In most countries, using laziness is not a justifiable or acceptable excuse to decline or cancel plans, unless however, you happen to be in Argentina.
Ah, good ol’ fiaca – or laziness in English. That feeling of wanting to do absolutely nothing. In my country – The United States – being busy and wanting to be busy is an addiction. That “zero desire” to get out of bed and carpe diem attitude is usually frowned upon. In Argentina however, tener fiaca, or “to have laziness,” is a completely reasonable excuse to do absolutely nothing. That means you don’t have to lie about why you don’t want to go out! In The States, if a friend invites you out and you don’t want to go out because you feel lazy and would rather stay home, many people might politely decline by saying they are “too busy.” In Argentina, saying, “perdón, tengo fiaca hoy, pero gracias por la invitación,” (sorry, I feel lazy today, but thanks for the invite) is completely acceptable. The only times “tener fiaca” isn’t an acceptable excuse is at work. That and of course missing class at Spanish in Rosario, though chances are you won’t want to miss class anyway because they are just that awesome).
You can also “hacer fiaca” which literally translates to “doing laziness.” This would be anything that doesn’t require great physical or mental effort. Hanging out at friends and watching a movie, going to the park and drinking mate, staying in on a rainy day are all examples of “haciendo fiaca.”
You might hear your Argentinian friend say, “el día está hermoso, el sol está divino; es un día perfecto para hacer fiaca en el parque (the day is beautiful, the sun is shining: it’s a perfect day to chill at the park) and they will do just that.
So, si tienés fiaca, or you want to hacer fiaca, do it. Don’t hesitate to tell your friends or loved ones the real reason you don’t want to go out tonight. Be honest, fiaca can set you free.
Written by Vanessa Galban
ESL teacher