Words
Panamanian slang and expressions: what people say day to day.
317 words
Food
ají chombo
The Panamanian habanero: small, wrinkled and very hot. It is used to prepare the well known picante combo.
almojábano
A long fritter of corn dough with cheese, folded into an S shape. A classic part of Panamanian breakfast…
arroz con coco
Rice cooked in coconut milk, a staple of Panama's Caribbean coast and of Bocas del Toro. It is eaten with…
arroz con guandú
Rice cooked with pigeon peas and coconut milk. A centerpiece of the Panamanian Christmas table and of family…
arroz con pollo
The obligatory dish at any Panamanian gathering: birthday, first communion, wake, office party. The…
bienmesabe
An interior sweet of ground rice (or rice flour) cooked with milk, sugar and cinnamon until thick. It is…
bistec picado
Strips of beef stewed with onion, sweet pepper and tomato, one of the fixtures on the counter of any fonda…
boli
Juice or milk frozen inside a long plastic sleeve, opened by biting off the tip. They are sold out of…
bollo
Corn dough wrapped in corn or bijao leaf and boiled. Varieties include white, sweet young-corn, and "preñao"…
carimañola
Boiled and mashed cassava dough stuffed with seasoned ground meat, shaped like a torpedo and deep-fried. A…
ceviche
Fish cured in lime with onion, chili and culantro. The most common Panamanian version uses corvina. It…
chicha
A fresh fruit drink made with water and sugar. In Panama the word does not imply fermentation, unlike in…
chicha fuerte
Fermented corn drink — the one that does contain alcohol. Not to be confused with ordinary chicha, which in…
chicheme
A thick drink of hulled corn, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. It could be served cold or hot depending on the…
chirrisco
A homemade alcoholic drink prepared in Panama's rural interior, known for being strong.
chiwis
A bagged salty snack, the kind sold at the corner store or the school snack stand. The name comes from a…
cocada
A sweet of grated coconut with sugar or cane syrup, cooked until it sets. It is sold wrapped at the same…
corvina
The most popular fish of the Panamanian table: white, firm, few bones. If a menu just says "catch of the…
culantro
A long, serrated-leaf herb with a far more intense flavor than cilantro. It is the signature aroma of…
duro
Homemade ice or ice pop frozen in a small plastic cup or bag, sold by neighbors. Typical flavors: coconut…
empanada panameña
Corn dough filled with stewed beef, chicken or cheese, folded into a half-moon and fried. The Panamanian…
ensalada de papas
Potato, carrot, egg, beet and mayonnaise — the side that comes with arroz con pollo at every Panamanian…
guacho
A soupy rice cooked in its own stew until thick. The seafood version is for celebrations; pork tail with…
guanábana
A large fruit with a soft-spined skin and very aromatic white pulp. It is drunk as chicha or a shake, and is…
guandú
A round-seeded legume brought from Africa through the slave trade, harvested at the end of the year. Rice…
guarapo
Sugarcane juice pressed fresh at the mill, served over ice with lime (optional). Left to ferment, it stops…
guineo
The fruit known as banana. In Panama it is guineo, never "banana" or "plátano" (plantain).
hojaldre
Deep-fried wheat dough, fluffy inside and golden outside. A mandatory companion to Panamanian breakfast…
huevito de leche
A small firm sweet of milk cooked down with sugar, with the shape of an egg, wrapped in colorful papers…
jonicake
A dense round bread from Afro-Antillean cooking, baked or fried, eaten with coffee or alongside stew. Sold…
mamón chino
Rambutan: a red fruit with soft hairs and translucent white flesh. It is sold in bags by the roadside in…
mango
A seasonal fruit that in Panama falls from backyard trees between March and June in such quantity that…
marañón
A juicy, astringent fruit with the seed growing outside it — the cashew nut. In Panama the fruit itself is…
nance
A small yellow fruit with a strong smell, eaten raw with salt, drunk as chicha, or boiled into a sweet. It…
ñame
A white-fleshed, firm-textured tuber, the backbone of sancocho and many stews. Ñampí is a smaller, softer…
otoe
An earthy-tasting tuber used in soups and stews, similar to malanga or taro.
