Chanta
Unreliable, a con artist, all talk and no follow-through.
Related lesson: Argentine Spanish — A Survival Guide.
Hear it in context
No le firmes nada, ese tipo es un chanta.
Don't sign anything with him, that guy is a con artist.
Prometió pagar la semana pasada, pero es un chanta.
He promised to pay last week, but he never follows through.
Ese negocio suena medio chanta.
That deal sounds kind of shady.
What It Actually Means
Chanta describes someone unreliable — all promises, no delivery. It can mean anything from a flaky friend who’s always late, to a genuine con artist trying to scam you, with the exact severity read from context and tone.
Common Uses
- Ser un chanta — to be unreliable/a fraud: “Es un chanta, nunca cumple lo que dice.”
- Sonar chanta — for something to sound shady or dubious: “Esa oferta suena chanta.”
- Hacer una chantada — to pull a shady move: “Me hizo una chantada con el alquiler.”
Where It Comes From
Chanta traces to lunfardo, Buenos Aires’s immigrant-era slang, and has stayed in everyday use for describing people who talk a big game but can’t be trusted to follow through.
Common Pitfall
Chanta is a genuinely useful word for describing bad business dealings or unreliable acquaintances — but calling someone a chanta to their face is a real insult, not a light joke, so use it about someone, not to them.