This post is also available in: Spanish

It’s time to add another word to our Dominican-English dictionary! In the past, we posted regular articles that helped our readers understand some of the most popular “Dominican” words, expanding and refining their local vocabulary with something interesting, but also very useful! For better communication within this wonderland that is the Dominican Republic, let’s get started…

This week we have: “klk”. In the Dominican Republic, we have a tendency to shorten words, this is something you have all certainly noticed. Klk comes from the expression “Que es lo Que hay” and or “qué es lo que es,” a Spanish version of the American “What’s Up” or “Wut up” and it’s often used as “Hello” or even “How are you”. It is read as “qués lo qués”  where the k replaces the “qués”. Given the tendency, stimulated by the means of computer communication, to abbreviate words or expressions, the “klk” quickly became popular among the youth. It is used, more than anywhere else, in the streets of Dominican Republic, outside “serious” places and frequently paired with “manin“ (bonus word!) which means “bro”. In other words, it is more colloquial than anything else.  

Let’s see its definition and practice:

“Klk“

a Spanish version of the American “What’s Up” or “Wut up” and it’s often used as “Hello” or even “How are you”. Frequently paired with “manin” (bonus word!) which means “bro”.

Example 1: 

Juan: klk manin.
Pedro: Aquí, tu sabe, cogiéndolo suave.
Juan: Ya.

                Juan: Wut up bro
                Pedro: Here, you know, chillin.
                Juan: Ok.

So far we’ve learned: Desacatao, Dique or Dizque gaviarse, jumo, guayarse, deguabinao, jartura, yeyo, chepa, dique, empepillar, moriqueta, decricaje, motete, pinta, timbí, clavo, chapusero, manganzón, titua, jociador, pecozón, pariguayo, chivato, quillao, bultero, agallú, arranca’o, apero, amemao, bojote, boche, tiguere, guamaso, chichón, pelelengua, batatas, coro, detaltalao, carajito, arretao, chin and aficiao. If you’ve missed out on any of your classes, you have time to catch up by clicking on these links!