patacón
A slice of green plantain, fried, smashed flat and fried again. A universal side dish at lunch and dinner.
pesada de nance
A thick sweet of nance cooked with corn and raw cane sugar, served in a small cup. A fair and fonda dessert…
pipa
A green coconut you drink straight from, opened with a machete. Sold from roadside carts.
pixbae
The orange fruit of the peach palm, boiled in salted water and sometimes eaten with mayonnaise. Sold by the…
plantintá
A sweet baked turnover filled with red colored sweet plantain, typical of Afro-Antillean baking in Colón and…
raspadura
A block of evaporated, unrefined cane juice. It sweetens coffee, chicheme and interior sweets, and is sold…
raspao
Shaved ice, scraped by hand from a block, served in a cup with colored syrups and condensed milk on top…
rondón
A coconut-milk stew of fish or meat with root vegetables and plantain, cooked until everything falls apart…
ropa vieja
Shredded beef stewed with tomato, onion and sweet pepper. A classic home-cooked Panamanian dish.
sancocho
Panama's national soup: free-range hen, yam, culantro and oregano. Culantro (not cilantro) is what sets it…
sao
Pig's feet cured in lime with onion, cucumber and hot pepper, served cold. An Afro-Antillean dish from Bocas…
seco
Sugarcane liquor, Panama's national spirit. The best-known brand, Seco Herrerano, is produced in Herrera…
seco con leche
A Panamanian drink of seco with evaporated milk and plenty of ice. It sounds odd outside the country and is…
sopa borracha
Sponge cake soaked in liquor syrup, topped with raisins and prunes. A wedding, christening and year-end…
tajadas
Slices of ripe plantain, fried, sweet and soft. They are the opposite of the patacón, which is smashed green…
tamal panameño
Corn dough stewed with achiote, filled with chicken or pork, wrapped in bijao leaf and tied. A mandatory…
tamarindo
A pod with sour pulp used for chicha, sweets and ice pops. The tree shades squares and yards, and tamarind…
tasajo
Beef salted and sun-dried, kept without refrigeration and soaked before cooking. Country food from before…
tortilla (panameña)
A thick disc of ground corn, fried or grilled — very different from the Mexican tortilla: thick, dense, and…
Culture
abanderado
The top-performing student, who earns the right to carry the flag in parades. It is the highest Panamanian…
acto cívico
The weekly school assembly where the flag is raised, the anthem sung and announcements made.
banda de guerra
A school marching band of percussion and brass that performs in the national holiday parades. Rivalry…
calle arriba / calle abajo
The two rival Carnival troupes of Las Tablas, each with its own queen, band and territory. The rivalry is…
camisilla
The Panamanian men's shirt with vertical pleats and buttons, worn outside the trousers. It is the formal…
chácara
A bag hand-woven from plant fiber by Ngäbe women, an elastic mesh strong enough to carry a harvest. It is…
churuca
A scraper percussion instrument made from a grooved gourd or metal tube, played with a stick. A defining…
culecos
The morning ritual of Panamanian Carnival: water trucks spray the dancing crowd. It is the element that most…
cutarra
A rustic leather sandal, the traditional footwear of the Panamanian countryside and part of the montuno…
décima
A sung ten-line stanza, improvised or composed, accompanied by the mejorana guitar. In a cantadera two…
diablico sucio
A folkloric character in a devil mask and red-and-black striped costume, who dances at patron-saint…
diablo rojo
The traditional Panama City bus: retired American school buses hand-painted with elaborate murals, lights…
dulegaya
The language of the Guna people, called dulegaya by its speakers. It remains alive in Guna Yala, is taught…
empollerada
A woman in full pollera, with tembleques, gold jewelry and dressed hair. Getting into one takes hours and is…
fonda
A no-frills eatery serving tradicional home-style food with a cheap daily set menu.
