Equatorial Guinean Spanish: Slang, Phrases, & More

Did you know that in Equatorial Guinea Spanish, French, & Portuguese are all official languages? While this linguistic diversity may be a surprise, it's just a start!

They also speak Pichinglis, Fang, Ibo, Bubi, Annoboneses, Creole English, and even German! Lucky for us, 90% of the wonderful people of Equatorial Guinea speak Spanish.

Equatorial Guineans speak Spanish with a bit of an African-like accent, however, they have kept the Castilian Spanish intact. If you didn’t know, it wasn’t until 1968 that Equatorial Guinea got its independence, so Spanish has become a big part of their culture.

With their accent and slang taken from local languages, they have made a dialect of Spanish that is truly unique and beautiful.

Let’s jump into the slang and pronunciation found in the Spanish of Equatorial Guinea!

Summary of the Spanish of Equatorial Guinea

The Spanish spoken in Equatorial Guinea is very close to the Castilian Spanish used in Spain because Spain occupied their country until less than 60 years ago.

They use Vosotros like in most parts of Spain. Along with this, they also pronounce the Z and C as TH in the same manner as in the Castilian Spanish Dialect.

Another interesting feature is the lack of distinction between the R and RR - and for some, both are often pronounced almost like a mixture of the English R and the Spanish R.

Amongst many others, here are the top 5 slang words you should know

• Chacra - A mess, messy

• Mangüeña - Mango

• Añambe - Oh my goodness!

• Pelucarse/Peluquear - To cut one's hair

• Anteosé - I don’t know

The Equatorial Guinean Spanish Slang/Vocabulary

Abáa - Town Hall For People 🏠

This is not a concept we are necessarily familiar with as Westerners - but in an Abáa mainly men) get together to discuss their family and societal issues, and how to resolve them, as well as issues within their respective towns.

Malamba - Alcoholic beverage made from sugar cane 🥃

If you are a drinker and you find yourself in Equatorial Guinea, you have to try the Malamba. It’s an alcoholic drink made from sugar cane and a couple of other plants native to the area.

Chacra - A mess, messy 🤦‍♀️

This word is used just like the standard Spanish words Lío and Desastre. For example:

Ay mi cabello es una chacra / Mi cabello es muy Chacra

(Ay my hair is a mess / My hair is so messy)

Mangüeña - Mango 🥭

This is a word that from what I have heard is mainly used by older people, whereas younger people began just calling it Mango.

Bubuto - Chubby 🦔

This is another word that is not found in any Spanish dictionary due to its origin. This is 100% unique to this African country and is used like Gordo meaning fat, but it is a little bit nicer and less intense than calling you Gordo.

Pelucarse/Peluquear - To cut one's hair 💇

In Equatorial Guinea they don’t really say “Voy a cortarme el cabello” meaning - I am going to cut my hair. They say “Me voy a pelucar”.

Ango/Anga - Man/Bro/Girl/Yo 🙎🙎‍♂️

This word is used to get a man's attention. For example, somebody might say “Ango ven acá” meaning - Bro come over here.

¿Quie? - What? 🤷‍♀️

Whenever the people of Equatorial Guinea want to say What? Instead of pronouncing it (Qué - like the letter K in English), they pronounce it like (Key-e).

Anteosé - I don’t know 🙇‍♂️

This word means the same thing as the phrase No sé. For example:

¿Qué quieres hacer? - Anteosé

(What do you want to do? - I don’t know)

Boy - Niño/Muchacho 🧑

Due to the influence of the Pichi Language which is described by the people of Equatorial Guinea as being “wrongly spoken English”. For this reason, some English words have entered the Spanish of this African Country.

Guachmán - Security Guard 👮‍♀️

First I was told by the Panamanians that this originated in Panama, then the Venezuelans told me the same story, later a Dominican, and it turns out it's even used IN AFRICA?

Yup. Though this word in Equatorial Guinea is used especially for private security that guards a house.

Guagua - Vans/Tiny buses 🚐

Whereas in the Caribbean dialects, this refers mostly to public transportation/big buses, this word refers to vans or really tiny buses in Equatorial Guinea.

Un tori - News ❗️❗️❗️

If you have Un tori que contar that means that you have some news to tell someone!

Un fitiai - A lack of respect 😡

If somebody says that what you just did is Un fitiai you better apologize because that means you just disrespected somebody.

Añambe - Oh my goodness! 🙄

This is exclaimed in the same situations you might say Oh my goodness! For example:

¡Añambe! La casa es una chacra!

(OMG! The house is a mess!)

Diman - Man 🤵

This is probably from that English Creole that I mentioned earlier, and it’s just a way to refer to a man. For example:

Estaba hablando con ese diman

(I was talking with that man)

Un tapi - Taxi 🚖

Yeah, it’s almost the same but an Equatorial Guinean might be confused at first if you ask for or about Un taxi, ask for Un tapi instead!

Calderías - Change 💰

In most Spanish speaking countries we use the word "monedas" to say "coins" or "change," however, in Equatorial Guinea they say "calderías"

Ay me falta 20 centavos, ¿tienes unas calderías?

(Ah I'm 20 cents short, do you have any change?)

Bic - A razor 🪒

In most countries you'll hear navaja de afeitar or afeitadora, however, in Equatorial Guinea they just say "Bic" - yeah, like the company!

¿Ella tiene un bic que pueda usar?

(Does she have a razor that I could use?)

The Pronunciation of The Equatorial Guinea Spanish

The pronunciation in many ways is extremely clear, and standard. However, there are two things I have noticed while listening to their Spanish.

1) - They use the pronunciation of Spain. Meaning that the Z in Corazón sounds like Th. However - I have heard people make both sounds.

For example, I heard somebody say Thinco, and then they repeated themselves and said Sinco to say Cinco (meaning 5).

2) - They sometimes don’t distinguish between R and RR

Other than this they’re really easy to understand. And compared to Caribbean dialects, it's very easy to get used to.

The only other notable difference is that you can hear an African-like accent in their Spanish, but of course that makes sense as many of them speak African languages just as well as Spanish.

Equatorial Guinea FAQ

Does Equatorial Guinea Use Vosotros?

Equatorial Guinean Spanish does utilize Vosotros to refer to multiple people. In general, the Castilian Spanish spoken in Spain has been well preserved in Equatorial Guinea, especially because they just got their independence in 1968.

What's The Spanish Name For Equatorial Guinea

In Spanish, the country Equatorial Guinea is called "Guinea Ecuatorial."

What Part Of Africa Speaks Spanish?

The only part of Africa that speaks Spanish is Equatorial Guinea. Located on the west coast of central Africa, this was the last Spanish colony to get its independence (in the year 1968).

What Type Of Spanish Is Spoken In Equatorial Guinea?

In Equatorial Guinea they speak a beautiful Castilian Spanish with little indigenous influences mixed in, making it one of the most special and distinct Spanish dialects in the world.

Conclusion: Spanish Spoken In Equatorial Guinea

As you can see, the Equatorial Guinean Spanish slang is completely different from the slang found in other Spanish-speaking countries!

If you are interested in learning this dialect, there are many videos of people interviewing native Spanish speakers of the country, and there are also many Equatorial Guineans that have YouTube channels in Spanish!

If you want to get a free lesson with a tutor, click here and Italki will give you a free $10 credit when you schedule your first lesson within 48 hours!

Are you interested in learning about another Spanish dialect - check out this series I did called “Spanish Dialect Breakdowns” where we go over the Spanish dialects of every single country!

Have a great day!

¡Hasta luego! ~ Ben