che
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hey, listen, ch, Argentine, lousy
/tʃe/
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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.
Examples
¡Che, mirá lo que encontré!
Hey, look what I found!
La música che sonaba en la radio.
Argentine music was playing on the radio.
Me vendieron un reloj che que se rompió.
They sold me a lousy watch that broke.
¡Che, qué frío hace hoy!
Wow, it is cold today!
En ese juego, la che vale muchos puntos.
In that game, ch is worth many points.
Similar words
ch
maldito
rioplatense
eh
mirá
despreciable
oye
argentino
dígrafo ch
vil
Meanings
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!
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.
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.
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.
Similar words
despreciable
vil
maldito
malo
chafa
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.
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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