guari-guari
An English-based creole spoken by the Afro-Antillean community of Bocas del Toro and parts of Colón…
hablar al revés
The syllable-flipping game that produced some of the most Panamanian words there are: mopri from primo…
mejorana
A small five-string guitar native to the Panamanian countryside, and by extension the musical genre played…
mes de la patria
November, the month with Panama's densest concentration of national holidays: separation from Colombia, Flag…
montuno
Panama's traditional men's outfit: an openwork white shirt, dark trousers, a sombrero pintao and leather…
murga
The brass and percussion band that accompanies the tuna at Carnival, playing nonstop while the street sings…
nagua
The long loose dress worn by Ngäbe women, in strong colors with bands of sewn triangles at the chest and…
ngäbere
The language of the Ngäbe people, the most widely spoken Indigenous language in Panama. It is used in the…
pollera
Panama's national women's dress, hand-embroidered and worn with gold jewelry and tembleques in the hair. A…
reina del Carnaval
The young woman chosen to preside over Carnival, crowned in a formal ceremony and paraded on a float for…
saloma
A sung cry with an open throat and a high break, let out by farmhands at work and by singers in the middle…
sombrero pintao
A traditional hand-woven hat made with plant fibers dyed black to form its characteristic rings. Its…
tamborito
Panama's national music and dance form, performed with drums, handclaps and call-and-response singing…
tembleque
The beaded wire hair ornament worn with the pollera, which trembles as the wearer moves — hence the name. I…
típico
Panama's popular folk-dance genre, built on accordion, drum, churuca scraper and voice, derived from cumbia…
tuna
A Carnival troupe with its brass band, its queen and its followers, which parades and sings. In Las Tablas…
History
Slang
¡ayala vida!
An exclamation of surprise, pity or annoyance depending on tone. One of the most recognizable phrases of…
¡chuleta!
An interjection of surprise, astonishment, annoyance or admiration, depending on tone. A mild euphemism that…
¡chuzo!
An interjection of surprise or frustration, a notch stronger than "chuleta" but still acceptable in public.
¡diablo!
An interjection of surprise or emphasis. "¡Diache!" is its softened, family-friendly version.
¡epa!
A shout to get attention, or a short greeting across a distance. It also stops someone about to do something…
¡meto!
An all-purpose interjection for almost any strong reaction: surprise, anger, admiration or annoyance. Which…
¡nombe!
An emphatic no, contracted from "no, hombre". Also expresses disbelief at something surprising.
¡Qué xopá!
The quintessential Panamanian greeting. Roughly "what's up?" or "how's it going?". It is the single word…
¡ve!
An interjection that comes from "ver" (to see), like a "look", but asks no one to look at anything: it…
¡vergación!
A strong exclamation of shock, anger or admiration. It is of common use, but not used in front of elders, at…
¿oíste?
A tag at the end of an instruction or warning, making sure it landed. Said by a mother it ends the…
¿sí o no?
A tag stuck on the end of a statement asking the other person to agree. It is not a real question: the…
abanico
An electric fan. In Panama an abanico is not waved by hand: it is plugged in, and in many homes it is the…
abarrotería
A neighborhood grocery, bigger than a corner store and smaller than a supermarket. In Panama this is the…
acera
The sidewalk in front of the house. In a Panamanian neighborhood the acera is social space: it is where the…
aguacero
A hard, short downpour, the kind that arrives suddenly in the afternoon and stops within half an hour. "Un…
aguanchinche
Carrying someone on your back, piggyback style, as if they were a backpack.
ahorita
A deliberately ambiguous word for time: it can mean in five minutes, in two hours, or never. Tone and…
ahuevao
Foolish, slow, or caught off guard. Among friends it is teasing, but said to a stranger it is an insult.
alborotao
Said of a person, usually young: hormones running high, restless with desire or a crush. Said of an animal…
apartar
Putting an item on layaway, paying it off bit by bit and collecting it only at the end. It is how usually…
apolismao
Beaten up and battered, like someone who came out badly from a fall or a fight. The verb is apolismar.
