Peru Glossary

B

bacan the other term for "cool." What to say to a local if you want to praise anything in Peru that you find interesting.

bamba means fake, illegal, counterfeit or bad-quality goods. If a local says that a product is a bamba, do not buy it if you want to save on money or do not want any trouble.

C

Cerveza the other name for the Peruvian beer found in bars. This term also refers to beer anywhere in Latin America.

C

chela the Peruvian beer common in bars.

chevere means "cool." What to say to a local if you want to praise the food or anything that you find interesting.

L

loco originally means "a crazy person," but is used in Peru as a friendly expression that means "friend," "buddy" or "mate."

P

plata originally means "silver," but is more commonly used to refer to money.

T

tombo locals' slang word for "cop." Do not call a cop a tombo as the police don't like the term.