Dominican Idioms and Popular Expressions


Jabao

A person of light skin and very curly hair. By extension, blond.

jablador

Liar. From the word “hablador” (talker)

jacho

A handful of fibers or firewood that is used to illuminate.

jalao

Candy made of coconut and honey. The term is also used to describe a person who has thinned too much and looks feeble after an extended illness or a long period of suffering.

jariniar

To rain slightly. To drizzle. “Jarinita”: light rain, sprinkle.

hartar, hartarse.

To exhaust someone. Also: to over eat. “Jartón/a”: a person who over eats.

jefiar

To walk around ordering others without having the authority to do so. To boss around.

jeva/o jevito/a

A young person of the upper-middle or upper class, dressed in expensive clothes and in fashion.

jimiquiar

To shed tears in order to obtain something.

jond' el diablo

(“like the …”) very quickly. Speedy.

jondiar/ jondear

To throw, to toss.

juchar

From the verb “huchear”. To urge others to fight or do something else.

juquiao

Crazy, a person who for some chemical substance cannot be responsible for his/her acts, “traquetiao”. Also, it is used to refer to people who are very annoyed.

jumiadora

Gas or Kerosene lamp that expels a lot of “jumo”. From the word “humo” (smoke).