arrabalero
Of the arrabal, the working-class neighborhoods of the historic urban core. Can be pejorative ("coarse") or…
arrecho
Sexually excited. WATCH OUT: in Venezuela and parts of Central America the same word can mean "awesome" or…
arrimado
Someone living in another's house, usually a relative's, rent-free or nearly, while they sort themselves…
barriada
A housing development of identical homes, usually social housing, built all at once and given its own name…
berraco
Someone very good at what they do: skilled, capable, someone who gets things done. It is a compliment.
bien cuidao
The informal minder who watches cars parked on the street. You pay on leaving, even though nobody asked for…
billetero
Someone who sells lottery tickets and chances on the street. Many have regulars who buy the same number from…
bingo
Besides the game, it is the classic Panamanian fundraising format: the church bingo, the school bingo, the…
bochinche
Gossip, commotion, a scene. A "bochinchoso" is the one spreading it.
bochinchoso
Someone who spreads gossip. A serious charge in a small country, where whatever is said comes back around.
bolitas
Marbles. They were played into a hole scraped in the dirt, wagering your own marbles, and losing the whole…
bomba
The gas station. "Llenar en la bomba" is to fill up, and out on the highway the bomba is also a bathroom, a…
botar
To throw away, and also to fire someone. "Lo botaron" means he lost his job.
botella
Someone on a government payroll who draws a salary without working, placed there as a political favor. It is…
buco
A lot, plenty, a large amount. Used for both countable and uncountable things. Feminine would be buca.
buhonero
A street vendor working sidewalks and corners, especially on Avenida Central and in Calidonia.
bulto
It refers to a useless, incapable person, that adds nothing.
bumear
To hit someone or give them a beating. Very often a playful threat, between people with no intention of…
cafecito
The coffee that gets offered and drunk constantly, at the office and at home. Offering a cafecito is the…
camarón
A one-off side job done outside regular employment. Nothing to do with the shellfish.
cancha
The neighborhood court, usually concrete and roofed, where everything gets played and where parties, bingos…
capitalino
From Panama City, the capital. In the mouth of an interiorano it can imply haste, coldness, or disconnection…
chance
A small bet on two numbers of the draw, cheaper than a whole ticket. It is how most people play: a fraction…
chantin
House, home, one's place. In current usage it carries no connotation of poverty.
chao pescao
A playful rhyming goodbye. (It literally means bye fish. It is similar to "see you later aligator). Said…
chenchén
Cash, with the implication that it is needed now. The word imitates the jingle of coins.
chévere
Cool, nice, great. Shared with much of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, but in constant use in Panama.
chichi
Baby, very small child.
chichón
The lump that comes up on your head after a knock. A childhood word above all.
chiva
A small route bus, often informal, covering trips official transport does not. The "chiva parrandera" is the…
cholo
A person of indigenous or rural-interior features. Some use it affectionately as a regional label (el cholo…
chupata
A get-together whose main point is drinking. Not a party with music and dancing, just sitting around with…
cita
A medical appointment in the public system, which can take months to come through and is treated as a scarce…
cloch
A car's clutch. One of the many Panamanian garage words taken straight from English, inherited from decades…
costurera
The woman who mends and sews clothes to order in the neighborhood. In Panama it remains a living trade…
cuadrar
To arrange or settle something. "Ya cuadramos" means the plan is closed and needs no further discussion.
cuara
A twenty-five cent coin. It survives because U.S. coins circulate in Panama alongside Panamanian ones, and…
cuero
It works as a confirmation or affirmation of something. Similar to "dale".
culillo
Fear, fright. "Tener culillo" is to be scared; "qué culillo" is what you say about something that gives you…
curita
A small adhesive bandage for cuts. A brand name turned ordinary word, as happens with so many first-aid items.
