what does the mexican term essay mean

How to Say “Essay” in Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you looking to expand your Spanish vocabulary and express yourself more fluently? Learning how to say “essay” in Spanish is a vital step in becoming a proficient Spanish speaker and writer. In this guide, we will explore both formal and informal ways to express this term, while also providing you with useful tips, examples, and regional variations. Let’s dive in!

Formal Ways to Say “Essay” in Spanish

When it comes to a formal context, such as educational or professional settings, you can use the following terms:

The most common and widely accepted translation for “essay” in Spanish is “ensayo.” This term applies to both academic essays and literary compositions and is commonly used across Spanish-speaking regions. For example:

El profesor nos pidió que escribiéramos un ensayo sobre la importancia de la educación. (The professor asked us to write an essay about the importance of education.)

Another formal term that can be used interchangeably with “ensayo” is “trabajo.” This translation is more commonly used in academic contexts, particularly when referring to written assignments. For instance:

El estudiante está trabajando en su último trabajo de historia. (The student is working on his/her final essay for history.)

Informal Ways to Say “Essay” in Spanish

When speaking with friends or in more casual contexts, you may prefer to use the following alternatives:

1. Redacción

“Redacción” is a common term used to refer to essays in a more informal setting. It is often used when discussing written compositions without the strict academic connotations. Here’s an example:

Ayer tuve que hacer una redacción sobre mis vacaciones de verano. (Yesterday, I had to write an essay about my summer vacation.)

2. Ensayito

For a diminutive and more affectionate term, you can use “ensayito.” This variation is akin to saying “little essay” in English, adding a touch of informality and endearment to your speech. Here’s an example:

Juanita siempre escribe unos ensayitos muy interesantes. (Juanita always writes very interesting little essays.)

Regional Variations

While the terms mentioned above are widely understood across Spanish-speaking regions, it’s worth noting that variations may exist. Here are a few examples of regional alternatives:

1. Composición (Latin America)

In Latin America, especially in countries like Mexico and Colombia, “composición” is commonly used instead of “ensayo” or “trabajo” when referring to essays. For example:

Hoy tengo que entregar una composición sobre la historia del arte. (Today, I have to submit an essay about art history.)

2. Tarea (Spain)

In Spain, “tarea” is frequently used to refer to written assignments, including essays. Keep in mind that “tarea” has a broader meaning and can also encompass other types of homework or tasks. Here’s an example:

La profesora nos asignó una tarea sobre el cambio climático. (The teacher assigned us an essay on climate change.)

Tips for Writing an Essay in Spanish

Whether you are a Spanish learner or a native speaker looking to improve your writing skills, these tips will help you craft a compelling essay:

1. Use a Variety of Vocabulary

Avoid repetitive language by incorporating different synonyms, idiomatic expressions, and specialized terms relevant to the topic. This will showcase your command of the language and make your essay more engaging to read.

2. Structure Your Essay Properly

An essay should have a clear introduction, body paragraphs with supporting evidence or arguments, and a conclusion. Make sure to organize your thoughts and ideas coherently to ensure a logical flow throughout your essay.

3. Proofread and Edit

Take the time to proofread your essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Consider asking a native Spanish speaker or a trusted language professional to review your work and provide feedback.

4. Read Essays by Native Spanish Writers

Reading essays written by native Spanish speakers can expose you to a range of writing styles, vocabulary, and grammatical structures. This exposure will help you develop a better understanding of what makes a well-written essay in Spanish.

Congratulations! You now have a comprehensive understanding of how to say “essay” in Spanish. Remember to consider the context and formality of the situation to choose the most appropriate term. Use the formal terms “ensayo” or “trabajo” when in professional or academic environments, and opt for “redacción” or “ensayito” in informal conversations with friends. Don’t forget to keep practicing your writing skills and explore different vocabulary to create compelling essays. ¡Buena suerte!

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Oh what a useful explanation, thank you so much. Now I know to say "אתמול הייתי רופא עדשים".

The South Indian phrase - “ninnade kaNugalu tuppuko.” is wrong. “tuppuko” is not a word in kannada. Informally, we’d say…

Good luck Gracie Wren on your first London marathon . Your dedication and hard work will pay off.

You wrong Bruh. "While some Jehovah’s Witnesses may choose to celebrate birthdays..." NOPE! They forbid it. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/birthdays/

I have always pronounced it with the third syllable "e" vul-GA-te. Could this be wrong in the original Latin?

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90+ Mexican Slang Words and Expressions (with Audio and Examples)

Looking to have a huge head start when you travel to Mexico?

You’ve gotta learn the slang.

In this post, I’m going to give you a brief introduction to the country’s unique version of Spanish—and by the time we’re done, you’ll be better prepared to navigate a slang-filled conversation with Mexicans!

The Most Common Mexican Slang Words and Expressions

1. ¡qué padre — cool, 2. me vale madre — i don’t care, 3. poca madre — really cool, 4. fresa — preppy.

• 5. ¡Aguas! — Watch out!

6. En el bote — In jail

7. estar crudo — to be hungover, 8. ¡a huevo — **** yeah, 9. chilango — someone from mexico city, 10. te crees muy muy — you think you’re something special, 11. ese — dude, 12. metiche — busybody, 13. pocho / pocha — a mexican who’s left mexico, 14. naco — tacky, 15. cholo — mexican gangster, 16. güey — dude, 17. carnal  — close friend, 18. ¿neta — really.

• 19. Eso que ni que — I agree

20. Ahorita — Right now

21. ni modo — whatever, 22. no hay tos — no problem, 23. sale — okay, sure, 24. coda / codo — someone who’s cheap, 25. tener feria — to have money/change, 26. buena onda — good vibes, 27. ¿qué onda — what’s up, 28. ¡viva méxico — long live mexico.

• 29. Pendejo — Jerk
• 30. Cabrón — Mean, not very smart, awesome
• 31. Pedo — Drunk, problem
• 32. Pinche — Ugly, cheap

33. Verga — Male genitalia

34. chingar — to f***, 35. ¡no manches / ¡no mames — no way, don’t mess with me, 36. está cañón — difficult, 37. chido — nice, cool, 38. chulo / chula — good-looking person, 39. ¿a poco — really, 40. ¡órale — right on, 41. chela — beer, 42. la tira — the cops, 43. ¿mande — what, 44. suave — cool, 45. gacho — mean, 46. ándale — hurry up, 47. chale — give me a break, 48. chamba / chambear — work, 49. bronca — problem, 50. paro — favor, 51. chido / chida — cool, 52. padre — awesome, 53. chingón — badass, 54. chamba — job, 55. vato — guy, 56. morro — kid, 57. jefa / jefe — mom/dad, 58. vieja / viejo — girlfriend, wife/boyfriend, husband, 59. carnalito — little brother, 60. chiquitín — little one, 61. chavito / chavita — young guy/young girl, 62. camión — bus, 63. chulear — to show off, 64. chingar — to bother, 65. estrenar — to wear or use something for the first time, 66. guacala — yuck, 67. huevón — lazy person, 68. jato — car, 69. mamacita — attractive woman, 70. pisto — money, 71. ¿que pex — what’s up, 72. rola — song, 73. ¿sapbe — what’s up , 74. valedor — friend, 75. vato loco — crazy guy, 76. wacha — look / watch, 77. ¡ya nos cargó el payaso — we’re in trouble, 78. cuate — buddy, 79. jeta — face, 80. madrazo — a strong hit, 81. nalga — buttocks, 82. ñero — dark-skinned person, 83. pacheco — drunk, 84. pirata — fake, 85. relajo — mess, 86. riata — belt, 87. sobres — okay, got it, 88. tapado — conceited, 89. troca — truck, 90. zarape — blanket or shawl, what you need to know about mexican spanish, resources for learning more mexican slang, quick guide to mexican slang, na’atik language and culture institute, why you should learn mexican slang, mexican slang quiz: test yourself, and one more thing….

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Mexican slang could be a language of its own. 

Just a word of warning: some terms on this list may be considered rude and should be used with caution.

This phrase’s literal translation, “How father!”, doesn’t make much sense at all, but it can be understood to mean “cool!” or “awesome!”  

¡Conseguí entradas para Daddy Yankee! (I got tickets for Daddy Yankee!)

¡ Qué padre , güey! (Awesome, dude!)

This phrase is used to say “I don’t care.”  It’s not quite a curse, but it can be considered offensive in more formal situations.

If used with the word que  (that), remember you need to use the subjunctive . 

Me vale madre lo que haga con su vida. (I don’t care what he does with his life).

Literally translated as “little mother,” this phrase is used to describe something really cool.

Once again, this phrase can be considered offensive (and is mostly used among groups of young men).

Esta canción está poca madre . (This song is really cool).

Literally a “strawberry,” a fresa is not something you want to be.

Somewhat similar to the word “preppy” in the United States , a fresa is a young person from a wealthy family who’s self-centered, superficial and materialistic.

Ella es una fresa. (She’s preppy/rich/stuck up).

5. ¡Aguas! —  Watch out!

This phrase is used throughout Mexico to mean “be careful!” or “look out!”

Literally meaning “waters,” it’s possible that this usage evolved from housewives throwing buckets of water to clean the sidewalks in front of their homes.

¡Aguas!  El piso está mojado. (Be careful! The floor’s wet).

The word  bote  means “can” (as in a can of soda).

However, when a Mexican says someone is  “en el bote,”  they mean someone is  “in the slammer,” “in jail.”

