Chilean Spanish is a Spanish like no other. Between the staccato speech, the unique grammar, and the distinctive vocabulary and sayings referred to as chilenismos, even a native Spanish speaker can get confused.
One of the most widely used chilenismos, and the first I learned when I lived in Santiago, was “cachai”. ”Cachai” comes from the Chilean verb “cachar” which means “to get” or “to understand”.
Kyle Hepp is an American photographer based out of Santiago, married to a Chilean, and has spent many years of her life deciphering the Spanish of her adopted country. We let her explain “cachai” in her own words.
If you have suggestions for Hablo Y Hablas, words or phrases from your life, feel free to email us at tips@newstaco.com.
[Screenshot And Video By NewsTaco]
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Actually Kyle, there is no chilean verb “cachar”. The expression is an anglicism, which we chileans adapted from the english verb “to catch” and it literally means “Get it?” ?Cachai?
You’re absolutely right about it coming from the English verb “to catch”, but cachar is a colloquial verb, one that’s been recognized by the Real Academia Española :
http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=cachar. I’ve heard it used many times as a verb as well – Yo no cachaba nada de lo que me decia…
You’re absolutely right about it coming from the English verb “to catch”, but cachar is a colloquial verb, one that’s been recognized by the Real Academia Española :
http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=cachar. I’ve heard it used many times as a verb as well – Yo no cachaba nada de lo que me decia…