Gossip in Spanish: The art of Chisme
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More infoGossip is a ubiquitous social phenomenon that transcends cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries. It’s a human impulse as old as civilization itself, and it plays a multifaceted role in our daily lives, so naturally, there is a particular way to engage in gossip in Spanish as well.
Whether you’re a gossip enthusiast or you consider it a waste of time, it’s always best to be prepared. So in today’s post you’ll learn all about this fine art of chisme, whether to take part in it or to simply recognize when someone else is gossiping in Spanish.
We’ll begin our journey by learning how to say gossip in Spanish, along with the verb for gossiping and the adjective used to describe the gossipers. Then we’ll get into the choice phrases you’ll want for when things get juicy! We’ll finish off by learning some regional terms for gossip in Spanish slang.
So now take a seat and let us tell you all about gossip in Spanish!
How to say gossip in Spanish
The universal word for gossip in Spanish is chisme. It’s a masculine noun, so whether it’s el chisme or un chisme, we use it to talk about either gossip in general, or a sweet morsel of good gossip.
- Habla con María, ella se sabe todo el chisme. – Talk to Maria, she knows all the gossip.
- Dicen que está rondando un chisme sobre la chica nueva. – They say there’s gossip going around about the new girl.
- Si no me cuentas el chisme, no podré dormir. – If you don’t tell me the gossip, I won’t be able to sleep.
- Tengo un chisme que contarte. – I have some gossip to tell you.
From chisme we also get the Spanish verb for to gossip. The infinitive form is chismear, and it is conjugated just like any other regular -ar verb in every tense and mood.
Besides gossiping in Spanish, chismear can also be used to mean to catch up or to inform. While there are other verbs that may have similar translations, like contar for to recount or decir for to tell, when we use chismear it’s implied that we’re sharing some really juicy info!
- Hace tiempo que no nos vemos, ya nos hace falta chismear. – It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, we need to catch up on things.
- Mira cómo se ríen esos dos, seguro están chismeando. – Look how those two are laughing, they’re probably gossiping.
- ¡No chismeen sin mí! Ya casi llego. – Don’t gossip without me! I’m almost there.
- Te chismearé lo que pasó por mensaje. – I’ll tell you what happened by text.
- ¿De verdad por eso no se casaron? ¿Quién te lo chismeó? – Is that really why they didn’t get married? Who tattled to you?
Whether you consider someone a good source for gossip, or a liability when they know too much about you, you probably think of them as gossipy. In Spanish, chismoso is the adjective to describe people known for sharing gossip frequently. The feminine version is chismosa.
- Mi tía es muy chismosa, si no quieres que toda la familia se entere, no le cuentes nada. – My aunt is very gossipy. If you don’t want the whole family to know, don’t tell her anything.
- ¿Estás escuchando mi llamada telefónica? ¡Qué chismoso eres, Pablito! – Are you listening to my phone call? You’re so gossipy, Pablito!
- Las muchachas del salón son muy chismosas. – The girls in the classroom are very gossipy.
- Mis papás son chismosos, no les hagas caso. Quieren saber todo sobre todo el mundo. – My parents are gossipy, don’t listen to them. They want to know everything about everybody.
Key Spanish gossip phrases
Depending on the type of gossip and the context, there are a number of very common phrases and expressions that you are sure to hear during Spanish gossip time.
