Nightlife in Spanish: going out, clubs, the door, drinks and getting home in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina
A night out in Spanish starts with a word that changes in every country. In Mexico you go to el antro, in Spain you go de fiesta, in Colombia you go de rumba, in Argentina you go to el boliche. The hours change too, and a visitor who turns up at a club at eleven will often find it empty. Below: the plans, the times, the door, the drinks, dancing, getting home safely and the morning after, for Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
Going out
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To go out (partying) | salir de fiesta, ir de antro | salir de fiesta, salir de marcha | salir de rumba, rumbear | salir, salir a bailar |
| A club | un antro | una discoteca, una disco | una discoteca, un bar | un boliche |
| A party | una fiesta, un reventón | una fiesta | una rumba, una fiesta | una fiesta, una joda |
The notes:
- Antro in Mexico is a club or a bar with music. Elsewhere it means a dive.
- Boliche in Argentina is a club. In other countries it can mean a bowling alley.
- El after, the after-party, is borrowed from English in all four countries.
- Rumba in Colombia is the whole night out. Rumbear is the verb, and rumbero or rumbera is someone who loves going out.
- Joda in Argentina is a party, informal and a little rough. Estar de joda is to be out partying, and ¿es joda? means are you kidding?
- La previa is drinks at someone’s place before going out. It is the standard start in Argentina and Uruguay, and you hear it in Spain too.
The plan
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Are you going out tonight? | ¿Sales esta noche? / ¿Salís esta noche? (vos) | |
| What’s the plan? | ¿Cuál es el plan? / ¿Qué plan hay? | |
| Where are we meeting? | ¿Dónde nos vemos? / ¿Dónde quedamos? (Spain) | |
| Shall we go to…? | ¿Vamos a…? | |
| Is it lively tonight? | ¿Hay buen ambiente hoy? | |
| What music do they play? | ¿Qué música ponen? | |
| Is there a cover charge? | ¿Hay cover? (Mexico, Colombia) / ¿Se paga entrada? (Spain, Argentina) | |
| I’m tired, I’m going home | Estoy cansado / cansada, me voy a casa. | |
| One more and I’m off | Una más y me voy. |
What time people go out
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner | nine or ten | ten | eight or nine | ten or later |
| Bars fill up | from ten | from eleven | from nine or ten | from midnight |
| Clubs fill up | from midnight | from one or two | from eleven | from two |
| Home | three to five | five to seven | around three | six or later |
These are rough times for a weekend in a big city: Mexico City, Madrid or Barcelona, Bogotá or Medellín, Buenos Aires.
Argentines go out latest. A boliche in Buenos Aires opens around one and fills after two. Arriving at midnight means an empty dance floor.
Spaniards are close behind. Dinner at ten, bars, and clubs from about two. Salir de fiesta can end with breakfast, and churros con chocolate at six in the morning in Madrid is a tradition.
Colombians start earlier and finish earlier. Closing times are set by each city and many places close around three. In Colombia, being zanahoria, “a carrot”, means being a goody-two-shoes who goes home early.
Mexico City has a long night: bars from ten, clubs from midnight, and el after for those who keep going.
At the door
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doorman, bouncer | el cadenero | el portero | el portero, el de seguridad | el patovica |
| Entry fee | el cover | la entrada | el cover | la entrada |
| ID | la identificación, la INE | el DNI | la cédula | el DNI |
| Trainers | tenis | zapatillas | tenis | zapatillas |
El cadenero in Mexico, named after the chain across the door, is the person who decides who gets in.
The guest list is la lista everywhere. Entrada con consumición in Spain means the entry fee includes a drink. Keep the ticket and swap it at the bar.
