I have something to tell you that I think you may find amusing. An American friend of mine here in Medellín, Colombia asked me an interesting question.

I will call him Larry in this email (not his real name). Larry’s Spanish is awful to say the least. And today Larry told me that he wanted to end his relationship with his “novia paisa” (girlfriend from Medellín). And he asked me what is the correct phrase in order to say “good bye” when ending a relationship.

As Larry suspected, the phrase “hasta luego” did not have the finality that would be appropriate for ending the relationship.

After giving it a little thought I decided to ask Larry a couple of questions to find the best word for his situation.

At the risk of appearing “metido” I asked Larry a couple of personal questions. By the way, “metido” means “nosy” — like a person who is unduly curious about the affairs of others. “Una persona que se meta en todo” — literally, a person who puts himself in everything.

How To Say Nosy In Spanish

“Metido” is the word for “nosy” that you are likely to hear in Colombia. Mexicans use the word “metiche” to say “nosy.”

So I asked Larry why did he want to end his relationship with his “novia.” And he told me that she had taken advantage of his generosity. By the way, this seems to be a common complaint among gringos and other foreigners who come to Medellin in search of “las colombianas lindas.”

How To Say Good Riddance In Spanish

So I told Larry under these circumstances the phrase that he was looking for is “hasta nunca.” “Hasta nunca” literally means “until never.”  But a better translation would be “good riddance” or even “see you in hell!”

Larry thanked me before calling his novia — or ex-novia — to say “see you in hell!” — I mean “hasta nunca.”

How To Say Generous In Spanish

Before I move on to the next topic, the word that is used in all of Latin America to say the English word generous is “generoso.” But in Medellin, a man that is very generous with his “novia” (girlfriend), “amante” (lover), “amiga con derechos” (friend with benefits, but literally friend with rights), etc. is considered “amplio.” “Amplio” literally, means “spacious.”

Larry estaba muy amplio con su novia.
Larry was very generous with his girlfriend.

How To Say Lover In Spanish

“Amante” is the most commonly used word for lover in Latin America. But in New York, I have heard Spanish-speakers from the Caribbean use the word “enamorado” to mean lover.