Adrián no puede venir, ¡está en el bote ! (Adrian can’t come, he’s in jail!)

Estar crudo  means “to be raw,” as in food that hasn’t been cooked.

However, if someone in Mexico tells you they’re crudo, it means they’re hungover because they’ve drunk too much alcohol. 

Estoy muy crudo hoy. (I’m really hungover today).

Huevos (eggs) are often used to denote a specific part of the male anatomy —you can probably guess which—and they’re also used in a wide variety of slang phrases.

¡A huevo! is a  vulgar way to show excitement or approval. Think “eff yeah!” without the self-censorship.

¡Ganamos el partido! (We won the game!)

¡A huevo! Me alegra. (**** yeah! I’m glad)

This slang term means something, usually a person, who comes from Mexico City.

Calling someone a chilango is saying that they’re representative of the culture of the city.

¿Eres chilango ? (Are you from Mexico City?)

This literally means “you think you’re very very” but the slang meaning is more of “you think you’re something special,”  or “you think you’re all that.”

Often, this is used to power down someone who’s boastful or thinks they’re better than anyone else.

Te crees muy muy desde que conseguiste ese trabajo. (You think you’re all that since you got that job).

Supposedly, in the 1960s members of a Mexican gang called the Sureños  (“Southerners”) used to call each other “ese” (after the first letter of the gang’s name). 

However, in the ’80s, the word ese  started to be used to refer to men in general, meaning something like “dude” or “dawg”.

It’s also possible  ese  originated from expressions like  ese vato (“that guy”), and from that, the word  ese started to be used to refer to a man.

“¿Qué pedo, ese ?” “What up, dawg?”

Metiche is a slang word for someone who loves to get the scoop on everyone’s everything. 

Some people would refer to this sort of person as a busybody!

¿De qué hablaste con tu amiga? (What did you talk about with your friend?)

Nada, ¡no seas tan metiche ! (Nothing, don’t be such a busybody!)

This Mexican slang term refers to a Mexican who’s left Mexico or someone who’s perhaps forgotten their Mexican roots or heritage.

It can be used as just an observatory expression, but also as a derogatory slang word used to point out that someone’s at fault for not remembering their heritage.

Mis primos pochos vienen a visitar este fin de semana. (My  pocho cousins are coming to visit this weekend).

Naco is a word used to describe  someone or something poorly educated and bad-mannered.

The closest American equivalent would be “tacky” or “ghetto.”

The word has its origins in insulting indigenous and poor people, so be careful with this word!

Me parece un poco naco . (It seems a bit tacky).

Although the word  cholo  can have several meanings, it often refers to Mexican gangsters, especially Mexican American teens and youngsters who are in a street gang.

Vi unos cholos en la esquina. (I saw some gang members on the corner).

This one is pronounced like the English word “way” and it’s one of the most quintessential Mexican slang words.

Originally used to mean “a stupid person,” the word eventually morphed into a term of endearment similar to the English “dude.”

¡Apúrate, güey ! (Hurry up, dude!)

Carnal  comes from Spanish  carne  (meat).

It’s perhaps for this reason that carnal  is used to describe a close friend who’s like a sibling to you, carne de tu carne  or flesh of your flesh. 

Allí está mi carnala Laura . (There’s my close friend Laura).

“Truth?” or “really?” is what someone’s saying when they use this little word.

This popular conversational interjection is used to fill a lull in the chatter or to give someone the opportunity to come clean on an exaggeration.

Oftentimes, though, it’s just said to express agreement with the last comment in a conversation  or to clarify something. 

¿ Neta ? Pero ¿qué pasó? (Really? But what happened?)

19. Eso que ni que —  I agree

Don’t try to translate this literally—just know that this convenient phrase means that you’re in agreement with whatever’s being discussed. 

Es muy bueno para bailar. (He’s really good at dancing).

Sí, baila mejor que todos, eso que ni que . (Yes, he dances better than everyone, no doubt about it).

This translates as “little now” but the small word means right now, or at this very moment.

¡Tenemos que irnos ahorita ! (We have to leave right now!)

Ni modo , which can be literally translated as “not way” or “either way,” is possibly one of the most popular Mexican expressions. 

It’s generally used to say “eh, whatever” or “it is what it is.”

Ni modo  can also be used with  que  (that) and a present subjunctive to say you can’t do something at the moment or there’s no way you’d do it.

It’s like saying “there’s no way” or “are you nuts?” in English.

Ni modo , hay mejores chicas/chicos en el mundo. (Oh well, there are better girls/guys in the world)

Ni modo que conteste, güey. (There’s no way I’m answering, man).

No hay tos  literally means “there’s no cough,” but it’s used to say “no problem” or “don’t worry about it.”

Lo siento, me olvidé mi billetera. ¿Tienes plata? (Sorry, I forgot my wallet. Do you have cash?)

No, pero no hay tos , comamos en la casa. (No, but no problem, let’s eat at home).

Sale  means “okay,” “sure,” “yeah” or “let’s do it,”  so it’s normally used in situations when someone suggests doing something and you agree.

It can also be used as a question tag when you want someone’s opinion or to see if they’re on the same page as you.

¿Vamos al concierto? (Shall we go to the concert?)

Sale , pero tendrás que prestarme lana. (Sure, but you’ll have to lend me some money.)

Codo literally means “elbow” in English but Mexican slang has turned it into a term used to describe someone who’s cheap.

It can be applied to either gender, so pay attention to the -a or -o ending of this descriptive noun.

¡Ese codo ni pagó la cena! (That cheapskate didn’t even pay for dinner!)

Feria means “fair” so the literal translation of this expression is “to have or be fair.”

However, feria also refers to coins when it’s used in Mexico. So, the phrase basically means “to have money” or “to have pocket change.”

¿Tienes feria ? (Do you have money?).

Buena onda literally translates to “good wave” but it’s used to indicate that there are good vibes or a good energy present.

Tienes buena onda . (You give off good vibes). 

This slangy Mexican expression translates to “what wave?” but is a cool way to ask “what’s up?”

It’s another feel-good, casual conversational expression that really adds a lot of good feelings to any chat.

¿ Qué onda ? ¿Cómo has estado? (What’s up? How have you been?)

¡Viva México! literally means “long live Mexico!”

It’s the unifying phrase that says the country should grow, prosper and see happy times for its citizens and visitors.

It’s often shortened to “¡viva!” which means the same as the full phrase .

¡Ganamos el mundial! ¡ Viva México ! (We won the world cup! Long live Mexico!)

29. P endejo — Jerk

Pendejo is one of those magical words that appear in almost every Spanish variety but have a different meaning depending on where you are.

In Mexico, it has a rather rude meaning: “unpleasant or stupid person,” “jerk.”

No me hables, pendejo . (Don’t talk to me, jerk).

30. C abrón — Mean, not very smart, awesome

While technically cabrón means “big [male] goat,” it has plenty of other meanings.

Used as a rude word its meaning is quite similar to pendejo, but cabrón  is higher in the rudeness scale: meaning unpleasant, mean or not very bright.

But change the tone a bit and you might, instead, be saying someone is  awesome!

The word can even be used in place of the f-bomb, very often following bien— very, to mean you’re really awesome at doing something.

Soy bien cabrón jugando a Minecraft. (I’m friggin’ awesome at playing Minecraft).

31. P edo — Drunk, problem

A  pedo  is a fart, literally. 

This word has lots of different meanings, depending on how you say it and the situation:

• Estar pedo — to be drunk
• Peda — drinking session
• Ser buen pedo — to give off good vibes
• Ser mal pedo — to be unfriendly or hostile
• ¿Qué pedo? — what’s up?
• Pedo  — problem or argument
• Ponerse al pedo — to want a fight, or to have an attitude of defiance
• ¿Qué pedo contigo, cabrón? (What’s your problem, man?)

Here’s Mexican actress Salma Hayek explaining qué pedo  and other Mexican slang:

32. P inche — Ugly, cheap

The word  pinche  may sound quite unproblematic for many Spanish speakers because it literally means “kitchen helper.”

However, when in Mexico, this word goes rogue and acquires a couple of interesting meanings.

It can mean “ugly,” “substandard,” “poor” or “cheap,” but it can also be used as an a ll-purpose enhancer, much like the meaner cousin of “hecking” is used in English.

Eres un pinche loco . (You’re effing crazy).

Originally, the  verga  was the horizontal beam from which a ship’s sails were hung, but this word has come to mean a man’s schlong in Spanish nowadays.

You can also use this word as a standalone exclamation with the meaning of the f-bomb. 

Here are a few more uses of the word:

• Creerse verga — to think you’re all that
• Valer verga — to be worthless
• Irse a la verga — a “lovely” way of telling someone to eff off
• Tus palabras me valen verga . (Your words mean nothing to me).

Chingar  means “to do the deed.” It’s Mexico’s version of the f-word. Simple. 

Chingar is a word that’s prevalent in Mexican culture in its various forms and meanings. 

¡Deja de chingar ! (Stop f***ing around!)

These two phrases are essentially one and the same, hence why they’re grouped together.

Literally meaning “don’t stain!” and “don’t suck,” these are used to say  “no way! You’re kidding me!” or  “don’t mess with me!”

No manches is totally benign, but no mames is considered vulgar and can potentially be offensive.

¡No manches!   ¿Pensé que habían terminado? (No way! I thought they had broken up?)

Here are actors Eva Longoria and Michael Peña explaining  no manches  and other Mexican slang words:

When you say that something is está cañón  (literally, “it’s cannon”), you’re saying “it’s hard/difficult.”

