chamba
CHAHM-bahnounInformal
A Mexican Spanish slang term. Browse all Mexican slang.
What it means
Work; a job. Emphasises the earning of a living rather than a career — you look for chamba, you do not build one.
Examples with translations
Ando buscando chamba desde enero.
I've been looking for work since January.
Tengo mucha chamba esta semana, no puedo salir.
I've got loads of work this week, I can't go out.
Where it comes from
A much-repeated story derives it from Mexican workers in the United States reading 'Chamber of Commerce' on employment-office doors. The story is charming and almost certainly false; the word more plausibly comes from older Spanish dialect usage. We flag it here because the folk etymology is so widely repeated as fact.
Other forms
- Similar terms:
- jale, trabajo