The Meaning of Vato: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the meaning of the vato? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word vato, including its meaning, usage, origin, and more!

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What does the word vato mean?

According to Dictionary, vato or bato is a Spanish slang term that means buddy, guy, or dude. Sometimes vato can be seen as vulgar and offensive in comparison to bato. Both of these terms are only used with males. This Mexican slang term is used frequently in Northwest Mexico and places like Baja California. The word vato and variation of bato were first seen on Urban Dictionary in October 2006. This word has been used in print since at least 1992 in the San Diego Reader, which referred to the term meaning a guy, a friend, or a word that can be used in place of loco or chiflado to call someone crazy in an endearing or complimentary way. You might hear the word vato in phrases like the following: órale vato, que pasó vato, ese vato, young vato, and more. There is also a song called “Vato” by Snoop Dogg featuring B-Real and Pharrel.

There is a difference between vato and bato. While these both started as a shortening of the Spanish chivato, a term which is rooted in street slang of the ’40s that referred to an  informant, or snitch in gang and crime life, the word vato is more associated with gang history and a bad boy. Vato’s femine counterpart vata refers to prostitutes or a female who owes someone money. However, bato is simply a friendly term used among male friends.  While vato is used in some cultures to mean homeboy, in others it is considered an expletive, and an obscene label for a man. It is best to use the instance bato with the b sounding at the beginning instead of the Spanish vato if you are unsure. This masculine noun should come with disclaimers, because it can be taken as an inappropriate comment and you want to be sure you are showing the kind of respect you would wish for from someone else. This word should be used with masculine articles and adjectives. Don’t use this one in front of your grandma!

This term is very casual, so if you are writing an important note or something formal, censure yourself and do not use it. If it is for a course, follow your instructor’s guidelines and make sure to take their detailed advice. Different professors might have bibliographic details that they care about, requirements for tertiary sources for a sole source, requirements for footnotes, restrictions against Wikipedia articles, citing Wikipedia or Wikipedia’s content, or a standards guide or manual of style that if not followed will result in a failing grade. Make sure to use the correct terminology and exact syntax asked for my professionals, and stick to academic websites and encyclopedias for sources. This important reference will be needed for further research.

What are synonyms of the word vato?

There are many different words that one can use in place of the word vato, especially if you are worried about offending someone or if you are talking to someone who does not speak Spanish. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying to grow your vocabulary as well as if you are trying to avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms for the word vato is provided by Power Thesaurus. 

  •  buster
  •  fatou
  •  mexico
  •  tex-mex
  •  buddy
  •  laddie
  •  type
  •  kiddo
  •  vatos
  •  boyfriend
  •  bro
  •  face
  •  fellow
  •  cop
  •  dandy
  •  gallant
  •  sort
  •  sheik
  •  fella
  •  popinjay
  •  mexicana
  •  pakku
  •  baku
  •  toff
  •  gentleman
  •  exquisite
  •  person
  •  man
  •  beau
  •  vatu
  •  fashion plate
  •  pacco
  •  coxcomb
  •  buck
  •  paco
  •  macaroni
  •  muchacha
  •  geezer
  •  bloke
  •  pretty boy
  •  fribble
  •  fop
  •  chap
  •  pal
  •  chappie
  •  blood
  •  homie
  •  husband
  •  swell
  •  guy
  •  young man
  •  human
  •  odp
  •  mexican
  •  brother
  •  tugrik
  •  male
  •  dawg
  •  vaatu
  •  lad
  •  greaser
  •  snappy dresser
  •  fine gentleman
  •  lounge lizard
  •  peacock
  •  hombre
  •  ba’ku
  •  boy
  •  wetback
  •  clotheshorse
  •  dude
  •  valerian
  •  mexicano
  •  man about town

What are other common Spanish words?

If you are learning Spanish, it is important to know common words. Take a look at this list from Jump Speak to get started.

  •  estos – these
  •  nos – (to) us, ourselves
  •  luego – then, later
  •  una – a, an, one
  •  la vez – time (una vez = once)
  •  decir – to say
  •  muy – very
  •  le – (to) him, her, you
  •  porque – because
  •  la parte – part
  •  parece – seems, seem
  •  pueden – can
  •  de – of, from, by
  •  el caso – case
  •  tan – so
  •  uno – one
  •  la casa – house
  •  sí – yes
  •  el hombre – man
  •  tiene – has, have
  •  por – through, for (means), along, by
  •  ha – has, have
  •  esto – this
  •  ya – already, now, soon
  •  además – besides, in addition
  •  la política – policy, politics
  •  ellos – they, them
  •  este – this
  •  desde – from, since
  •  puede – can
  •  las veces – times
  •  el día – day
  •  se – himself, herself, itself, yourself, yourselves, themselves
  •  otras – other, others
  •  tener – to have
  •  en – in, on, into
  •  hacer – to make, to do
  •  era – was, were
  •  entonces – then
  •  del – of the, from the, by the
  •  todo – all
  •  estas – these
  •  el mundo – world
  •  las personas – people
  •  sino – but, except
  •  hasta – until
  •  pero – but
  •  sin – without
  •  y – and
  •  los – the
  •  aunque – although, even though
  •  solo (solamente) – only
  •  unos – some, a few
  •  toda – all
  •  bien – well
  •  el estado – state
  •  usted – you
  •  y – and
  •  general – general
  •  nunca – never
  •  menos – less
  •  España – Spain
  •  sobre – about, above, on top of
  •  los días – days
  •  mí – me
  •  poco – little (not much)
  •  bueno – good
  •  sea – (might) be
  •  también – also
  •  está – is, are
  •  sus – his, her, your, their
  •  así – so, thus, like this,
  •  mismo – same
  •  les – (to) them, you
  •  durante – during, for (time)
  •  primera – first
  •  al – to the, at the
  •  el momento – moment
  •  algo – something
  •  sido – been
  •  que – that, who, which, than
  •  Conjunctions:
  •  yo – I
  •  hoy – today
  •  después – after, later
  •  el trabajo – work
  •  el – the
  •  mejor – better
  •  son – are
  •  otros – other, others
  •  según – according to
  •  el gobierno – government
  •  un – a, an, one
  •  hay – there is, there are
  •  la – the
  •  ser – to be
  •  las – the
  •  nosotros – we, us
  •  tienen – have
  •  cada – each
  •  esta – this
  •  tres – three
  •  si – if
  •  cuando – when

Overall, the word vato means dude or bro. In some cultures this word is offensive.

Sources:

  1. Bato | Dictionary 
  2. Speak Spanish from day one | Jump Speak 
  3. Vato synonyms – 29 Words and Phrases for Vato | Power Thesaurus 
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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

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