Street
troca
What does troca mean?
A pickup truck. The standard word for one along the border and across Mexican-American Texas — said with affection, especially for a lifted, chromed-out one. Standard Spanish would say 'camioneta,' but nobody actually does on the border.
"He pulled up in his troca, music blasting, tailgate down."
Origin
Direct loan from English 'truck,' bent to fit Spanish phonology and grammar (la troca, las trocas). Pure border Spanglish.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'troca' mean?
It means a pickup truck. It's a classic Spanglish borrowing common in northern Mexico and the US.
Where does 'troca' come from?
It's a Spanglish adaptation of the English word 'truck'.
Is 'troca' proper Spanish?
It's slang, not standard Spanish; the formal word is 'camioneta', but 'troca' is widely used in border and Chicano communities.
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