The legal drinking age is 18 in all four countries. Carry your passport or a copy of it; a photo on your phone is not always accepted.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| How much is it to get in? | ¿Cuánto es la entrada? / ¿Cuánto es el cover? | |
| Does it include a drink? | ¿Incluye una bebida? / ¿Es con consumición? (Spain) | |
| We’re on the list | Estamos en la lista. | |
| Under the name of… | A nombre de… | |
| There are four of us | Somos cuatro. | |
| Is there a dress code? | ¿Hay código de vestimenta? | |
| Can I come in with trainers? | ¿Puedo entrar con tenis? / ¿…con zapatillas? (Spain, Argentina) | |
| Where is the cloakroom? | ¿Dónde está el guardarropa? |
Drinks
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A drink (general) | un trago, una copa | una copa, un cubata | un trago | un trago |
| A shot | un shot, un caballito (tequila) | un chupito | un shot, un aguardientico | un shot |
| Rum and cola | una cuba | un ron cola, un cubata | un ron con Coca-Cola | un ron con Coca |
| The national night drink | tequila, mezcal | gin tonic | aguardiente, ron | fernet con Coca |
| Beer | una chela | una cerveza, una caña | una pola, una cerveza | una birra, una cerveza |
Barra libre, open bar, is the same in all four countries. Cubata in Spain is any spirit with a mixer, from Cuba libre. Un gin tonic in Spain comes in a large balloon glass and is taken seriously.
Aguardiente, anise-flavoured cane spirit, is what Colombians at a table order by the bottle, una botella or una media, and pours as shots for everyone. Guaro is the nickname.
| You want to say | Spanish |
|---|---|
| What would you like? | ¿Qué quieres tomar? / ¿Qué querés tomar? (vos) |
| This round’s on me | Esta ronda la pago yo. / Invito yo. |
| Two of the same | Dos iguales. |
| With ice, no ice | Con hielo. / Sin hielo. |
| Just a water | Solo un agua. |
| I’m not drinking tonight | Hoy no tomo. / Hoy no bebo. (Spain) |
For more on ordering and rounds, the bar post has the whole exchange.
Dancing
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shall we dance? | ¿Bailamos? | Everywhere, and the simplest |
| Do you want to dance? | ¿Quieres bailar? / ¿Querés bailar? (vos) / ¿Quiere bailar? (usted, Colombia) | |
| I can’t dance | No sé bailar. | |
| Teach me | Enséñame. / Enseñame. (vos) | |
| I love this song | Me encanta esta canción. / ¡Esta canción me encanta! | |
| I’m going to rest a bit | Voy a descansar un rato. | |
| No, thanks | No, gracias. | Enough everywhere |
Colombians dance in pairs. Salsa, merengue, vallenato and reggaeton fill the night, and in Cali salsa is the reason to go out. Asking a stranger to dance is normal, and no, gracias is an accepted answer.
Spaniards and Argentines dance more in groups, facing the DJ. In Argentina cumbia and reggaeton are the club staples; tango is danced at a milonga, which has its own etiquette.
Mexicans mix both: reggaeton and pop in the clubs, and cumbia or banda when a group is in the mood.
Getting home safely
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I’m going home | Me voy a casa. / Ya me voy. | |
| How are you getting home? | ¿Cómo vuelves? / ¿Cómo volvés? (vos) / ¿Cómo te vas? | |
| Shall we share a taxi? | ¿Compartimos un taxi? | |
| Text me when you get home | Avísame cuando llegues. / Avisame cuando llegues. (vos) | Said at the end of most nights out |
| I’ve arrived | Ya llegué. / Ya he llegado. (Spain) | The message you send |
| Is it safe to walk? | ¿Es seguro caminar? / ¿Es seguro ir andando? (Spain) | |
| Can you call me a taxi? | ¿Me puede pedir un taxi? | |
| Where is the taxi rank? | ¿Dónde hay un sitio de taxis? (Mexico) / ¿Dónde hay una parada de taxis? | |
| Don’t leave your drink | No dejes tu bebida sola. | |
| Someone put something in my drink | Me echaron algo en la bebida. | |
| I need help | Necesito ayuda. |
Mexico. Take a taxi from a rank, un taxi de sitio, or book one by app, rather than hailing on the street at night.
