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Writer's pictureLauren Williams

Improve your Spanish with Control Z

Watching Control Z to improve your Spanish? Use this information to help you while watching this Netflix series. Learn vocabulary and some cultural info. Then improve your Spanish by following our strategies for learning with TV shows. Enjoy!

turning on Control Z on Netflix to learn Spanish

Control Z is a bingeworthy series and is interesting for learning Spanish due to the amount of Mexican slang. But, there is also a lot of great everyday vocabulary as well.


The premise of the story is that a secret hacker in the high school knows many secrets and threatens to share them with everyone and begins doing so. This leads to a lot of problems. One student uses her observational skills to find out the secret identity of this hacker before he or she shares her secrets and creates more havoc in the school.


Pertinent Vocabulary

One of the most important words for the series happens to be a cognate, “hacker.” Here are some other helpful vocabulary words to learn in order to discuss Season 1 of the popular Netflix series, Control Z.

  • Amenazar - to threaten

  • Manicomio - psychiatric institution

  • Ratero/a - thief

  • Madrear - to beat someone up

  • Bronca - problem

  • Encabronado - pissed off

  • Atropellar - to run over

  • Chido - cool

  • Encubrir - cover Up

  • Chantajear - to blackmail

  • Ligar - to flirt

  • Secuestrar - to hijack/kidnap

Practice writing your own sentences with these words. When you hear one of these words in the show, repeat the sentence aloud and write it down to help you remember it.




“Escoge a uno de tus amigos, y tu secreto estará a salvo.” - Control Z, season 1

Cultural Research (and other helpful info)

Dive deeper into the cultural background of this Netflix series.


  • This show takes place at a fictional high school in Mexico. It was also filmed in Mexico.

  • “Hacerse la jarocha” - when a man undergoes a surgical procedure to change his gender.

  • Jarocha/o is a commonly used term to designate a person from Veracruz, a region in Mexico that is famous for having a high transgender population.

  • Caguama cerveza - ¿Cómo y por qué surgió el nombre de la caguama? (aderezo.mx)

  • Tianguis markets - Tianguis - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre


Credits go to Lisbeth Mendez for finding and translating this vocabulary and other information for our Episode Guides. Muchas gracias!



“Tengo todas las piezas en mi cabeza, solo necesito acomodarlas.” - Control Z, season 1

Additional Learning Methods

Improve your Spanish at beginner, intermediate or advanced level by following the suggestions in our blog post:



Currently, Spanish TV Club is scheduled to take place in February 2023 to discuss Las Chicas del Cable. Book below or see if a club is ready to book now on our booking page. Hope to see you soon!




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