Some believe that the phrase arose as a more polite euphemism for está cabrón.

As a Spaniard, I find this meaning quite funny, because  estar cañón  means “to be very attractive” in Castilian Spanish.

El examen estuvo bien cañón . (The exam was very difficult).

This word is simply a fun way to say “nice” or “cool” in Mexican Spanish.

Despite its status as slang, it’s not vulgar or offensive in the least—so have fun with it!

It can be used as both a standalone exclamation (¡qué chido! — cool!) or as an adjective.

Tienes un carro bien chido. (You have a really cool car). 

When it comes to Mexico, chulo  is used as an adjective to refer to people you find hot, good-looking or pretty.

You can also use it to refer to things with the meaning of “cute,” however if you travel to Spain, don’t use this word to refer to people—since a chulo  is “a pimp.” 

¿Viste ese chulo en la panadería? (Did you see that hot guy in the bakery?)

There’s no way to translate this one literally, it just comes back as nonsense. Mexicans, however, use it to say “really?” when they’re feeling incredulous.

Ale dijo que ganó la lotería! (Alex said that he won the lottery!)

¿ A poco ? ¿Lo crees? (Really? Do you believe him?)

This exclamation basically means “right on!” or in some situations is used as a message of approval like “let’s do it!”

Órale is another Mexican slang word that’s considered inoffensive and is appropriate for almost any social situation. 

It can be said quickly and excitedly or offered up with a long, drawn-out “o” sound.

Creo que te puedo ganar. (I think I can beat you). 

¡Órale! A ver. (Bring it on! Let’s see).

Simple enough, chela is a Mexican slang word for  beer.

In other parts of Latin America, chela is a woman who’s blond (usually with fair skin and blue eyes).

No one is quite sure if there’s a link between the two, and it seems unclear how the word came to mean “beer” in the first place.

¿Quieres tomar unas chelas ? (Do you want to have a few beers?)

A tira  is a “strip,” but when you use it as a Mexican slang word, you mean  the cops.

¡Aguas! ¡Ahí viene la tira ! (Watch out! The fuzz are coming!)

This is used in Mexico in place of ¿qué? or ¿cómo? to respond when someone says your name.

Luis, ¿estás allí? (Luis, are you there?)

¿ Mande ? ¿Me llamaste? (What? Did you call me?)

Technically, suave  translates to “soft,” but  suave  is a way to say “cool.”

¡Ese mural es suave ! (That mural is cool!)

This literally means “slouch,” but it’s used to say something is mean or ugly . 

Enrique es gacho . (Enrique is mean.)

Andar  means “to walk,” so  ándale  is a shortened version of the verb combined with the suffix “- le ,” a sort of grammatical placeholder that adds no meaning to the word.

Use this to tell someone to hurry up . 

¡ Ándale ! Necesitamos estar ahi a las 8. (Hurry up! We need to be there at 8.)

Chale  doesn’t really have a clear literal translation, but it’s most often used to show your annoyance. 

It’s similar to the English “give me a break.”

Su coche tardará dos semanas en arreglarse. (Your car will take two weeks to fix.)

¡Chale!   (Give me a break!)

Chamba and chambear mean “work”  and “to work,” respectively.

No me gusta mi chamba. (I don’t like my job.)

The word bronca means “problem,” and it’s used in expressions like no hay bronca (“no problem”) and tengo broncotas (“I’m in big trouble”).

Mi familia tiene broncas con mi hermano. (My family has problems with my brother.)

Though the official word for “favor” in Spanish is the cognate favor, paro is another way of referring to a favor in Mexico.

Hazme el paro means “do me a favor.”

Puedes hacerme el  paro ? (Can you do me a favor?)

Though “cool” in Spanish is commonly expressed as genial , chido is a colloquial way of describing something as cool or awesome in Mexican slang.

Esa película estuvo bien chida . (That movie was really cool!)

Similar to chido , padre is another slang term used to convey that something is awesome or great.

¡La fiesta estuvo bien padre ! (The party was really awesome!)

Chingón is an informal term used to describe something or someone as extraordinary, impressive, or badass.

¡Ese tatuaje está bien chingón ! (That tattoo is really badass!)

Chamba is a slang term used to refer to work or a job.

Tengo mucha chamba esta semana . (I have a lot of work this week.)

Vato is a slang term for a guy or dude.

Ese vato es muy amable . (That guy is very friendly.)

Morro is an informal term for a young boy.

Mi hermanito es un buen morro . (My little brother is a good kid.)

Jefa and jefo, which both mean “boss” are just informal terms for “mom” and “dad.”

Mi jefa siempre cocina delicioso . (My mom always cooks deliciously.)

Vieja and viejo , which technically mean “old,” are similar to the English saying of “old man,” referring to a boyfriend, or “old lady,” referring to one’s girlfriend or wife.

Salí con mi vieja al cine . (I went to the movies with my girlfriend.)

Carnalito is a diminutive form of carnal , referring to a younger brother.

Mi carnalito siempre quiere jugar . (My little brother always wants to play.)

Chiquitín is an affectionate term for someone small or younger.

¡Hola, chiquitín ! ¿Cómo estás? (Hi, little one! How are you?)

These are affectionate slang terms for a young man or young woman.

Ese chavito es muy talentoso . (That young guy is very talented.)

Camión which literally means “truck,” is a colloquial term for a bus.

Voy a tomar el camión a la escuela . (I’m going to take the bus to school.)

Chulear  literally means “to pimp,” but in Mexico, it’s a verb used to describe showing off or flaunting something.

Deja de chulear tu nuevo auto . (Stop showing off your new car.)

Here’s a great explanation of  chulear  (in Spanish):

Chingar is a versatile verb with various meanings, but it can be used to express annoyance or bother.

No me chingues , estoy ocupado . (Don’t bother me; I’m busy.)

Estrenar is a verb used when someone wears or uses something for the first time.

Voy a estrenar mis zapatos nuevos hoy .

This expression is an informal way to express disgust or dislike, similar to saying “yuck” in English.

¡ Guacala ! Esta comida no tiene buen sabor . (Yuck! This food doesn’t taste good.)

Used to describe someone who is lazy, this term is derived from the word huevo, meaning “egg,” which is associated with laziness.

Mi amigo es muy huevón , siempre está descansando . (My friend is very lazy, he’s always resting.)

While the standard term for “car” is coche , jato is a slang word used in Mexico to refer to a car or automobile.

Vamos en mi jato al cine esta noche . (Let’s go to the movies in my car tonight.)

Used as a term of endearment, mamacita refers to an attractive or beautiful woman.

¡Ay, mamacita , estás muy guapa hoy! (Oh, beautiful, you look very pretty today!)

This slang term is used to refer to money, similar to saying “cash” in English.

Necesito un poco de pisto para el transporte . (I need some cash for transportation.)

An informal and colloquial way of asking “what’s up?” or “what’s going on?”

¿ Qué pex, cómo estás? (What’s up, how are you?)

Used to refer to a song or piece of music, rola is a common slang term in Mexican Spanish.

Esta rola es mi favorita. (This song is my favorite.)

An alternative and informal way of asking “what’s up?”

Sapbe , nos vemos en el centro . (What’s up, see you downtown.)

Literally meaning “brave,” this slang term simply means “good friend.”

Mi valedor siempre está allí para ayudarme . (My friend is always there to help me.)

Describes someone as a crazy or wild guy, often used in a lighthearted or affectionate manner.

Mi amigo es un vato loco , siempre hace cosas divertidas . (My friend is a crazy guy, always doing funny things.)

Wacha , which is taken from the English “watch,” is an informal and colloquial way of saying “look” or “watch.”

Wacha esa película, está buenísima . (Look at that movie, it’s really good.)

This expression is used to convey that a difficult or troublesome situation has arisen. It literally means “the clown has already killed us.”

Se nos olvidaron las entradas, ya nos cargó el payaso . (We forgot the tickets, we’re in trouble.)

An informal term used to refer to a friend or buddy, indicating camaraderie.

Ese cuate siempre me ayuda cuando lo necesito . (That buddy always helps me when I need it.)

Used to refer to someone’s face, especially when expressing a negative emotion. It’s just like the English “mug.”

No me gusta su jeta , siempre está enojado . (I don’t like his face, he’s always angry.)

This slang term is used to describe a strong hit or punch.

Le di un madrazo al balón y entró en la portería . (I gave the ball a strong hit and it went into the goal.)

This slang term, literally “cheek,” is used informally to refer to this part of the body.

Le dieron un golpe en la nalga . (They gave him a hit on the buttocks.)

Although “dark-skinned person” is a direct translation, ñero is a colloquial term used in some regions to describe someone with a dark complexion. Be careful not to offend with this one.

No importa si eres ñero o güero, todos somos iguales . (It doesn’t matter if you’re dark-skinned or fair-skinned, we are all equal.)

Pacheco is often used in Mexico to describe someone who is intoxicated or inebriated.

No puedo hablar con él cuando está pacheco . (I can’t talk to him when he’s drunk.)

Go deeper into  pacheco  here:

Literally meaning “pirate,” this term is often used in Mexican slang to describe counterfeit or knockoff items.

No compres ese reloj, es pirata . (Don’t buy that watch, it’s fake.)

This literally means “relax,” but in Mexican slang, it means a mess, or a chaotic or disorderly situation.

No quiero más relajo en casa . (I don’t want more mess in the house.)

