Another word for strong - machín (or something like it)

Question

I was speaking today with the albañil. We were discussing the electrical box for the cieling. I said that I wanted it to be very strong and I used fuerte. He replied with a word that I have heard dozens of times but just focused on today. He said something like machín. I cannot find it in the dictionary so I asked my wife. She knows the word but agreed that it would not be in the dictionary.

So, anyone know how to spell it and know where or how it orginated?

Answer 1

Got this from asihablamos.com:

"Según el contexto se refiere a: Superior en una jerarquía, lo máximo, el mejor, saludo de aprobación, muy hombre."

Thanks. So it comes from macho and purely by accident I spelled it correctly. Thank you. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

And all these words are people related and not having to do with construction or repairs. - Daniela2041, Feb 5, 2015

Doesn't have to be related to construction. He was emphasyzing that this was the ultimate, the best manner to do something. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

It comes from "macho" = straight = strong eh? - chileno, Feb 5, 2015

I think I led this all astray with the strong analogy. It really refers to the best, the ultimate. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

Answer 2

Dices que el albañil dijo "algo parecido" a "machin". Probablemente oíste mal porque no me imagino a un albañil diciendo:

"Entonces le dejamos la caja / el tablero de luz bien machín, ¿no, maestro?"

Un tablero de luz o una caja de luz puede ser seguro (a), fuerte; puede estar en alto, puede quedar bien firme, tener seguro / llave, etc ... Pero ¿ser machín? . Tengo mis reservas.

I can't say what a Spanish-speaking construction worker might say, but I wouldn't bat an eye if an American construction worker said jokingly, "So you want a very manly light box, eh?" - AnnRon, Feb 5, 2015

¡Gracias, Leumas! ¡Por fin otro hispanohablante quien me respalda! - Daniela2041, Feb 5, 2015

:-) - leumas11, Feb 5, 2015

Claro @AnnRon, yo tampoco me sorprendería si fuera de broma. Pero @Gringo ya nos dió más contexto y yo entiendo entonces que es un regionalismo. - leumas11, Feb 5, 2015

Answer 3

Ejemplos que oigo diario e interpretaciones.

"wey, ¡tengo machín(un buen de) hambre!" - Dude, I'm so hungry!

"No manches, mi panza me duele machín(un buen)" - No way, my stomach hurts like hell.

"¡que machín(bueno)! - That's awesome!

"¡wey te quiero machine(mucho)!" Dude, I love you a lot!

Pero es español bien chafa/naco. De hecho, tengo un trato con mi amigo que si lo decimos debemos a el otro 5 pesos.

Gracias Kiwaiano, muy interesante. - annierats, Feb 6, 2015

Thanks. Para usar esta palabra dos veces es para comprar una cheve por tu amigo. Pues usala mucho amigo. - gringojrf, Feb 6, 2015

Answer 4

machín - más chingón

Yes! Thanks! - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

Answer 5

Busqué en otro sito web y encontré esto, si estás seguro de que la palabra es machín

macho machacón "Machín" en glosario de mexicanismos a argentinismos: confiable, derecho, aguantador.

Además del significado, sinónimos y antónimos de la palabra "machín", se buscó inversamente en significados, sinónimos y antónimos de otras palabras y en los glosarios gauchesco, criollo, lunfardo, de jergas y modismos de Argentina.

Buscar de modo "inverso" sirve para "encontrar palabras" a partir de su significado. Puede hacer click sobre cualquier palabra para buscarla.

Este recurso es ampliamente usado como referencia en ámbito escolar, académico, de literatura y lenguaje en general; en castellano (español), apto para toda la familia.

Notice that these synonyms are like those in Ann link are people related and not having to do with conctruction. - Daniela2041, Feb 5, 2015

Where is Txustaboy or Rey Misterio when you need them. I need backup on this, fellas! - Daniela2041, Feb 5, 2015

Not all are people related. It is used as a super superlative above lo máximo, el mejor in the hierachy of sperlatives. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

I actually hear this a lot in various references and understand what it means but today I focused on it and thought, How do you spell that and what is its root? - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

Answer 6

This is interesting.

So a little context. I live in Mexico and the use of this word may be regional.

We are adding a roof and I told him that I wanted the electrical box built into the cadena (a cement beam that is poured on site). He said that normally it is not done that way and explained his way. I told him that I wanted it my way as it would be stronger (más fuerte). He replied something like this: Bueno, podemos hacerlo como quiere y va a ser machín. Meaning stronger than his normal way.

This word is often used as a superlative here in various contexts, but I had never thought about its spelling or origin. So I thought I would look it up in the dictionary, when it wasn't there I decided to ask the forum.

Here are two examples from the asihablamos.com website that use the word in the same manner as the albañil.

"José baila bien machín" "Luís se cayó y se golpeo bien machín"

Definitivamente entonces es un regionalismo, porque aunque entiendo que "machín" viene de "macho" no lo usaría en ese contexto. - leumas11, Feb 5, 2015

Quizás sí, para decir: "No te hagas el machín (machito), que vas a salir perdiendo". Pero en una forma muy coloquial y hasta graciosa. - leumas11, Feb 5, 2015

Y cuando alguien usa un regionalismo, yo suelo preguntar ----> ¿A qué se refiere usted con eso? - leumas11, Feb 5, 2015

Debiste preguntar ----> "Disculpe señor, ¿A qué se refiere con: va a ser machín?" - leumas11, Feb 5, 2015

Answer 7

Here is a thread on wordreference.com forum about "machín."

Excellent! Thank you. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

Answer 8

You hear the word often in Mexico. It is "macizo"

I hear this word as well. But this is in the dictionary. Machín was not. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

Could you have possibly misunderstood the albañil? - Daniela2041, Feb 5, 2015

No he said machín. Referring to the strongest method of doing something. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015

Answer 9

Here is the link to AnnRon's answer.

machín

So you can see that machín does not mean "strong" with regard to construction. The synonyms all had to do with people. - Daniela2041, Feb 5, 2015

From the asihablamos.com site: Según el contexto se refiere a: Superior en una jerarquía, lo máximo, el mejor, saludo de aprobación, muy hombre. The best or lo máximo, el mejor. - gringojrf, Feb 5, 2015