interjection General Slang

Che

/tʃe/ · interjection · informal

The all-purpose 'hey' or 'mate' that's practically Argentina's national catchphrase.

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Definitions

1

By extension, 'un che' can mean an Argentine person, since the word so marks their speech, and it gave Ernesto 'Che' Guevara his nickname.

“Lo llamaban Che por su tonada argentina. (They called him Che for his Argentine speech.)”
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2

An interjection to get someone's attention or punctuate speech, like 'hey', 'mate', or 'man'. Its origin is debated, with proposed roots in Guarani, Mapuche, or Valencian/Italian forms of address; no single source is settled.

“Che, vení para aca. (Hey, come over here.)”
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3

A filler tag added to soften or emphasize a sentence, similar to 'you know' or 'man'.

“No seas asi, che. (Don't be like that, man.)”
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Che In A Sentence

Che, me pasas la sal? (Hey, pass me the salt?)
Tango lyrics open with a confiding 'che' all the time.
Che, que hacemos esta noche? (Hey, what are we doing tonight?)

Origin & Usage

Though strictly older and broader than Lunfardo, 'che' saturates Rioplatense speech and tango and is documented alongside the dialect by the Academia Portena del Lunfardo; its etymology is genuinely disputed among Guarani, Mapuche and Valencian/Italian candidates.

Variants cheeeboludo che
Tags #lunfardo#spanish#argentine#tango#argot#talk

People Also Ask

What does che mean?

It's an attention-getting interjection like 'hey' or 'mate'.

Where did che come from?

Its origin is disputed, with candidates in Guarani, Mapuche, and Valencian/Italian forms of address.

Is che why Guevara was called 'Che'?

Yes, his constant use of the word marked him as Argentine to his Cuban comrades.

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