This slang term for a belt is often used in casual or regional contexts.

Me apreté la riata para que no se me cayera el pantalón . (I tightened the belt so my pants wouldn’t fall.)

Literally meaning “envelopes,” this term means “I got it,” a casual way of expressing understanding or acknowledgment.

—¿Vamos al cine mañana? —¡ Sobres ! (Are we going to the movies tomorrow? – Okay, got it!)

While “covered” is the direct translation, tapado is a slang term used in some regions to describe someone who is arrogant or full of themselves.

No me gusta hablar con él, está muy tapado . (I don’t like talking to him, he’s very conceited.)

Instead of the standard camión , troca is commonly used in Mexico to refer to a pickup truck or a large vehicle.

Vamos a cargar la troca con las cosas para la mudanza . (Let’s load the truck with the things for the move.)

Zarape specifically refers to a colorful Mexican blanket or shawl often used for warmth or decoration.

Me envolví en el zarape porque hacía frío . (I wrapped myself in the blanket because it was cold.)

Check out this video to hear some of these Mexican slang words in context:

Here’s some good things to know about Mexican Spanish:

• In Mexican Spanish, the pronoun t ú is used for the second-person familiar form.  Mexicans don’t use v os . 
• The pronoun vosotros isn’t used in Mexican Spanish. Mexicans use ustedes even in informal settings.
• Mexican Spanish features more loanwords from English than other national dialects.  You will hear a lot more English words in Mexican Spanish than other dialects.

This is a compact volume filled with definitions, example sentences, online links and lots of relevant information about Mexican Spanish.

There are more than 500 words and phrases included in this book. 

“Mexislang” is the end result of a blog that was intended to teach readers about Mexican slang. 

It offers insight into the history of slang expressions  and tips for how to use each word or phrase.

The option to stay with Mexican families to immerse in the language is a great way to learn about culture—including slang!

But if you’re not up for traveling, courses are also available in online one-on-one or small group format.

Online classes focus on grammar and conversational skills, so you’re sure to pick up plenty of slang along the way.

Also, they have a fantastic blog that’s both informative and entertaining.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

Like with English, Spanish is spoken differently depending on the country—in fact, you could argue that Spanish differs even more than English!

In order to understand and be understood in Mexican Spanish, it’s pretty essential that you learn some common Mexican slang. 

If you’re not convinced, here are some reasons you might want to learn the lingo:

• To avoid awkward situations.  Don’t count on every Spanish word being transferable from place to place—something that is perfectly polite in Spanish from Spain could be considered rude in Mexican Spanish.
• If you’re learning Spanish in the United States. Considering that the States has such a huge Mexican population, chances are that you’ll encounter lots of Mexican Spanish speakers!
• For travel in Mexico.  For both safety reasons and to ensure smooth travels, it’s a good idea to brush up on your slang.
• To sound more fluent.  Of course, learning slang words is one of the surest ways of making your Spanish sound more natural and fluent!

Slang is perfect for instantly turning “program” Spanish into street Spanish.

More importantly, they offer insight into some cultural nuances that language learners don’t always get to see.

Use slangy terms to power up conversations and go from basic to vivid in a heartbeat!

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU .

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab .

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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In the world of language learning, understanding the meaning of words across different languages is a fascinating endeavor. One such word that often captures the attention of language enthusiasts is “essay.” In this guide, we will explore what the word “essay” means in Spanish, its cultural significance, and provide valuable insights for those interested in writing essays in Spanish.

Unveiling the Translation: The Meaning of “Essay” in Spanish

When we try to find the Spanish translation for the English word “essay,” we come across the term “ensayo.” The word “ensayo” carries the essence of an essay, representing a written composition that presents a coherent argument or explores a specific topic. It is a versatile term used in various contexts, such as academic, literary, and even journalistic writing. If you’re interested in diving deeper into Spanish or other languages, online language tutoring services can be a valuable resource. They provide personalized guidance to help you understand the usage in different contexts.

Exploring Cultural Nuances: The Cultural Impact of “Essay” in Spanish

Language is deeply intertwined with culture, and understanding the cultural implications of a word is crucial for effective communication. In the context of Spanish, the word “ensayo” holds significance beyond its literal meaning. It reflects the rich literary traditions and academic rigor associated with the Spanish language.

In Spanish literature, essays play a vital role in expressing thoughts, analyzing complex ideas, and offering critical perspectives. Renowned Spanish and Latin American writers have contributed significantly to the genre, showcasing the power of essays as a means of cultural expression.

Writing Essays in Spanish: Tips and Techniques

If you are interested in writing essays in Spanish, here are some valuable tips and techniques to enhance your skills.

Understand the Structure

Just like in English, Spanish essays follow a specific structure. Start with an introduction that sets the context and thesis statement, followed by body paragraphs that present arguments or discuss different aspects of the topic. Finally, conclude with a concise summary that reinforces your main points.

Embrace Language Nuances

Spanish is known for its richness and expressive nature. Incorporate idiomatic expressions, figurative language, and varied vocabulary to add depth and flair to your essays. This will not only showcase your language proficiency but also engage your readers.

Research and Refer to Established Writers

To improve your Spanish essay writing skills, immerse yourself in the works of established Spanish and Latin American writers. Reading essays by renowned authors such as Octavio Paz, Jorge Luis Borges, or Gabriel García Márquez can provide valuable insights into the art of essay writing in Spanish.

In conclusion, the Spanish translation of the English word “essay” is “ensayo.” However, it is essential to understand that “ensayo” encompasses a broader cultural and literary significance in the Spanish language. It represents a means of expressing thoughts, analyzing ideas, and contributing to the rich tapestry of Spanish literature.

For those venturing into the realm of writing essays in Spanish, embracing the structural conventions, incorporating language nuances, and seeking inspiration from established writers will pave the way for success. So, embark on your Spanish essay writing journey with confidence and let your words resonate within the vibrant world of Spanish language and culture.

Remember, whether you are exploring literary essays, academic papers, or personal reflections, the beauty of essays lies in their ability to capture the essence of thoughts and ideas, transcending linguistic boundaries.

Are there any synonyms for the word ‘essay’ in the Spanish language?

In Spanish, there are a few synonyms that can be used interchangeably with the word “ensayo,” which is the most common translation for “essay.” Some synonyms for “ensayo” include “redacción” (composition), “prosa” (prose), and “artículo” (article). These synonyms may have slight variations in their usage and connotations, but they generally convey the idea of a written composition or discourse.

What are the common contexts where the word ‘essay’ is used in Spanish?

The word “ensayo” finds its usage in various contexts in the Spanish language. Here are some common contexts where the word “ensayo” is commonly used:

• Academic Writing: In the academic sphere, “ensayo” refers to an essay or a written composition assigned as part of coursework or academic assessments. It involves presenting arguments, analyzing topics, and expressing ideas in a structured manner.
• Literary Essays: Spanish literature has a rich tradition of literary essays. Renowned writers use “ensayo” to explore and analyze various literary works, authors, or literary theories. These essays delve into critical interpretations and provide insights into the literary landscape.
• Journalistic Writing: Journalists often employ “ensayo” to write opinion pieces or in-depth analyses on current events, social issues, or cultural phenomena. These essays offer a subjective perspective, providing readers with thoughtful reflections and commentary.
• Personal Reflections: Individuals may also write personal essays or reflections on topics of interest or experiences. These essays allow individuals to share their thoughts, feelings, and insights, offering a glimpse into their personal perspectives.

Are there any cultural implications associated with the Spanish word for ‘essay’?

Yes, there are cultural implications associated with the Spanish word for “essay,” which is “ensayo.” In Spanish-speaking cultures, essays are highly regarded as a form of intellectual expression and critical thinking. They serve as a platform for writers to convey their ideas, opinions, and reflections on a wide range of subjects.

The cultural implications of “ensayo” extend to the realm of literature, where renowned Spanish and Latin American authors have made significant contributions through their essays. These essays often explore cultural identities, social issues, historical events, and philosophical concepts, reflecting the cultural richness and intellectual depth of Spanish-speaking communities.

Moreover, the tradition of essay writing in Spanish fosters a deep appreciation for language, literature, and the exploration of ideas. It encourages individuals to engage in thoughtful analysis, promotes intellectual discourse, and contributes to the cultural and intellectual heritage of Spanish-speaking societies.

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Home » Articles » Mexican Slang: 30+ Mexican Words and Phrases to Master Casual Conversations in Spanish

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ?

written by Benny Lewis

Language: Spanish

Reading time: 8 minutes

Published: Mar 30, 2020

Updated: Sep 17, 2021

Mexican Slang: 30+ Mexican Words and Phrases to Master Casual Conversations in Spanish

Hola, compa. ¿Qué onda?

Have you learned these Mexican slang words yet? Or are you used to Hola, amigo. ¿Qué tal?

Learning Spanish slang terms helps you sound like a more natural Spanish speaker. But one of the difficult aspects of any language is learning the regional differences, especially when it comes to slang. This is particularly true with Spanish, where there are many different dialects.

I started by learning Castilian Spanish , the Spanish dialect that’s native to Spain. But since then, I’ve picked up regional dialects and vocabulary from my travels around the Spanish-speaking world . And not least of all, I’ve learned some Mexican slang terms along the way.

If you live in North America, you’re probably most familiar with Mexican Spanish and Mexican slang thanks to the proximity to Mexico. And English has influenced Mexican Spanish in return. Out of all the regional dialects, Mexican Spanish has the most English terms.

