WATCH: John Leguizamo Shares Favorite Spanish Curse Words with Hasan Minhaj
Art by Stephany Torres for Remezcla
Language is the essence of culture, and in Hasan Minhaj’s latest interview with actor John Leguizamo, there is no filter. In the latest episode of Minhaj’s YouTube Channel, Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know, the comedian and the actor exchanged their favorite curse words in their respective languages, Hindi, Urdu, and Spanish.
Minhaj starts off by saying that he speaks Hindi and Urdu, and that in these languages, “there are certain curse words that cannot be articulated in English.” He then prepares to share a few words and encourages Leguizamo to provide “a currency exchange” in Spanish.
“We don’t say motherfucker, we say Benchod— sister f**ker,” says Minhaj. Leguizamo laughs at the translation and provides the Spanish equivalent: Hijoeputa, before launching into a series of popular Spanish curse words in a single breath.
The two go on to share the curse words that they grew up hearing from their fathers, and Minhaj goes on to say that the English language simply does not have the same insults, such as “ullu ka patha,” which translates to “son of an owl.” Leguizamo chimes in saying, “We have pendejo!” The two then provide context as to how the respective insults can be used, before Leguizamo shares his favorite underdog vulgarity: “la verga.”
Commenters on Instagram loved the playful cultural exchange, with comments including @itskimflow’s “John had some suppressed emotions 😂😂😂” and @duranie84 commenting “dead!! When two worlds combine 😂💀😂.”
The banter was just the start of Minhaj’s interview, and the two go on to discuss Leguizamo’s acting career, his trajectory, and details on his latest film: Bob Trevino Likes it.
The full interview with John Leguizamo is available to watch on YouTube.
