What does ‘chulo’ mean in Spain?
In Spain, chulo has two everyday senses: about a thing, ¡qué chulo! means “how cool!” or “how nice!”, but about a person it usually means cocky, cheeky or full of themselves. Context and tone tell you which one you are hearing.
Hear it in a real scene
In the Lince app, you hear chulo / chula in a scene from Hotel Transilvania, “Qué disfraces tan chulos”:
«Qué disfraces tan chulos.» What cool costumes.
What chulo / chula means
Cool, nice (things) Colloquial
Qué chula tu chaqueta, un piso muy chulo: for clothes, places, plans and objects, chulo is warm praise, close to guay.
Cocky, cheeky (people) Colloquial
Said about a person’s attitude, chulo is a criticism: arrogant, defiant or a show-off. No te pongas chulo conmigo means “Don’t get cocky with me”.
Chulapo, chulapa — the traditional madrileño Neutral
The chulapos and chulapas are the traditional working-class characters of old Madrid, whose costumes come out for the San Isidro festivities in May.
Un chulo — a pimp Vulgar
As a noun for a man, un chulo can also mean a pimp. It is not the sense you will usually hear, but it is one more reason why calling someone un chulo is never a compliment.
Where and when you will hear it
In Spain the rule of thumb is simple: a chulo thing is good, a chulo person is not. Chulería is the attitude, and ir de chulo means acting tough or superior.
In Mexico, chulo is a compliment for people too, meaning “cute” or “good-looking”, so the same sentence can be praise in Mexico City and a criticism in Madrid.
Examples from everyday Spain Spanish
- ¡Qué chulo tu piso nuevo!Your new flat is so nice!
- Me he comprado unas zapatillas muy chulas.I’ve bought some really cool trainers.
- No te pongas chulo conmigo.Don’t get cocky with me.
- Va de chulo, pero en el fondo es muy majo.He acts all tough, but deep down he’s really nice.
- En San Isidro mucha gente se viste de chulapo.For San Isidro, lots of people dress up as traditional chulapos.
How to say it
CHOO-loh: ch as in “church” and the stress on the first syllable. Chula is CHOO-lah.
Frequently asked questions
Is chulo a compliment?
For things, yes: ¡qué chulo! means “how cool!” or “how nice!”. For people it usually means cocky or full of themselves, so it is often a criticism.
Does chulo mean the same in Mexico?
Not quite. In Mexico chulo also means cute or good-looking, for people as well as things.
Can chulo be vulgar?
As a noun, un chulo can also mean a pimp. In everyday talk about things, ¡qué chulo! is completely harmless.