If you’re a beginner Spanish learner, you’ll want to use these Mexican slang words with care. Some of them are not appropriate to use with strangers or even with your family. While it’s fun to learn slang, if you’re brand new to Spanish, I recommend that you start with essential words and phrases to start speaking Spanish now .

Let’s get right to it.

Mexican Slang to Master for Casual Conversations

Some of these terms and phrases below are NSFW.

Wey – “Dude”

Let’s start with the most common Mexican slang term. Wey means “dude” when talking to friends. It can also be used to call someone a “bro”, or, in general, refer to a guy. Sometimes you’ll see it spelt güey , but it’s pronounced the same and means the same thing.

It’s natural to greet a friend in Mexico with ¿Qué onda, wey?

It can also be used as conversational filler or an exclamation, like Wey, ¿viste eso? which means, “Bro, did you see that?”

Or another example:

Estaba estudiando español, y wey esta frase fue muy difícil … “I was studying Spanish, and like, this phrase was really difficult…”

You may also hear vato in Mexican slang, but it’s not as common as wey . It’s more cholo , or gangster.

¿Qué onda? – “What’s Up?”

Like ¿Qué tal? or ¿Qué pasa? in Spain, this means “What’s up?” in Spanish. ¿Qué onda? literally means “What wave?” like, “What wave you riding, dude?” or “How’s it hangin’?”

More crudely, you can use ¿Qué pedo? , which also means “What’s up?” But pedo means “fart”, so the actual translation is “What fart?”

No Manches – “No Way” or “For Real”

This is an exclamation, typically used when someone’s telling you a story. Wherever you might say things like “No way!”, “For real?” or “Are you serious?” in English, you’d use no manches in Mexican Spanish.

No Mames – “No Way!”

Similarly, no mames is also used as an exclamation, but it’s more intense. It’s closer to “No fucking way!” Be careful with this one since it has a strong connotation.

The literal meaning is “don’t suck”.

Pinche – “Fucking” or “The Worst”

Pinche can be used to describe something as “the worst”, “ugly”, “awful”. Or it can be an intensifying cuss word, like “fucking” in English. Besides wey , this word’s a dead giveaway someone is from Mexico.

Mijo and Mija – “My Son” and “My Daughter”

This one is simple. Many words in Spanish get smushed together for convenience. One example is mijo and mija , which is mi hijo and mi hija (“my son” and “my daughter”) smushed together.

You can do this with many words, but this one is especially common to hear. If you’re learning Spanish slang, keep an eye out for these casual “smushed” words that combine two words together.

La Neta – “The Truth”

La neta means “the truth”, but when used as slang, it has several different meanings. It can be an interjection, meaning “For real?” or “No way!” when used like ¿Es neta?*

If someone does you a favour, you can say eres la neta , which roughly translates as “you’re trustworthy” or “you’re amazing.”

Fresa – “Snobby”

Fresa usually means “strawberry”. But when you call someone fresa , it means they’re snobby or from a rich family.

Pendejo – “Dumbass”

This one has a couple of literal translations, including “asshole” and “pubic hair”. But when calling someone this, joking or otherwise, it means “you’re stupid”, “dumbass”, or “idiot”.

¿Cuándo vas a dejar de actuar estúpido? Nunca, pendejo. “When are you going to stop acting stupid?” “Never, dumbass.”

Carnal – “Buddy”

This word is used between close guy friends, or “bros”, to call each other “buddy” or “pal”. It’s a bit threatening and gangster when using it to a stranger. Saying it to a stranger is a bit like calling someone out and making sure they know you see through them and what they’re up to.

Chamaco / Chamaca – “The Kid”

This is a slang term to refer to a kid, usually one who’s a bit of a punk or pain to deal with. Here’s an example:

Ese chamaca necesita calmarse. Me estoy irritando. “That kid needs to calm down. I’m getting irritated.”

Gacho – “Uncool”

Gacho or gacha is used to describe someone or something totally uncool, or even sloppy. For example:

El cine era muy gacho. No lo recomiendo. “That movie was so lame. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Culero – “Asshole”

Exactly as it sounds. If someone’s being an asshole, this is what you’d call them.

Aguas – “Watch Out!”

This translates as “waters”, but when used as an exclamation, it’s a slang term for “Watch out!” or “Be careful!” You can use this in place of ayuda .

It may seem strange, but it comes from when people used to dump their sewage out the window onto the street. They’d say aguas to let others know they were about to empty el bacín (their “chamber pot” from back in the day).

Chancla – The Mom Beating

This one isn’t necessarily a slang term, but more a cultural reference. Chancla means “flip flop” but it’s become a meme in Mexican culture as the preferred weapon for every madre .

For example: ¡Aguas! Chanclas de mamá! Watch out! Mom’s flip flops!

Jaina – “Chick”

This means “chick” or “chica”. You could say:

¿Qué tal, jaina? “What’s up, chick?”

Compa – “Friend”

This is the Mexican slang for “friend”. It’s short for compañero or compañera . But it doesn’t need gender changes like the whole word. So you wouldn’t use it as compro for a guy. Everyone is compa .

Mexican Slang Phrases

Here are some essential Mexican slang phrases you’ll want to know. You’ll hear these often on Mexican TV shows, for instance.

Me Vale Madres – “I Don’t Care”

This literally means “I don’t care mothers”, but a better translation would be “I don’t give a fuck” or “I don’t care, motherfucker”.

A Huevo – “Hell Yeah”

This one means “of course”, “hell yeah” or “fuck yeah”, so you use this one for enthusiastic agreement. The actual meaning is “to egg”.

In English, how we refer to “testicles” as “balls”, in Spanish, they’re huevos . So, there are lots of other dirty or not nice phrases with huevo . Like Qué huevos , which more or less means “What balls!” to say someone did something that took guts.

Eso que ni qué – “No Doubt About It”

This one literally means “That what or what.” or “That what nor what”. As a slang phrase, it’s used to mean “No doubt about it”.

Ando bien pedo – “I’m Drunk”

This is another phrase that uses pedo , or “fart” and means more or less “I’m very fart”. You say this when you’re smashed from a hard night of partying.

Estoy Crudo – “I’m Hungover”

Crudo means “raw” and the next day after feeling ando bien pedo , your stomach may feel pretty raw. So this one makes sense as “I’m hungover”.

No Pos Wow – “Not Good, Wow”

This one stems from a meme like this one:

In Spanish, guau (which sounds like “wow”) is the onomatopoeia for a dog barking. So it’s a play on that, using improper spelling like an American meme would. ( Pos is meant to be pues ).

It’s used like “Oh, wow” or “Oh, no good”. Sometimes it’s used sincerely, but it’s mainly used in a sarcastic way, like “You don’t say. eye roll ”

Vales Verga – “Worthless”

If you really want to insult someone, use this phrase. Translated word-by-word, it means “worth penis” or even “cheap penis”. When you say it, you’re calling someone “worthless”.

A La Verga – “Aw, Shit”

Another slang using verga , this time it’s an exclamation. When something goes wrong, you can say ¡A la verga! The actual meaning is “to cock”, so it basically means the same as “it went to shit” or “shit hit the fan” in English.

Tu es Chismosa – “You’re a Gossip”

This one stems from chisme , which means “gossip”. But if you want to call someone a gossip, you would say tu es chismosa or tu es chismoso .

Start Using Mexican Slang Words!

This article just grazes the surface of the interesting Spanish slang you’ll stumble upon in Mexico. But it’s a good start to Mexican slang you’ll hear in the movies, telenovelas , and shows. The more you immerse yourself in Spanish and practice these phrases, the more natural your conversations will sound. And, you’ll have an easier time picking up other slang terms, too.

Benny Lewis

Founder, Fluent in 3 Months

Fun-loving Irish guy, full-time globe trotter and international bestselling author. Benny believes the best approach to language learning is to speak from day one .

Speaks: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Esperanto, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language, Dutch, Irish

Have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days

Spanish School in Mexico City

Mexican Slangs: The Guide for Understanding the Most Common Expressions

If you’re planning to travel to Mexico or just want to learn more about Mexican Spanish and culture, it’s important to understand the local slang and how people use it. Mexican slang is a unique blend of words and expressions that are not typically taught in textbooks or traditional Spanish language classes due their nature. Learning Mexican slang can not only help you communicate more effectively with locals, but it can also give you a deeper appreciation for Mexico.

Table of Contents

Mexican slang is heavily influenced by the country’s history where civilizations were mixed, geography, and diverse population. Some of the most common Mexican slang words and phrases are used to express emotion s, describe everyday situations, and even insult others. For example, the word “güey” (pronounced “whey”) is one of the most popular Mexican slang words and is used to refer to friends or acquaintances. However, it can also be used sarcastically to refer to strangers or to insult someone in a playful way. So, be careful when you use it.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common Mexican slang words and phrases that you should know if you’re planning to travel to Mexico or just want to expand your Mexican Spanish vocabulary. From “qué padre” to “chingón,” we’ll cover a range of expressions that will help you communicate more effectively with locals and gain confidence and a deeper understanding of Mexican culture. So, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced Spanish speaker, read on to learn more about Mexican slang and how to use it like a pro.

Understanding Mexican Slang

If you’re planning to visit Mexico or communicate with Mexican Spanish speakers, it’s essential to understand Mexican slang. Mexican slang is a unique and colorful language that’s different from formal Spanish of the textbooks. It’s a reflection of Mexican culture, history, and society and is widely used in everyday conversations among Spanish speakers in Mexico.

