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Although the original definition of a guiri suggested someone who could not speak Spanish properly or at all, it is also now commonly used to describe people of non-Spanish ethnicity who have lived and worked in Spain for many years and are conversant with Spanish language and culture. Calling such people guiri, in order to demarcate them as non-Hispanic or foreign, can be interpreted as derogatory at best, or racist at worst.
Although the original definition of a guiri suggested someone who could not speak Spanish properly or at all, it is also now commonly used to describe people of non-Spanish ethnicity who have lived and worked in Spain for many years and are conversant with Spanish language and culture. Calling such people guiri, in order to demarcate them as non-Hispanic or foreign, can be interpreted as derogatory at best, or racist at worst.


Guiri is officialy included as a spanish standard form for tourist as a 3rd entry of this noun on the Official Dictionary of the Spanish Academy (on the 22th edition) from the Real Academia Española de la Lengua. Other entrys are: 1st) a Plant 2nd) a historic name for Carlists and even a 4th entry for Police. Considerd by the Real Academia Española de la Lengua as a standard word we ca not say it is slang.
Guiri is officialy included as a spanish standard form for tourist as a 3rd meaning for this noun on the Official Dictionary of the Spanish Academy (on the 22th edition) from the Real Academia Española de la Lengua. Other meanings are: 1st) a Plant 2nd) a historic name for Carlists and even a 4th entry for Police. Considerd by the Real Academia Española de la Lengua as a standard word we can not say it is slang. The official meaning is tourist, adding subjective meanings or intention to that standard and official word is possible, but not usual or common.

Revision as of 11:16, 23 May 2009

A slang term used in Spain to refer to foreign visitors. Originally, 'guiri' referred to fair-skinned Northern Europeans on package holidays (from the mid-twentieth century). The stereotype of a guiri is a sunburned fair-haired English-speaking white person wearing shorts, socks, sandals, sunglasses and with a camera in full view.

Although the original definition of a guiri suggested someone who could not speak Spanish properly or at all, it is also now commonly used to describe people of non-Spanish ethnicity who have lived and worked in Spain for many years and are conversant with Spanish language and culture. Calling such people guiri, in order to demarcate them as non-Hispanic or foreign, can be interpreted as derogatory at best, or racist at worst.

Guiri is officialy included as a spanish standard form for tourist as a 3rd meaning for this noun on the Official Dictionary of the Spanish Academy (on the 22th edition) from the Real Academia Española de la Lengua. Other meanings are: 1st) a Plant 2nd) a historic name for Carlists and even a 4th entry for Police. Considerd by the Real Academia Española de la Lengua as a standard word we can not say it is slang. The official meaning is tourist, adding subjective meanings or intention to that standard and official word is possible, but not usual or common.