Introducing Gossip in Spanish
Like all stories, gossip needs an introduction, either to add excitement or to let the listener know that we’re not gossiping out of malice. So whether you just want to tell your friend I have gossip in Spanish, or you need to emphasize secrecy first, here are some of the common introductory phrases used when exchanging Spanish gossip.
| Spanish gossip intros | English gossip intros |
| Te tengo un chisme. | I have a piece of gossip for you. |
| ¿Qué crees…? | Guess what…? |
| Según dicen… | According to what they’re saying… |
| Por lo que oí… | I heard that… |
| Andan diciendo… | People are saying… |
| Según mis fuentes… | According to my sources… |
| No lo escuchaste de mí, pero… | You didn’t hear it from me, but… |
| Nadie se puede enterar… | No one can find out about this… |
| Que esto quede entre nosotros… | Let this stay between us… |
| ¿Puedes guardar un secreto? | Can you keep a secret? |
| ¿Supiste lo que pasó…? | Did you hear what happened? |
| ¿Te enteraste…? | Did you find out? |
| No vas a creer esto. | You won’t believe this. |
| Estuve averiguando y… | I was doing some research, and… |
| Escucha esto sentado/a… | Listen to this while sitting down… |
| No es que sea chismoso/a, pero… | I’m not the type to gossip, but… |
| No me gusta el chisme, pero… | I don’t like gossip, but… |
| No soy quién para opinar, pero… | I’m not one to judge, but… |
| No es que me importe, pero… | It’s not like I care, but… |
| Cada quien con su vida, pero… | It’s their life, but… |
Reacting to Gossip in Spanish
Depending on how shocking the story is, reactions will vary. Here are some of the typical responses that you’ll need when you hear some choice gossip in Spanish.
| Spanish | English |
| ¿Qué pasó? | What happened? |
| ¡Cuéntamelo! | Tell me! |
| ¿Estás bromeando? | Are you kidding? |
| ¿Estás seguro/a? | Are you sure? |
| ¡No lo puedo creer! | I can’t believe it! |
| ¡No me digas! | You don’t say! |
| ¡Qué escándalo! | What a scandal! |
| ¿Y tú qué le dijiste? | And what did you say? |
| No se lo diré a nadie. | I won’t tell anyone. |
| ¿Quién más sabe? | Who else knows? |
| ¿Cómo te enteraste? | How did you find out? |
Regional words for Gossip in Spanish
Although chisme is the universal word for gossip in Spanish, you can bet that there are plenty of local terms for gossip in Spanish slang. These aren’t necessarily used from one region to the next, so the word for gossip in Puerto Rican Spanish, for example, may not even be understood in Argentina.
Let’s take a look at some regional slang terms for gossip in Spanish.
| Regional Spanish slang for gossip | Country |
| Cotilleo (m) | Spain |
| Chismorreo (m) | Spain |
| Chinchorreo (m) | Spain |
| Salseo (m) | Spain |
| Ventaneo (m) | Mexico |
| Vivoreo (m) | Mexico |
| Comadreo (m) | Mexico |
| Bochinche (m) | Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia |
| Chambre (m) | Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador |
| Beta (m) | Venezuela |
| Cotorreo (m) | Colombia |
| Bolas (f, plural) | Ecuador |
| Raje (m) | Perú |
| Reja (f) | Bolivia |
| Cahuín (m) | Chile |
| Copucha (f) | Chile |
| Chimento (m) | Argentina |
| Chusmerío (m) | Argentina |
| Corridilla (f) | Argentina |
Conclusion
Great, now you know how to share and receive the juiciest tidbits of gossip in Spanish! Let’s do a quick wrap-up before parting ways.
We’ve explored the heart of gossip in Spanish, from its fundamental elements to the phrases that bring it to life. We’ve learned how chisme can be a noun, a verb, or an adjective, and how it’s used to both share and receive the juiciest tidbits. We’ve delved into phrases that introduce gossip, keeping the listeners hooked, and reactions that run the gamut from disbelief to intrigue.
Moreover, we’ve discovered that, just like in any language, regional variations abound. While chisme is the universal word for gossip in Spanish, it has various counterparts and slang expressions depending on the country. Whether it’s cotilleo in Spain, bochinche in Puerto Rico, or comadreo in Mexico, each term adds a unique flavor to the art of gossip in Spanish.
So, whether you’re a seasoned gossiper or just curious about the nuances of language and culture, we hope this guide has given you a richer understanding of the world of gossip in Spanish!
