chelito

chelito

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃeˈlito/ [t͡ʃeˈli.t̪o]
• Rhymes: -ito
• Syllabification: che‧li‧to

Etymology 1

From Classical Nahuatl celic (“green thing”), plus the diminutive -ito.

Noun

chelito m (plural chelitos)

1. (colloquial, El Salvador) sleep (in the corner of the eye)

   Tienes un chelito en el ojo derecho, quítatelo.

   You have some sleep in your right eye, take it off.

   Synonyms: lagaña, legaña, (es, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) chele

2. (colloquial, El Salvador) correction fluid

   Pasame chelito, necesito corregir algo.

   Pass me the correction fluid, I need to correct something.

   Synonym: liquid paper

Etymology 2

From chele (“fair-skinned”), a vesre form of leche (“milk”), plus the diminutive -ito.

Adjective

chelito (feminine chelita, masculine plural chelitos, feminine plural chelitas)

1. (colloquial, El Salvador) fair-skinned, white, white-skinned

Noun

chelito m (plural chelitos, feminine chelita, feminine plural chelitas)

1. (colloquial, El Salvador) fair-skinned man, white man, white-skinned man

   Me sorprende que se casara con una chelita de Chalate.

   I'm surprised to hear he apparently married a white-skinned woman from Chalatenango.