chorro
nounCEFR B2
What does “chorro” mean in English?
1.a strong, narrow stream of liquid or gas shooting out under pressure
2.an informal way of saying 'a lot of' or 'loads of' something
Example sentences
Al abrir el grifo, salió un chorro de agua helada que la hizo dar un grito.
When she turned on the tap, a jet of freezing water came out and made her scream.
Con ese contrato ganó un chorro de dinero en muy poco tiempo.
With that contract he earned a ton of money in a very short time.
How to use it
El chorro (noun, masculine) literally means a 'jet' or 'stream' of liquid: un chorro de agua, salir a chorros. Informally, un chorro de + noun means 'loads of/a ton of' something (un chorro de dinero). Very common in everyday, spoken Spanish across Latin America and Spain.
Common mistake
Un chorro de + noun is an informal quantifier meaning 'loads of' — it is not literal liquid in this figurative use, and should be reserved for casual, spoken registers rather than formal writing.
Topics
Related B2 words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B2 Nociones generales: cantidad y cuanti.