che

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hey, listen, ch, Argentine, lousy
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An informal Spanish call for attention or surprise, also the name of ch, with regional adjective senses for Argentine identity and Mexican contempt.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • Esa actitud che molestó al grupo.
    That contemptible attitude bothered the group.
  • ¡Che, vení un segundo!
    Hey, come here a second!
  • Qué día tan che, todo salió mal.
    What a wretched day, everything went wrong.
  • Un turista che preguntó por el museo.
    An Argentine tourist asked about the museum.
  • El tipo che se burló de todos.
    The vile guy mocked everyone.

Similar words

rioplatense
escuchá
despreciable
hombre
vil
chafa
argentino
eh
sonido ch
oye

Meanings

Hey or listen

interjection
conversation
informal
A familiar call for attention, a way to stop someone, or a quick exclamation of surprise.

Usage

Use che as an informal attention word in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Valencia, with meaning shaped by tone.

Examples

  • ¡Che, vení un segundo!
    Hey, come here a second!
  • Che, ¿me pasás el mate?
    Hey, could you pass me the mate?
  • ¡Che, mirá lo que encontré!
    Hey, look what I found!
  • Che, no te enojes por eso.
    Hey, do not get angry about that.
  • ¡Che, qué frío hace hoy!
    Wow, it is cold today!

Common mistakes

Che is mistaken for a noun meaning friend, but it normally works as a call or conversational marker.
IncorrectCorrect
Che es mi mejor amigo. Che, mi mejor amigo llegó.
¡Che usted, podría venir! Disculpe, ¿podría venir?
Che, ven aquí. Che, vení acá.

Similar words

oye
eh
mirá
escuchá
hombre

The ch digraph

noun
language
neutral
The name of the Spanish digraph ch and the sound it represents.

Usage

Use che when naming the written ch or its sound, especially in discussion of spelling.

Examples

  • Antes la che figuraba como una letra aparte.
    The che was once listed as a separate letter.
  • La palabra chico empieza con che.
    The word chico starts with ch.
  • La maestra explicó el sonido de la che.
    The teacher explained the ch sound.
  • En ese juego, la che vale muchos puntos.
    In that game, ch is worth many points.
  • El diccionario ya no ordena la che como letra independiente.
    The dictionary no longer sorts ch as an independent letter.

Common mistakes

The digraph sense is confused with an ordinary single letter or vowel.
IncorrectCorrect
La che es una vocal. La che es el dígrafo ch.
La palabra casa empieza con che. La palabra chico empieza con che.
Escribí la che con una sola letra. Escribí la che como ch.

Similar words

ch
dígrafo ch
sonido ch

Argentine

adjective
identity
informal
Relating to Argentina or to Argentines, in regional American Spanish.

Usage

Use che for Argentine identity only where that regional adjective is understood.

Examples

  • La prensa che comentó el partido.
    The Argentine press commented on the match.
  • Un turista che preguntó por el museo.
    An Argentine tourist asked about the museum.
  • El acento che se notaba enseguida.
    The Argentine accent was noticeable right away.
  • El equipo che llegó de Buenos Aires.
    The Argentine team arrived from Buenos Aires.
  • La música che sonaba en la radio.
    Argentine music was playing on the radio.

Common mistakes

The Argentine adjective is regional and can be misunderstood as the attention word.
IncorrectCorrect
Un diario che es un diario chileno. Un diario che es un diario argentino.
La turista che venía de Madrid. La turista che venía de Argentina.
Che siempre significa una persona de confianza. Che puede significar relativo a Argentina en algunos países.

Similar words

argentino
rioplatense

Lousy or contemptible

adjective
attitude
slang
A Mexican slang adjective for a person or thing regarded as vile, wretched, or annoying.

Usage

Use che for something lousy or contemptible only in Mexican slang, where it carries a dismissive tone.

Examples

  • No compres esa cosa che.
    Do not buy that lousy thing.
  • El tipo che se burló de todos.
    The vile guy mocked everyone.
  • Me vendieron un reloj che que se rompió.
    They sold me a lousy watch that broke.
  • Qué día tan che, todo salió mal.
    What a wretched day, everything went wrong.
  • Esa actitud che molestó al grupo.
    That contemptible attitude bothered the group.

Common mistakes

The Mexican adjective is pejorative and should not be read as the Argentine interjection.
IncorrectCorrect
Ese coche che es excelente. Ese coche che es malo.
Una persona che es admirable. Una persona che es despreciable en este uso mexicano.
Qué che regalo tan bonito. Qué regalo tan che, se rompió enseguida.

Similar words

despreciable
vil
maldito
malo
chafa

Usage

Let region and grammar decide the sense: che calls attention in Rioplatense and Valencian speech, names ch in spelling, and acts as an adjective in regional American Spanish.

Common mistakes

Che is treated as a universal word for friend, but the core use is an interjection and some adjective uses are regional or pejorative.

Etymology

Uncertain. RAE relates the interjection to older Spanish ce, used to call or stop someone, while other proposed origins remain disputed.

FAQ

What does che mean in Spanish?

Che usually calls attention, like hey or listen, especially in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Valencia.

Is che the same as friend?

Not exactly. It can be used with a friend, but the word itself is mainly a vocative or interjection, not a plain noun for friend.

Why was Che Guevara called Che?

Ernesto Guevara was nicknamed Che because his frequent Argentine use of the interjection stood out to his Cuban companions.

Can che mean Argentine?

Yes. ASALE records che as a regional adjective meaning related to Argentina in some American Spanish uses.

What is the origin of che?

The origin is uncertain. RAE connects it with older ce, an interjection used to call or stop someone.

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