Greek · Romance & Rejection
καύλα
kávla
KAHV-lah · /ˈkav.la/
Horniness / turn-on — and, by extension, a burning enthusiasm for anything.
genuinely rude; friends only, never at work
Literally
"horniness / heat"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Blunt sexual slang for arousal: "με καύλωσε" = it/he/she turned me on. But it's slipped into wider slang as intense enthusiasm — "έχω καύλα με το καινούριο αμάξι," I'm obsessed with the new car, "καυλωτικό" for anything thrilling. Watch-your-audience 3, and in the literal sense a 4 — definitely not office or first-date-with-the-parents talk. Its metaphorical spread is a good example of how sexual slang colonizes everyday hype in Greek.
Heard in the wild
Έχω τρελή καύλα να πάμε ταξίδι το καλοκαίρι.
I'm dying — desperate — to go on a trip this summer.
Where it lands
Greece (mainland); understood in Cyprus
Quick answers
- What does "καύλα" mean?
- In Greek, "καύλα" means "Horniness / turn-on — and, by extension, a burning enthusiasm for anything.". Literally it's "horniness / heat". Blunt sexual slang for arousal: "με καύλωσε" = it/he/she turned me on. But it's slipped into wider slang as intense enthusiasm — "έχω καύλα με το καινούριο αμάξι," I'm obsessed with the new car, "καυλωτικό" for anything thrilling. Watch-your-audience 3, and in the literal sense a 4 — definitely not office or first-date-with-the-parents talk. Its metaphorical spread is a good example of how sexual slang colonizes everyday hype in Greek.
- Is "καύλα" offensive?
- It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
- How do you pronounce "καύλα"?
- Say it "KAHV-lah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈkav.la.
Related in Greek
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