Bolivian Spanish word
depa
Meaning: apartment (informal)
Where it is said: The Diccionario de americanismos records depa as popular usage in Mexico, Peru and Chile, and Wiktionary labels it Mexican slang. Neither source mentions Bolivia; the lines on this page come from chats set in Santa Cruz and Sucre.
Other meanings
- the flat
Practise the situation
The Equipetrol ListingRent an Apartment in Santa Cruz, chapter 1
Start chapter 1 freeHow it is used in Bolivia
You will see departamento shortened to depa in chats; departamento is safer for a first message.
Casual short form of departamento; handy when you mention you are looking for one.
Short, informal form of departamento, used all the time among students.
How to use it
Depa is the short form of departamento, an apartment or flat. It belongs to chat Spanish, which clips words all the time: depa (departamento), porfa (por favor), finde (fin de semana).
Among students it is the everyday word. A depa compartido is a shared flat, where many students live during the semester; the people you share it with are your compañeros de depa, and the flat's chat group is el grupo del depa.
It is masculine, like departamento: el depa, un depa, los depas.
Examples
Estoy buscando un depa.
I'm looking for a flat.
Relaxed, for a chat with a colleague.
El sábado me mudo a un depa cerca de la universidad.
On Saturday I move to a flat near the university.
¿Hay alguna regla en el depa?
Are there any rules in the flat?
Y dale, lo anotamos en el grupo del depa cuando entres.
And sure, we'll write it in the flat's group when you move in.
A student who rents out a room in his flat, writing to a future flatmate.
A real exchange
A WhatsApp chat about a room in a shared flat, Sucre
You
Hola, ¿qué tal? Vi tu anuncio del cuarto en la fotocopiadora. ¿Todavía está libre?
Hi, how are you? I saw your room notice at the photocopy shop. Is it still available?
Mateo
¡Hola! Sí, sigue libre. Soy Mateo. En el depa vivimos Sofía y yo.
Hi! Yes, it's still free. I'm Mateo. Sofía and I live in the flat.
What to avoid
- Writing to an owner you do not know for the first time: departamento is the safer word there, depa fits a chat with friends or colleagues.
Good to know
- Register
- Informal: chat Spanish and student talk.
- Origin
- A clipping of departamento (apartment).
- Not to be confused with
- piso: the word used in Spain for a flat. In Bolivia a flat is a departamento, often depa; piso is understood but marks you as a newcomer.
Questions people ask
What does depa mean in Spanish?
Depa means an apartment or flat. It is departamento cut short.
Is depa slang?
It is informal. The Diccionario de americanismos marks it as popular usage and Wiktionary labels it slang in Mexico.
Sources
What this page says beyond the chapters of the course comes from these sources.
- ASALE, Diccionario de americanismos: depaaccessed 21 October 2026
- Wiktionary: depaaccessed 21 October 2026
Learn it in a real situation
Rent an Apartment in Santa Cruz