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Speak Dominican

Dominican words and frases you don't find in your dictionary

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    CAJETA:
    Impertinent neighbors have kept you awake with their partynoise, thus you may say that they " gave you the cajeta all night."
    CAJETEAR-CAJETAZO:
    • Don't you ever reward yourself with a gift or a great bootle of fine liquor etc. ? Well, then you have cajetear ed yourself something !
    • If it was a lot you have cajetear ed yourself it's been a cajetazo.
    • But it is as well a cajetazo you have "awarded" to the guy who has insulted your girlfriend last night in the cafeteria or you may have cajetear ed a few rounds out of your 9 mm pistol to the burglar you surprised the other day in your home!
    CAJUIL:
    What is known to Dominicans as a cajuil is known to scientists as the fruit of the "anacardium occidental" tree. Here you may taste this fruit cooked with heavy syrup or as juice or you may take the seeds, dry them, roast them, pack them and buy them as a type of nut in your local supermarket.
    CAMAMA:
    You may come across this word rather in Dominican writing than in everyday spoken lingo. (e.g. in the novel "La conquista del reino de Maya por Pio Cid" by Angel Ganivet). The closest expression in English we could come up with, may be a hoax in itself !
    (e mailed to us by Jesse N. from Miami).
    CANIQUIN
    Your job in this international company has the advantage that you are stepping up the career ladder every few years but then always you may have to go through the caniquin of relocating and moving you and your family to other cities or even countries.
    CANTEAR
    In other Latinamerican countries this verb may be used in connexion with woodwork or construction work , but Dominicans only refer to cantear money to "accelerate" certain bureaucratic paperwork.
    CAPICUA
    Be careful-- this fast money pyramid scheme offered to you may be a simple capicua !
    CAQUITI-CUNQUITI-CUJAZO:
    Well, in any case if someone receives one of the three above it will hurt for sure on the head ! Though the first--of slighter nature-- is usually received by misbehaving kids from their parents, the second will definitely cause you a bad headache and the third is the same as the second if you receive it in the southern part of the Dominican Republic.
    CARAJITA - CARAJITO:
    The misbehaving kids received their caquiti because the are real carajitas or carajitos !
    CHATARRA:
    Most of the taxis and public transport vehicles in Santo Domingo's urban transport are regarded as chatarras because of their technical condition.

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    DAR ...:
    This word is commonly used in combination with others, hence forming unique Dominican idioms and frases; the following is a list of the most frequently heard:
    • DAR EL PALO: To dar el palo won't hurt anyone but it rather leaves a very positive impression.
    • DAR EL PIOJO: You have been threatened, bribed,dragged through the courts, so finally you have given in -- you have been dared el piojo !
    • DARLE A UNO UN TOQUE:Whenever you are ready for it da me un toque.
    • DAR A UNO UNA PELA: Apart from being slapped in the face, you da someone una pela if you have superior skills in whatever aspect of life situation.
    • DAR A UNO EN LA YOTA: Using this expression you are very satisfied with the performance of your favorite baseball team.
    • DAR LA BOCA A UNO: Well before you got this prestigious, high paid job you always treated me as a friend, but now you da me la boca.
    • DAR MACHETE A UNO: Don't talk to me like this and stop talking nonsense !
    DE PORRA:
    Whenever we try to have breakfast outside de porra those flys and mosquitos won't let us in peace!
    DERECHITO -TA:
    Once they announced the special offer on the radio I went derechito to the store to buy one.
    DESARREGLO:
    In the Southern provinces if you have a bad cold and you still don't put on warmer cloth you will be reminded angrily of your desarreglo. In other parts of the country, consider yourself a desarreglo if you live without watching your health at all.
    DIMINUTIVES:
    Dominicans seem to "invent" diminutives for almost every verb, even if there is none existing in Spanish -- it mostly happens becuase the verb lacks of a substantive or adjective respectively, like:
    • corriendito, bregandito, ahorita equals the meaning of " soon" or "not long ago" but not in the moment I am talking to you .
    Dominicans also use very frequently the ending ico,-ica instead of ito, -ita, like:
    • zapatico, latica, teatrico, letrica etc.
    To make it more confusing for you, Dominicans also use diminutives in order to express the opposite in size or quality or quantity, like:
    • rapidito equals the meaning of very fast
    Keep visiting -- will be continued !!! If you know a word or frase, you would like to ask about or include in this list -- E-mail Us.

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    Updated: April 2, 1998 solution4u@usa.net