse in front of, even if you think they won’t know the word. It’s pronounced poon-yet-ah. The squiggly line over the letter n is called a tilde or a virgulilla and changes the pronunciation of the letter n, adding a “nya” sound.

Puñeta is a versatile word, similar to the word we all know and love, that begins with f and ends with k. You can shout “Puñeta!” when you drop something or when your luggage breaks in the middle of your trip or replace a “What the heck?” type of sentiment with, “Qué puñetas?” Puñeta is not an insult, though. You don’t call someone a puñeta.

Puñeta can also be an expression of joy or victory. If you’re a baseball fan, you might catch a player mouthing “Puñeta!” after an epic catch or smacking the ball over the fences. If you’ve ever fist-pumped and said, “Heck yeah!” (or something else yeah) after something extraordinary happened, you’ve got a new word to play with that people in your inner circle might not be familiar with. You’re welcome.

I’ve seen the expletive on jewelry, tee-shirts, and even once on a U.S. Army soldier’s military backpack. A simple search of Amazon or Etsy yields whimsical puñeta merchandise, like stickers, coffee mugs, and cosmetic bags. It’s also a fun icebreaker and has started conversations with people I might not have otherwise struck up a dialog with or moved awkward exchanges with people I’d just met into “Did we just become best friends?” status in a blink. Maybe there’s a vulnerability to letting a naughty word slip that chips away at barriers.

I was standing in the line to enter airport security in Indiana behind a guy with a puñeta patch on his backpack. Not really meaning to, I read his patch out loud, and he turned around and looked at me inquiringly.

“I was in San Juan last week,” I explained. “I learned that word.” I pointed at his backpack.

Surprisingly, it was not a clumsy exchange, despite my awkward “I learned a word” intro. We talked for five minutes and discovered we had a few things in common besides knowing the word puñeta, including once living in the same midwestern city. What’s not usually considered a pleasant experience — enduring the wait for TSA screening — was more than bearable. The power of puñeta, I guess.

Why Is Swearing Fun?

Using ever-so-slightly naughty words in other languages is a fun way to enhance one’s understanding of a language. It provides insight into culture and can often help break the ice or infuse humor into conversations with people you meet on a trip.

Jennifer Jin, founder of the Spanish language learning company Bueno Spanish, compares using swear words to rebellion, which can be fun and liberating simply because the taboo exists. She also points out that learning to cuss in another language can help get to the real, unfiltered way of how native speakers talk when they’re not trying to be polite. “This feels more connected culturally than learning the ‘proper’ words in foreign languages.”

When I learned the word puñeta on my first trip to Puerto Rico, I’d look for ways to deliberately include it in my sentences. It was liberating, in a “Tee hee, look at me, I’m so edgy” kind of way that probably made me look like a big dork. Then, three days into my trip, I was sitting in the back seat of a car that suddenly stopped, causing the water bottle I’d been about to drink to splash all over my face and shirt.

“Puñeta,” was my natural response, earning me a surprised look and then a grin from my driver, followed by a rapid-fire burst of Spanish I did not understand. While I had to communicate that my Spanish was limited, that tiny moment made me feel more confident in practicing my Spanish beyond puñeta. Both English and Spanish are listed as the official languages of Puerto Rico, and although Spanish is the dominant language, you’ll find English very widely spoken, especially in hotels and restaurants.

Having Guardrails

Of course, there are guardrails, such as being aware of cultural contexts and reading the room. Relying on common sense when you open up the “Teach me some swear words in your language” conversation is necessary for many reasons, as is knowing the appropriate time and place to show off your newfound word skills.  

“When it comes to informal communications and travel, using words like puñeta to express frustrations in place of ‘damn it!’ or ‘Ugh’ can make travelers feel like they’re connecting more deeply with their trip by participating in that region’s everyday speech patterns,” says Jin. “It can create a moment where you’re really part of the local scene and not just a tourist.” She cautions against knowing what context to use swear words in a language not your own and to use the right audience.

If it feels wrong, then it probably is, and it’s best to err on the side of caution when unsure if a word is appropriate, especially in a language you don’t speak fluently. And, if you offend someone with your language, even unintentionally, be quick to apologize for your mistake.

Be Aware of Unkind Language

Spanish-speaking travel journalist Lola Mendez cautions against casually using new words and phrases without understanding the cultural ramifications.

“Negrito/negrita isn’t seen as a swear word, but it should be,” says Mendez. “Although it can be used as a term of endearment to describe someone with darker skin tone in the same way ‘gordo/a’ and ‘flaco/a’ (fat/thin) or ‘feo/a’ and ‘lindo/a’ (ugly/pretty) are used, negrito refers to race and has roots that date back to the enslavement of African people brought to the Americas.”

Mendez goes on to say that “negrito/a” has become culturally acceptable in Latin America and Spain but points out that just because something rooted in racism is a cultural norm doesn’t make it kind, adding, “Language is alive and ever-evolving.”

A More Curious Traveler

While I don’t lead by asking people I meet through travel to add to my dirty word vocabulary, this has prompted me to peel back a layer when relating to people of other cultures and to go beyond what the guidebooks say. Just be smart about it. If your gut tells you not to open the door to the “favorite curse words” conversation, maybe hang back and allow yourself to observe a little longer. Also, throwing out a “puñeta” when trying to get an upgraded hotel room or meeting someone’s grandparents probably isn’t the smartest decision.

Knowing more things makes you want to know more things, and cursing in another language can bring funny stories home. That’s way cooler than a cheesy snow globe.