Spain. Night buses run in the big cities; in Madrid they are called los búhos, the owls. Walking home through the centre at four in the morning is common, and the streets are often busy.
Colombia. No dar papaya, “don’t give papaya”, means don’t make yourself an easy target: phone away, eyes on your drink. Book taxis through an app or ask the venue to call one. Drink spiking is a known risk in Colombian nightlife, so never accept an open drink from a stranger.
Argentina. Taxis and ride apps are the usual way home. In Buenos Aires many bus lines, los colectivos, run through the night.
Emergency numbers are 911 in Mexico, 112 in Spain, 123 in Colombia and 911 in Buenos Aires. The emergencies post has the call itself.
Drunk, and the morning after
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tipsy | alegre, happy | contentillo, piripi | prendido | alegre, medio en pedo |
| Drunk | pedo, borracho | pedo, borracho, ciego | borracho, jincho | en pedo, borracho |
| Hangover | la cruda | la resaca | el guayabo | la resaca |
| I’m hungover | Estoy crudo / cruda. | Tengo resaca. | Tengo guayabo. / Estoy enguayabado. | Tengo resaca. |
Pedo is slang with several meanings in Mexico: estar pedo is to be drunk, and ¿qué pedo? is what’s up. It is informal and a little rude; learn it for listening.
The Mexican cure for a hangover is un caldo, a soup, chilaquiles or una michelada. In Colombia it is un caldo de costilla.
What you will hear
| You will hear | It means |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuántos son? | How many are you? |
| ¿Están en lista? / ¿Estáis en lista? (Spain) | Are you on the list? |
| Hoy no se puede. | Not tonight (you’re not getting in) |
| Es privado. | It’s a private event |
| ¿Qué te sirvo? | What can I get you? |
| Última ronda. / Última. | Last round |
| Se acabó. / Cerramos. | It’s over, we’re closing |
| ¿Seguimos? | Shall we keep going? |
| ¿Vamos al after? | Shall we go to the after-party? |
Ten sentences you can say tomorrow
- ¿Sales esta noche? ¿Cuál es el plan? Are you going out tonight? What’s the plan?
- ¿Vamos al antro? Shall we go to the club? (Mexico)
- Hacemos la previa en casa y después salimos. We’ll have drinks at home and then go out. (Argentina)
- ¿Nos vamos de rumba? Shall we go out partying? (Colombia)
- ¿A qué hora abre el boliche? What time does the club open? (Argentina)
- ¿Cuánto es la entrada? ¿Es con consumición? How much is it to get in? Does it include a drink? (Spain)
- Esta ronda la pago yo. This round’s on me.
- ¿Bailamos? Shall we dance?
- Avísame cuando llegues. Text me when you get home.
- Tengo guayabo. I’m hungover. (Colombia)
Questions people ask
How do you say “go out partying” in Spanish? Salir de fiesta in Mexico and Spain, rumbear or salir de rumba in Colombia, salir or salir a bailar in Argentina.
What is an “antro”? A club or a bar with music, in Mexico. In Spain and elsewhere un antro is a dive.
What is a “boliche”? A nightclub, in Argentina and Uruguay.
What time do people go out in Spain? Bars from around eleven, clubs from one or two, and home at five or later on a weekend.
What time do clubs open in Buenos Aires? Around one, and they fill after two. People arrive late and leave after six.
How do you say “hangover” in Spanish? Resaca in Spain and Argentina, cruda in Mexico, guayabo in Colombia.
What does “la previa” mean? Drinks at someone’s place before going out. It is the standard start to a night in Argentina and Uruguay, and people in Spain use the word too.
What does “no dar papaya” mean? A Colombian saying: don’t make yourself an easy target. It is the advice you will hear before a night out.
Practise these words
salir, fiesta, noche, bailar, entrada, discoteca, trago, copa, ronda, volver, avisar, borracho, resaca. Vozelu is a free website for practising Spanish, and it has each of these. You see a sentence with one word missing, you type the word, and a native voice reads the sentence back. Practise the words on this page.