daime
A ten-cent coin. It completes the trio of English-derived coin names that coexist with Panamanian and U.S…
dale
An expression of agreement, farewell or encouragement, depending on context. It closes conversations and…
de barrio
Of working-class origin. Said by someone who is, it is pride and belonging; said from above, the same phrase…
de crianza
Said of a child, sibling or grandchild: not related by blood but raised in the house and counted all the…
de gratis
Free of charge. The form with "de" is the ordinary one in Panamanian speech, though the standard prefers…
de una
Yes, right now, no discussion. The most enthusiastic answer available without raising your voice.
déjate de vainas
Cut it out, stop with that. It can be a scolding or affectionate teasing depending on tone, and it is one of…
dominó
The board game of the neighborhood and the beach, played in pairs with the tiles slammed down hard. It is…
doña
A respectful way to address a woman whose name you don't use or don't know: the neighbor, the owner of the…
el chino
The corner store, where you buy on credit, some of them until late, and by the unit. The name comes from the…
el gordito
The top prize in the draw. "Pegarse el gordito" is the phrase for any big stroke of luck, lottery or not.
el jefe
Besides your superior at work, it is a friendly way to address any man whose name you don't know, especially…
empacador
The person who bags your groceries at the supermarket and often carries them to the car. In Panama they are…
está bueno ya
Enough, that's it. It is used to cut off an argument, a joke that went on too long or the kids' horsing…
estar delicado
The phrase used to report that someone is seriously ill without saying the word. It is what you hear in…
estar limpio
To be completely broke.
familia
In Panama "family" is understood broadly: it takes in second cousins, those raised in the house, compadres…
fiado
Taking the goods now and paying on payday. The corner-store owner writes it in a notebook, no signature and…
fila
The queue for any errand, which in Panama can start before the office opens. "Who's last?" is the ritual…
fren
Friend, buddy. Used both to address someone and to refer to a third person.
fufú
Bad energy, witchcraft, a hex.
full
An anglicism working as both adjective and adverb: full, a lot, very. "Full de gente" is a lot of people…
garita
The guard booth at the entrance to a housing development, building or parking lot, where the watchman sits…
garnatón
A hard slap to the face, usually with an open hand — the kind you hear.
gas
The cooking gas cylinder, bought by exchange from the truck that comes through the neighborhood or at the…
gial
Girl, young woman. Common in urban speech and in the lyrics of Panamanian Spanish-language reggae.
goma
A hangover. "Estar engomao" is waking up the morning after; the customary cure is sancocho.
guachimán
Watchman, security guard, building or parking-lot attendant.
guapo
Angry, upset. "Estar guapo con alguien" means being mad at them. From there arises the "Torito Guapo"…
guaro
Liquor in general, especially cheap or rum. By extension, any drink.
guaya
A braided steel cable, the kind used to tow a car or rig something heavy.
guillao
Stuck-up, putting on airs. The difference from "roncar": the one who brags shows off what he has, the…
guindar
To hang. Clothes are guindadas on the line and a hammock is guindada between two trees; Panamanians rarely…
hacer un mandado
To run a short errand, usually buying something nearby. "Voy a hacer un mandado" can take ten minutes or all…
hacer una diligencia
Going out to deal with an errand or a piece of paperwork away from home or the office. It is the word that…
hueco
A pothole. In the rainy season they multiply and become a topic of conversation, public complaint and…
interiorano
Someone from the "interior" — the provinces outside the metropolitan corridor. Descriptive or mildly…
invierno
The rainy season, May to November. Panama has no cold seasons: winter means rain, not cold — the false…
inyección
In Panama doctors commonly prescribe injectables, and a neighborhood nurse or the pharmacy itself…
jarabe
Liquid medicine, almost always for a cough. In a Panamanian house "el jarabe" is a whole domestic category…
jolgorio
The festive uproar of a big celebration: the fair, carnival, the patron saint's day. It is not one party but…
juega vivo
To take advantage of others or of the rules for personal gain. It also names the whole cultural phenomenon…
juma
A drinking binge. "Agarrar una juma" is to get drunk.
kiosco
The school snack stand, where recess quarters get spent. Snacks, frituras, "chiwis" and sodas.