Mexican slang is a blend of Spanish and indigenous languages, and it’s constantly evolving. It can be challenging to learn, but it’s worth the effort if you want to sound like a local and connect with the locals. Here are a few tips to help you understand Mexican slang:

Learn the Basics

Start by learning the most common Mexican slang words and phrases. Some of the most popular ones include “wey”, “güey” (dude), “chido” (cool), “chingón” (awesome), “naco” (tacky), and “pedo” (problem). You can find many online resources that list Mexican slang words and their meanings.

Understand the Context

Mexican slang is highly contextual, and the same word can have different meanings depending on the situation. For example, “chingón” can mean awesome or arrogant, depending on the context. It’s crucial to understand the context in which the word is used to avoid misunderstandings.

Be Careful with Offensive Words

Some Mexican slang words can be offensive, so it’s essential to use them with caution. For example, “cabrón” (bastard) can be used playfully among friends, but it can also be a severe insult. It’s best to avoid using offensive words unless you’re sure of their meaning and context.

Embrace the Culture

Mexican slang is a reflection of Mexican culture, history, and society, so is important that you know you´re learning also culture when you´re learning a language, so don’t try to change it. Learning Mexican slang is not just about understanding the words; it’s also about embracing the culture and connecting with the locals. By learning Mexican slang, you show that you’re interested in Mexican culture and that you respect the locals.

In summary, understanding Mexican slang is essential if you want to communicate effectively with Spanish speakers in Mexico. Learn the basics, understand the context, be careful with offensive words, and embrace the culture. With these tips, you’ll be able to navigate the colorful world of Mexican slang like a pro.

Common Mexican Slang Words

If you’re planning to visit Mexico or just want to learn some Mexican slang words, you’re in the right place. Mexican slang is a rich and colorful language that reflects the country’s culture and history. Here are some of the most common Mexican slang words and phrases you should know:

• Ese/Güey : These words are used to refer to a friend or acquaintance. They are similar to the English word “dude” or “bro.” For example, “¿Qué onda, güey?” means “What’s up, dude?”
• Neta : This word means “truth” or “for real.” For example, “¿Es neta?” means “Is it true?”
• No manches : This phrase is used to express disbelief or surprise. It can be translated as “no way” or “you’re kidding.” For example, “No manches, ¿ganaste la lotería?” means “No way, did you win the lottery?”
• Chido : This word means “cool” or “awesome.” For example, “¡Qué chido!” means “How cool!”
• Aguas : This phrase is used to warn someone to be careful or watch out. It can be translated as “heads up” or “be careful.” For example, “¡Aguas, hay un hoyo!” means “Watch out, there’s a hole!”
• Compa/Carnal : These words are used to refer to a close friend or brother. They are similar to the English word “buddy” or “mate.” For example, “¿Qué pasa, compa?” means “What’s up, buddy?”
• Wey : This word is similar to “ese” or “güey” and is used to refer to a friend or acquaintance. It can also be used to express surprise or annoyance. For example, “¿Qué onda, wey?” means “What’s up, dude?”
• Órale : This word is used to express agreement or encouragement. It can be translated as “okay” or “let’s go.” For example, “¡Órale, vamos!” means “Okay, let’s go!”
• Buena onda : This phrase is used to describe someone who is friendly and easy-going. It can be translated as “good vibes” or “cool person.” For example, “Ese tipo es buena onda” means “That guy is a cool person.”
• Chamba : This word means “job” or “work.” For example, “Tengo mucha chamba hoy” means “I have a lot of work today.”
• Pedo : This word is used to describe a problem or difficulty. It can be translated as “trouble” or “mess.” For example, “Estoy en un pedo” means “I’m in a mess.”
• Naco : This word is used to describe someone who is uncultured or unsophisticated. It can be translated as “tacky” or “low-class.” For example, “Esa ropa es muy naca” means “That clothing is very tacky.”
• La neta : This phrase is used to express honesty or sincerity. It can be translated as “the truth” or “for real.” For example, “La neta, no me gusta esa comida” means “The truth is, I don’t like that food.”

Mexican slang words and phrases are an essential part of the language and culture. By using them, you can connect with locals and show your appreciation for their unique language and way of life.

Offensive and Vulgar Mexican Slang

If you’re planning to visit Mexico or learn Spanish in Mexico , it’s important to know that Mexican slang can be quite offensive and vulgar. Here are some of the most commonly used offensive and vulgar Mexican slang words and phrases:

• Chingar: This is a very versatile word that can mean anything from “to fuck” to “to bother” or “to mess with.” It’s often used in a vulgar way, so be careful when using it.
• Pinche: This word is often used to describe something as “fucking” or “damn.” For example, “pinche carro” means “fucking car.”
• Puto: This is a homophobic slur that’s often used to insult someone’s masculinity. It’s important not to use this word, as it’s highly offensive.
• Cabrón: This word means “bastard” or “asshole” and is often used to insult someone.
• Culo: This is a vulgar term for “ass” and is often used in a sexual context.
• Mamón: This word means “sucker” or “suck-up” and is often used to insult someone who’s trying too hard to please others.
• Pendejo: This is a common insult that means “idiot” or “stupid.” It’s often used in a playful way among friends, but can be offensive if used in the wrong context.

It’s important to note that these words and phrases are highly offensive and should be avoided in most situations. If you’re unsure about the appropriateness of a particular word or phrase, it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid using it altogether.

Mexican Slang in Different Regions

Mexican slang is not only diverse but also varies from region to region. Each region has its own unique slang that is influenced by the local dialect, culture, and history. Here are some examples of Mexican slang in different regions:

Mexico City

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and is known for its rich history and vibrant culture. The slang used in Mexico City is often referred to as “Chilango” slang. Chilango is a term used to describe someone from Mexico City. Here are some examples of Chilango slang:

• Chido: cool
• Naco: someone who is not sophisticated
• Chamba: work
• Fresa: someone who is snobbish or pretentious
• Chilango: someone from Mexico City

Latin America

Mexican slang is also widely used in other Latin American countries, due to the influence of Mexican culture. Here are some examples of Mexican slang that are commonly used in Latin America:

• Güey: dude or friend
• Pedo: problem or trouble
• Carnal: brother or close friend

It is important to note that while Mexican slang is widely used in Latin America, each country has its own unique slang that is influenced by the local dialect and culture.

In conclusion, Mexican slang is an important part of the Mexican culture and varies from region to region. Whether you are in Mexico City or another Latin American country, it is important to understand the local slang to communicate effectively with the locals.

Mexican Slang in Context

If you’re planning to visit Mexico or hang out with Mexican friends, it’s important to know some common Mexican slang words and phrases. Using slang can help you connect with locals and show that you’re familiar with the culture. However, it’s important to use slang in the right context, as some words can be considered rude or offensive.

Here are some common Mexican slang words and phrases that you might hear in different contexts:

• Cool: In Mexico, you can use the word “padre” or “chido” to mean “cool”. For example, if someone shows you a new car, you could say “¡Qué padre!” or “¡Qué chido!” to express your admiration.
• Watch out: If you want to warn someone about a potential danger, you can say “¡Ojo!” which means “watch out”. For example, if you see someone about to step on a banana peel, you could shout “¡Ojo!” to prevent them from slipping.
• Care/careful: To tell someone to be careful, you can say “cuidado”. For example, if you see someone walking on a slippery surface, you could say “¡Cuidado!” to warn them.
• Good vibes: To express positive energy or good vibes, you can use the word “buena onda”. For example, if you’re having a great time at a party, you could say “¡Qué buena onda!” to show your appreciation.
• Drunk/hungover: If you want to say that you’re drunk, you can use the word “pedo”. For example, you could say “Estoy pedo” to indicate that you’ve had too much to drink. If you’re hungover, you could say “Estoy crudo” which means “I’m raw”.
• Be careful: If you want to tell someone to be careful, you can say “ten cuidado”. For example, if you see someone about to cross a busy street, you could say “¡Ten cuidado!” to warn them.
• Fucking: In Mexico, the word “chingar” is a curse word that’s often used to express frustration or anger. It’s important to use this word in the right context, as it can be considered offensive.
• Jail: If you want to say that someone is in jail, you can use the word “cana”. For example, you could say “Está en la cana” to indicate that someone is behind bars.

Remember, slang is often used in casual situations and it’s important to use it appropriately. If you’re not sure how to use a certain word or phrase, it’s better to ask a local or avoid using it altogether.

Mexican Slang in Social Circles

When it comes to socializing with Mexicans, knowing some slang words can make you sound more natural and relaxed. Here are some Mexican slang words that are commonly used in social circles:

• Fresa : This word is used to describe someone who is snobbish or pretentious. If someone is acting like they are better than everyone else, you might say “qué fresa” to describe them.
• Gang : This word is used to refer to a group of friends who hang out together. If you are part of a group of friends, you might say “mi gang” to refer to your crew.
• Partners : This word is used to refer to your friends or acquaintances. If you are talking about a group of people you know, you might say “mis partners” to refer to them.

Mexican slang is often used in a casual setting, so don’t be afraid to use it when you are socializing with Mexicans. It can help you connect with people and make them feel more comfortable around you. However, be careful not to use slang words that are offensive or inappropriate, as this can cause misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

Here are a few more Mexican slang words that you might hear in social circles:

• Chamba : This word is used to refer to a job or work. If someone asks you what you do for a living, you might say “tengo una chamba” to describe your job.
• Chido : This word is used to describe something that is cool or awesome. If you see something that you like, you might say “qué chido” to express your admiration.
• Cuate : This word is used to refer to a close friend or buddy. If you are talking about one of your friends, you might say “mi cuate” to refer to them.

