Ecuadorian Spanish→English

Translate Ecuadorian Spanish to English the way locals mean it.

Ecuadorian Spanish uses words like ñaño, chuchaqui, and de ley in ways a textbook reader can mistake for literal meanings or miss entirely.

474 local dialects

What locals actually say

¿Qué fue, ñaño? ¿Todo bien?

Hey bro, what’s up? Everything good?

Qué fue is a casual greeting meaning “what’s up,” while ñaño signals friendly familiarity, like “bro” or “mate,” not necessarily a literal sibling.

Estoy chuchaqui, no me da la vida para salir hoy.

I’m hungover, so I really can’t make it out tonight.

Chuchaqui is Ecuadorian slang for a hangover, and no me da la vida is a soft way to say you do not have the energy or capacity.

De ley nos vemos al rato, ¿sí?

For sure, we’ll meet up later, okay?

De ley means definitely or for sure in casual Ecuadorian speech, not “by law,” and al rato usually means later or in a little while.

¿Me prestas una luca, ve? Te la devuelvo mañana.

Could you lend me a buck? I’ll pay you back tomorrow.

Luca means one dollar in Ecuadorian colloquial speech, while ve is a casual Ecuadorian discourse marker used to add emphasis or familiarity.

Siga recto nomás y vire después del parque.

Just keep going straight and turn after the park.

Nomás softens or simplifies an instruction in Ecuadorian usage, and vire is a common local way to say turn.

¿Me da una yapita de ají, porfa?

Could I get a little extra hot sauce, please?

Yapita comes from yapa, the Ecuadorian term for a small extra portion or bonus serving.

Mi guagua ya se quedó dormida.

My baby has already fallen asleep.

Guagua is an Ecuadorian Andean word for a baby or small child, reflecting Indigenous Andean influence.

Con esta garúa, mejor lleve paraguas.

With this drizzle, you’d better take an umbrella.

Garúa refers to the fine coastal mist or drizzle common in Ecuador and signals local weather vocabulary.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

Ecuadorian Spanish. Tú in the coast, usted strong in the sierra; local colour where casual: chévere, ñaño/ñaña for sibling, chuchaqui for hangover.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.