la muchacha
The domestic worker, called this in almost every Panamanian household that has one. The term is as common as…
lamparoso
A show-off, someone who brags. "Prender la lámpara" is to start showing off.
laopé
Kid, young guy. It is "pelao" with the syllables flipped — one of the clearest examples of Panamanian…
las dos últimas
The last two digits of the winning number, the most popular bet because it is the cheapest and the one most…
mal de ojo
Harm believed to be caused by the gaze of someone with a strong eye, especially to babies and plants. You…
maleante
A gang member or criminal. In Panama the word is narrower than "wrongdoer": it points to someone tied to a…
maluco
Feeling off without anything specific: not properly sick, not well either. It is what you report when asked…
man
Guy, person. Used with an article ("el man", "la man") for someone whose name is beside the point.
manicurista
Someone who does nails, in a salon or at your home. "Going to the salon" is a biweekly routine for many…
marquesina
The roofed carport beside a house or an establishment. Elsewhere it is a garage or a carport.
mecánico de confianza
The shop you always take the car to, on the recommendation of family or friends. Having one is a real asset…
menos mal
An expression of relief at something that could have gone worse. In Panama it is very often used alone, as a…
mi vieja
My mom, my dad. It has nothing to do with age and is not disrespectful: it is the ordinary affectionate way…
mofle
The exhaust muffler. A car "sin mofle" is one you hear three blocks away.
mopri
A term of address for a close friend, with no actual family relation. It is "primo" (cousin) with the…
multi
A low-rise social-housing apartment block with open walkways. "Los multis" shaped the city's…
ni modo
Resignation at something that can no longer be changed. It closes the subject and gives permission to move…
ñapa
The little extra a vendor throws in to close the sale, and by extension anything that comes on top. "De…
ñorro
Guy, dude, individual. Can be neutral or mildly pejorative depending on tone.
obra
Construction as a workplace. It is one of the country's biggest employers, with a strong union of its own, a…
ofi
OK, all right, got it, agreed. Extremely common in text messages.
ombe
A contraction of "hombre" used as an interjection, not a noun. It serves to deny emphatically, to brush…
pa'lante
Forward, let's go, no turning back. It encourages, it ends an argument, and it describes someone who works…
palo
One balboa, i.e. one dollar. "Diez palos" is ten dollars.
pana
Friend, buddy, it coexists in Panama with "fren" and "mopri".
parquear
To hang out with friends in a place, with no particular plan. Distinct from the "park a car" sense, which…
parranda
Going out partying, especially the kind that runs long and moves from place to place. The "chiva parrandera"…
patio
The ground behind or beside the house, where the clothesline, the water tank, the fruit trees and sometimes…
pelao / pelá
Kid, young person, boy or girl. Also used for one's children: "mis pelaos" means my kids. It can also be…
pelar el bollo
To die. A colloquial phrase, usually said jokingly — the Panamanian kick the bucket.
pelar el diente
To flash a smile to please, flirt, or charm someone with an angle in mind.
pelarse
To miss or get something wrong. "Te pelaste" means you blew it.
pelota
Baseball. In Panama "pelota" on its own means baseball, not soccer or any other ball game. It is the sport…
picao
Sore and resentful about something, while pretending not to be.
pinta
A beer. Asking for "una pinta" in Panama means asking for a beer, regardless of its size and volume.
piquera
A fixed taxi stand, usually outside a mall, hospital or terminal, with its own queue and its own fares. It…
planta
A backup generator that kicks in during an outage. In buildings and businesses it is standard equipment…
ponchar
To get a flat tire. "Se me ponchó" is the whole sentence, and everyone knows what you mean without you…
poner los cuernos
To cheat on your partner. In Panama people say "pegar" more than "poner", and the subject is required…
por ley
For sure, obligatory, no question. It has nothing to do with written law: it is a way of saying something…
pretendiente
Someone interested in another person and making it known, before anything is official. The word survives…
pritty
Good, nice, well-done, pleasant. Not limited to looks, something can turn out "pritty" if it simply went well.