Knowing these Mexican slang words can help you communicate more effectively with Mexicans in social settings. Just remember to use them appropriately and in the right context.

Mexican Slang Phrases

If you’re planning to travel to Mexico or just want to learn some casual Spanish slang phrases, then you’re in the right place. Mexican slang is a unique and colorful language that is widely spoken throughout Mexico. Here are some of the most common Mexican slang phrases that you should know:

• Güey : Pronounced like “whey” in English, this word is at the forefront of Mexican slang. Similar to “dude” in English, “güey” is commonly used for friends or acquaintances, and in some unpleasant situations, refers to strangers in a sarcastic way. For example, “Mira güey, ¿salimos hoy o que?” means “Hey dude, are we going out today or what?”
• Chido : This is a slang word that means “cool” or “awesome”. It is commonly used among young people and is a great way to express excitement or approval. For example, “¡Qué chido está el concierto!” means “This concert is so cool!”
• No manches : This phrase is used to express disbelief or surprise. It is similar to the English phrase “No way!” For example, “¡No manches! ¿De verdad ganaste la lotería?” means “No way! Did you really win the lottery?”
• Qué padre : This phrase means “cool” or “awesome” and is similar to “chido”. It is a more formal way of expressing approval. For example, “¡Qué padre está tu nuevo carro!” means “Your new car is so cool!”
• Órale : This is an expression that can mean many things depending on the context. It can be used to express surprise, agreement, or encouragement. For example, “¡Órale, vamos a la fiesta!” means “Let’s go to the party!”
• Me vale madre : This phrase is used to say “I don’t care”. It is a more vulgar way of expressing indifference. For example, “Me vale madre lo que piensen los demás” means “I don’t care what others think”.
• Chamba : This word means “job” or “work”. It is commonly used by young people when discussing their careers. For example, “Estoy buscando chamba en una empresa grande” means “I’m looking for a job in a big company”.
• Cuate : This word means “friend” or “buddy”. It is commonly used among men to refer to their male friends. For example, “Voy a salir con mis cuates esta noche” means “I’m going out with my buddies tonight”.

Mexican slang phrases are a great way to connect with locals and immerse yourself in the culture. Just remember to use them appropriately and in the right context, also consider taking Spanish classes for knowing more about the context of the words you might listen from the locals or new friends in Mexico.

About The Author

Ricardo Hernández

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60 Mexican Slang Words to Improve Your Conversational Spanish

Ok, but what is mexican slang, improve your spanish language skills, 5 reasons why it is important to learn mexican slang, slang mexican words and phrases with context and examples, ¡no manches, ¿mande (or “ ¿mande usted ” when talking to older people), ¡eso que ni qué, te crees muy muy, no hay bronca, ¡qué padre, sale y vale, estoy crudo, ¿quién la cagó, no hay pedo, ando bien pedo, me vale madres, ¡puta madre, hijo de puta / hijo de perra, ¿qué estás haciendo, güey, ¡a la verga, what was your favorite mexican slang phrase, learn a new language faster, get more from lingvist.

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3 Essential Slang Words You Need to Know Before Your Next Trip to Mexico

M exico has its own language not instructed by Spanish schools and phrase books: Mexican slang. It’s an informal language whose meanings shift in a heartbeat from insults to compliments, a language Mexican people manipulate deftly and instinctively in all sorts of contexts. The following three Mexican slang words and phrases will give you a base for you to attempt to understand and blend in with the locals.

Mexican slang word #1: Cabrón

A cabrón can either be a badass or a real jerk, a male you talk about with disgust or fear.

There’s also the feminine version, cabrona. Same standards apply: There are the the revered, awe-inducing cabronas and the detested ones.

Then there’s “qué cabrón,” a phrase used to describe a thing or situation as opposed to a person. This, too, can be positive or negative, but it’s got a particular edge to it. For example:

1. Narcos entered a popular restaurant and collected the cell phones of all the customers, warning them not to make any phone calls or act out of the ordinary. The narcos ate peacefully, returned the cell phones, paid everyone’s bills, and continued on their way. Qué cabrón.

2. You ran out of water, and the government isn’t sending more water to the Centro Histórico for three days. You just had a party and now have a sink full of beer glasses, skillets full of chipotle sausage residue, and greasy plates. Qué cabrón.

Insider tip for Mexican slang mastery: For added flair, add an “ay” before cabrón when used for people, and mix it up with an “está cabrón” instead of “que cabrón” in the case of situations.

Mexican slang word #2: Madre

In the quintessential Mexican read, The Labyrinth of Solitude , Octavio Paz has a great passage about the significance of la madre (“the mother”) in Mexican slang and culture.

The madre is identified with all things negative, the padre with all things positive. This, argues Paz, is a reflection of two historical and cultural factors in Mexico.

The first is the idea of the long-suffering mother, the passive recipient of pain and burden who is, to use another classic Mexican slang term, chingada (meaning “screwed,” for a polite interpretation).

The second is the historical resentment and resignation towards the woman whom Paz claims is the mother of modern Mexico — La Malinche. La Malinche was a Nahuatl woman who aided Cortéz in the colonization of Mexico, translating for him, offering insider information, and giving him a son.

So la madre is not treated kindly by Mexican slang. Whether you feel squeamish about it or not, be prepared to hear at least one of the following Mexican slang phrases on a daily basis:

1. Qué madres: what the hell? As in, the sudden explosion of firecrackers on any random street corner, the drunken antics of your friend after too much mezcal , the thing floating in your soup.

2. Que poca madre tienes: literally, how little mother you have, this Mexican slang phrases when directed at you means that you’re so rude and act so badly that it’s like you had no mother to raise you.

3. Es poca-madre: The hyphen and the use of the verb “ser” makes all the difference — it translates as “amazing.” So if Mexico kills in soccer with a 5-0 victory, it’s definitely poca-madre.

4. Hasta la madre utterly sick of something. Your boyfriend’s behavior could drive you to feeling hasta la madre, and so could consistent rain every afternoon or the incessant barking of the dog next door. You’re at the end of your rope, the breaking point. To translate the phrase directly, you’re almost “to the point of motherhood.”

5. Padre: Means “cool.” Plain and simple. So if you score great concert tickets for you and your friends, it’s padre.

Mexican slang word #3: Huevos

There’s a whole linguistic universe surrounding huevos here, so let’s just stick to the most commonly used.

1. Qué huevón/huevona: “What a lazy egg.”

2. Qué hueva: It translates literally as “what egginess.” Eggs here have the same association with laziness with an additional component of boredom. For example, you could toss out a “que hueva” at the suggestion of watching soccer on TV.

A version of this article was previously published on August 18, 2009, and was updated on February 14, 2022.

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All the Mexican Slang Terms You Need to Know

Northern England Writer

Mexican Spanish is replete with a ton of slang terminology that often has some strange and confusing literal translations; however, if you’re new to the world of Mexican Spanish, then you need to read these important phrases for travel and to learn the history of Mexican Spanish with essential dirty sayings and slang.

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This is the most ubiquitous word in everyday Mexican conversation. If you’re going to learn just one piece of Mexican Spanish slang for homies, let güey be the one. Most closely translated to ‘mate’, you’ll mainly see it written as wey (which is incidentally how it’s pronounced) rather than güey .

Ex.: ‘¿Qué pedo, wey?’ = ‘Mate, what happened?’

Another crucial piece of slang you should try to pick up is pinche. The translation for this isn’t super fixed, but its most commonly used as a substitute for ‘fucking’, when referring to a person or situation.

Ex.: ‘Mi pinche hermano le robó mi sueter.’ = ‘My fucking brother stole my jumper.’

While pendejo literally means ‘pubic hair’, it is rarely if ever used in such a way. Rather, it is mainly used as a stronger form of ‘idiot’. You’re sure to hear this one shouted from car windows during rush hour. An equally great swearword is culero, which rather more literally means ‘arsehole’.

Ex.: ‘Eres tan pendejo.’ = ‘You’re such an arsehole.’

While verga (pronounced like ‘burger’) is a generic Mexican slang saying term for ‘penis’, it also features in some regularly used phrases, the first of which is vales verga . This more or less translates to ‘you’re useless’ (or more literally, ‘you’re worth dick’). A la verga is also one you’ll want to listen out for; when used as an exclamatory, it’s a catch-call response that can express surprise, excitement and even anger in equal measure.

Ex.: ‘¡A la verga! Gané la loteríá!’ = ‘OMG! I won the lottery!’

No mames (literally means ‘don’t suck it’) is one of the most ubiquitous Mexican swearwords. From expressing surprise and shock to outrage, no mames loosely translates to ‘no fucking way’ or ‘what the fuck’. If you’re in the presence of elders, the tamer no manches expresses the same sentiment. Oh, and mamadas can mean both ‘blowjob’ and ‘bullshit’.

Ex.: ‘¡No mames! Son unas mamadas.’ = ‘What the fuck! That’s bullshit.’

Chingar (fuck) is a tricky one to fully explain in just a few lines, given that it is perhaps Mexico’s most versatile verb. It is used in Mexican phrases like chinga tu madre (go fuck yourself) to chingadera (rubbish, in the sense of an object). It isn’t always negative, though, as chingonazo refers to someone admirable. For a more complete run down of chingar’s many, many uses, we recommend checking out this guide .