propina
In Panama many restaurants add ten percent to the bill, so it is worth checking before leaving more. Outside…
quincena
Payday. In Panama wages are typically paid on the 15th and 30th of each month, and those dates shape much of…
rabiblanco
A member of Panama's traditional economic and social elite, generally white and from a well-known family. A…
racataca
Someone seen as vulgar, tacky or low-class, usually judged by class markers. It is a classist slur and its…
rancho
An open structure with a thatched roof and no walls, for eating and hanging out. It is not substandard…
rastro
A salvage yard where wrecked or stripped cars are taken apart and their used parts sold for far less than…
real
Money in general. "Conseguir los reales" means to come up with the cash. It can also be said "riales"
regarla
To mess up badly, on something that mattered. "La regué" is the shortest confession there is.
reja
The bar grating on windows and doors, practically universal in Panamanian homes. It goes up for security and…
roncar
To brag or show off. "La ronca" is the boast itself.
salado
Unlucky, on a bad streak. It is recommended to take a trip to the beach to "quitarse la sal" (get rid of the…
suiche
A light switch, and also a car's ignition switch. Nobody in Panama asks you to flip "el interruptor".
tanque de reserva
A household water tank installed to ride out supply cuts. Having one is not a luxury in much of the country…
tas claro
"Got it?" or "are we agreed?", depending on the intonation. It is also used as self-confirmation at the end…
taxi pirata
A private car working as a taxi without a public-transport plate or permit. It is illegal and everyone knows…
tendedero
The line where clothes dry in the sun. With Panamanian weather it is a daily calculation: you hang early and…
tirar un partido
To play a pickup game, no referee, no kits, on the neighborhood court or in the street. It gets arranged by…
toldo
The rented tent for a backyard party, with its chairs and tables. It can also be a typical traditional…
tongo
A cop. Used among friends and on the street; never said to an officer's face.
tranque
A traffic jam. In Panama City it is a permanent topic of conversation and a socially accepted excuse for…
tranqui
Short for "tranquilo", used to calm someone down or to say it's no trouble. As a reply to an apology it…
trompo
A wooden spinning top with a metal tip, launched with a string. It was the street game of several Panamanian…
tumbar
To scam, rob, or stand someone up. "Un tumbe" is the scam itself, usually related to drug trafficking.
tumbe
A robbery or con, especially one that exploits trust. "Dar un tumbe" is taking what is not yours. Usually…
un poco de
A lot, loads. It means the opposite of the logical meaning. "Había un poco de gente" means the place was…
una fría
A beer. Asking for "una fría" means asking for an ice-cold one, which in Panama is the only acceptable way…
vacilar
To enjoy something, and also to tease someone affectionately. Nothing to do with the "to hesitate" sense it…
vacilón
Fun, a party, a good time. "Vacilar" means to have a good time, and also to tease someone.
vaina
Thing, matter, situation. A universal filler noun that can replace almost anything. "¡Qué vaina!" expresses…
vaina seria
A phrase marking something as serious or remarkable, depending on tone. The most used extension of the…
verano
The dry season, December to April. It brings strong winds, dust, Carnival and the interior fairs.
voy por fuera
I'm off. Said when saying goodbye or announcing that you're leaving.
ya mismo
Right away — though in practice it is a cousin of ahorita and commits to just as little. "Ya voy" shouted…
ya tú sabes
A sentence-ending phrase that takes the unsaid as understood. It avoids naming something awkward and…
yeyé
An upper-class person, or someone who acts like one: snobbish, affected, given to mixing English into their…
zafarse
To wriggle out of an obligation.
Bureaucracy
abanderamiento
Registering a foreign ship under the Panamanian flag. Panama runs the largest ship registry in the world, a…
acudiente
The adult legally responsible for a student before the school: signs the grades, receives the summons…
aguinaldo
The gift or bonus some companies give in December, on top of the décimo, which is required by law. It is…
aseo
Garbage collection and the fee charged for it. "Pasó el aseo" means the truck has already come; it not…
aviso de operación
The mandatory business registration filed with the Ministry of Commerce to operate any business in Panama…
balboa
Panama's official currency, pegged one-to-one with the U.S. dollar, which circulates as legal tender.
boletín
The report card the acudiente has to sign and return. Handing it over is a dreaded day in many Panamanian…
canasta básica
The official list of basic foods with its monthly cost, published and updated by the government. It is the…
carné de salud
A Ministry of Health document certifying that a person may handle food or serve the public. Required in…
carta de trabajo
An employer letter stating position, salary and length of service. It is the key to almost everything in…
cédula
Panama's national ID document, issued by the Electoral Tribunal. Its number encodes the province of birth in…
cédula juvenil
The ID document for minors, issued by the Electoral Tribunal just like the adult cédula. Required for school…
colegio
Secondary school. The distinction matters in Panama: escuela is primary school and colegio is seventh grade…
comarca
A Panamanian political-administrative division with indigenous autonomy, ranking alongside a province…
contrato definido
A contract with an end date, as opposed to the open-ended kind. The difference decides what you are owed at…
corregiduría
It was the corregidor's office, which handles minor offenses and neighbor disputes: noise, boundaries…
corregimiento
Panama's smallest political-administrative unit, below the district. Each corregimiento elects a…
décimo
A mandatory bonus equal to one extra month of salary, paid in three installments a year (April, August and…
descuento directo
A loan repaid by deducting it from wages before they reach the account. The standard credit for public…
diputado
An elected member of the National Assembly for a circuit. In practice many people approach theirs for…
fondo de cesantía
A fund employers are required to maintain to back the seniority premium and severance owed to workers. It…
idoneidad
The official license to practice a regulated profession in Panama (lawyer, doctor, engineer, accountant)…
ITBMS
Panama's value-added tax on the transfer of goods and services. The general rate is 7%, with higher rates on…
jubilado
A status achieved by age and other criteria, carrying legally mandated discounts on transport, restaurants…
junta comunal
The local governing body of a corregimiento, chaired by its representative. It handles everyday paperwork…
ley seca
A temporary ban on selling alcohol, applied around elections and on certain days of Holy Week. A practical…
licencia de conducir
The driving permit issued by the ATTT, with categories by vehicle type and periodic renewal. Getting it the…
liquidación
The final settlement when an employment relationship ends: seniority premium, unused vacation, prorated…
notaría
The office where signatures and documents are notarized. In Panama notarization is required by a lot of…
paz y salvo
A certificate confirming that a person or company has no outstanding debts with a given entity (tax…
placa
The vehicle registration, renewed yearly by paying the municipal circulation tax and presenting the…
planilla
A company's payroll. "Estar en planilla" means holding formal employment with benefits and social security…
por cuenta propia
Working with no employer and off the payroll. It is the situation of much of the Panamanian workforce, with…
preaviso
The advance notice one party owes the other before ending a contract. When it is not given it is usually…
premedia
The three years between primary school and bachillerato, seventh through ninth grade. It is a division…
prima de antigüedad
A payment owed to a worker for time served when an open-ended contract ends, whether they quit or are…
recibo de la luz
The electricity bill, which spikes in Panama's dry season because of air conditioning and is a permanent…
récord policivo
A certificate that a person has no criminal record. Required for almost any formal job and requested online…
representante de corregimiento
The lowest-level elected official and the closest to people: chairs the community board of their…
revisado
The mandatory annual vehicle inspection, without which the license plate cannot be renewed. Done at…
riesgos profesionales
Social Security coverage for work-caused accidents and illness. It is a separate regime from ordinary health…
RUC
The number identifying each taxpayer before the tax authority. For individuals it is usually built from the…
salario mínimo
Panama has no single minimum wage: it is set by region, economic activity and company size, and revised…
sociedad anónima
Panama's signature corporate vehicle, governed by Law 32 of 1927. It is cheap to incorporate and therefore…
vacaciones
The paid leave Panamanian law grants per year worked, more generous than in much of the region (1 month per…
Collections
Lists by theme and by province, built from the entries.