Ex.: ‘¡No me chingues! Vete a la chingada.’ = ‘Don’t fuck with me! Go fuck yourself.’

Chela & Cheve

Both chela and cheve are slang terms for beer; you can thank us later for that tip off. Other equally essential beer-related terminology includes caguama (a 1.2 liter bottle of beer), six/seis (literally just a six-pack) and pista is the Mexican equivalent of a generic ‘drink’.

Ex.: ‘Vamos a la tienda para comprar la pista. ¿Quieren una caguama o un six de cheves?’ = ‘We’re going to the shop for drinks. Do you want a bottle of beer or a six-pack?’

It seems appropriate to give a crash course in hangover vocab while we’re on the subject; crudo (lit. ‘raw’) is the Mexican version of resaca, which is ‘hangover’ in English. If you’re still feeling the effects of the alcohol, though, you’re more than likely pedo (lit. ‘fart’) or ‘drunk’.

Ex.: ‘¡Estoy bien pedo! Estaré muy crudo mañana.’ = ‘I’m so drunk! I’m going to be hungover tomorrow.’

Fresa & Naco

Fresa means strawberry, right? Well, yes, fresa is literally a strawberry, but in Mexico, a person can also be fresa. Calling someone a fresa often means they’re a bit stuck-up or snobby, and generally well off, too. The antithesis to fresa is often considered to be naco, or ‘tacky’.

Ex.: ‘Ella es muy fresa, ¿verdad?’ = ‘She’s a bit stuck-up, right?’

Almost untranslatable due to the wildly varying contexts it can be used in, órale can be used as an interjection of encouragement, an expression of shock, surprise or excitement – even agreement with a statement can be communicated through a timely use of the word órale.

Ex.: ‘¿Vamos a la fiesta?’ ‘Sí, órale, vámonos.’ = ‘Are we going to the party?’ ‘Yeah, sure, let’s go.’

This is a weird one. Try and directly translate it and you’ll realize it means ‘a little’. However, a poco used as an exclamatory statement is akin to saying ‘really?!’ or ‘you don’t say!’ in English, in a surprised context. Give ¡a poco! a whirl next time someone gives you some shocking news of juicy gossip.

Ex.: ‘¿Te dieron el trabajo? ¡A poco!’ = ‘You got the job?! No way!’

Chido & Padre

If you’re at all familiar with Peninsula Spanish, or rather Spanish from Spain, you’ll probably know that guay means ‘cool’. Well, if you say guay in Mexico, you might get some funny looks – instead, stick to calling things chido and padre, and you’ll blend right in!

Ex.: ‘¡Ay, que chida estuvo la película!’ = ‘The film was so cool!’

You could be forgiven for thinking that this colloquialism has something to do with eggs, given that it includes the word huevo (egg). However, a huevo (more commonly written a webo ) actually means ‘hell yeah!’ On a similar note, hueva means laziness, as does floja, and a huevón is a lazy person.

Ex.: ‘Tengo mucha hueva, ya no quiero salir.’ = ‘I’m feeling lazy, I don’t fancy going out now.’

¿Qué pedo? & ¿Qué onda?

Literally translating to ‘what fart?’ and ‘what wave?’ respectively, ¿qué pedo? And ¿qué onda? are questions you’ll hear all the time in Mexico. While they both mean ‘what’s up?’, ¿qué pedo? is perhaps slightly more accusative than ¿qué onda?, which is friendlier in tone. Similarly, if someone is buena onda or buen pedo, it means they’re nice.

Ex.: ‘¿Qué pedo, wey?’ = ‘What’s up, mate?’

Cuate, Compa, Cabrón & Carnal

We’ve lumped these four phrases together as their meanings are somewhat similar; the fact they all start with ‘c’ was a happy coincidence! Cuate is slang for ‘friend’, as is compa, carnal and cabrón. They tend to be used to varying degrees depending which part of Mexico you’re in, and cabrón can also be used as an insult at times. Context is everything!

Ex.: ‘Es mi compa, mi carnal – ¡lo quiero!’ = ‘He’s my friend – I love him!’

Madre (lit. ‘mother’), as with chingar, is one of those words you’ll see used in all kinds of phrases. From describing something as con madre (awesome), to saying that something me vale madre (I don’t give a shit), there are endless slang terms that use ‘mother’ as an insult.

Ex.: ‘¡Estuvo a toda madre!’ = ‘It was awesome!’

A commonly used term in Mexican slang, neta translates roughly to ‘truth’ or ‘really?!’ when used as an exclamatory. Say someone gives you some really great gossip; a wide-eyed ¿neta? would make for the ideal response.

Ex.: ‘Oí que estás embarazada. ¿Es neta?’ = ‘I heard you were pregnant. Is it true?’

Used Mexico-wide, gacho is pretty much like saying something is ‘bad’ or ‘not cool’. For example, people can be gacho, as can less than ideal situations.

Ex.: ‘¡No seas gacho!’ = ‘Don’t be bad/ mean!’

If all those terms weren’t enough for you and you’re still in the mood to learn some hyperlocal Chilango (Mexico City) slang, we recommend you give Café Tacuba’s Chilanga Banda a listen!

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Translations dictionary

or esse [ es -ey] or [ ey -sey]

What does ese mean?

Ese , amigo , hombre . Or, in English slang, dude ,  bro , homey . Ese is a Mexican-Spanish slang term of address for a fellow man.

Related words

Where does ese come from.

Ese originates in Mexican Spanish. Ese literally means “that” or “that one,” and likely extended to “fellow man” as shortened from expressions like ese vato , “that guy.”

There are some more elaborate (though less probable) theories behind ese . One goes that a notorious Mexican gang, the  Sureños  (“Southerners”), made their way from Mexico City to Southern California in the 1960s.  Ese is the Spanish name for letter S , which is how the gang members referred to each other. Or so the story goes.

Ese is recorded in English for a “fellow Hispanic man” in the 1960s. It became more a general term of address by the 1980s, though  ese remains closely associated (and even stereotyped) with Chicano culture in the US.

Ese is notably found in the Chicano poetry of José Antonio Burciaga and Cheech & Chong comedy routines (Cheech Marin is Mexican-American.)

White confusion over ese was memorably parodied in a 2007 episode of the TV show South Park . On it, the boys think they can get some Mexican men to write their essays , but them men write letters home to their eses .

Examples of ese

Who uses ese?

For Mexican and Mexican-American Spanish speakers,  ese has the force of “dude,” “brother,” or “man,” i.e., a close and trusted friend or compatriot .

I needa kick it wit my ese's its been a minute — al (@a1anxs) February 1, 2019

It’s often used as friendly and familiar term of address…

Always a good time with my ese. 😎 pic.twitter.com/xxM4YroWDV — | Y | G | (@yg_monroe) January 12, 2019

…but it can also be more aggressively and forcefully.

Cypress Hill 2018: Who you tryin' ta mess with, ese? Don't you know I'm seeking professional help for my deep rooted emotional problemsssssss?!? — JAY. (@GoonLeDouche) June 30, 2018

“You’d have to be crazy to swipe left.” Who you tryna get crazy with, ese? Don’t you know I’m loco? Sorry, always wanted to say that. Anyway, swipe left. Might actually be crazy. — Why I Swiped Left (@LeftyMcSwiper) December 17, 2018

Ese is associated with Mexican and Chicano American culture, where it can refer to and be used by both men and women. The term is also specifically associated with Mexican-American gang culture.

What's up ese? pic.twitter.com/0vAQxZZ6SO — AlesiAkiraKitsune© (@AlesiAkira) January 21, 2019

It is often considered appropriative for people outside those cultures to use ese , especially since some non-Mexican people may use  ese in ways that mock Mexicans and Mexican-American culture.

This is not meant to be a formal definition of ese like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of ese that will help our users expand their word mastery.

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Mexican Slang Words: The Ultimate Guide to Not Embarrass Yourself in Mexico

Quit thinking about not being capable of understanding jokes or expressions in Spanish that would kill it in conversations. Translating from one language to the other is never the right answer.

Some would tell you using slang from a different culture doesn’t feel natural and they may be right when it’s down to swearing. However, you have no idea how limited English is in this matter!

By the way, remember most of these Spanish slang words should be used always in an informal context. Let’s start with, by far, the three most important terms when learning Mexican slang. Let’s go!

The most popular Mexican slang words and phrases

La chingada.

One of the most popular Mexican slang terms. Most Spanish-speaking countries are very familiar with it and in the United States, it has become very popular thanks to the influence of the Latino community.

However, if you’re going to start using it, you’ll have to be careful not to convey the wrong message because depending on the context, it will convey different meanings. 

In Mexican slang, chingada can refer to something in a deplorable place, state, or condition:

• ¡Vete a la chingada!: go to hell!
• ¡Me lleva la chingada!: I’m screwed!
• Esto está de la chingada: This is not good.

Chingar as a verb in Spanish can also refer to several situations such as being irritating, having heavy work, or having many different things to do.

• ¡Deja de chingar!: Stop bothering!
• Estuve chingándole todo el día: I’ve been working the whole day.
• Tengo un chingo de cosas por hacer: I have a lot to do.

On the other hand, we have chingón, which is used to describe something or someone good or cool.

• Carlos es un chingón en física: Carlos is very good at physics.
• La comida está bien chingona: The food is very good.

Even though the translation “fart” works for some scenarios in Spanish, it’s mostly a way to say “drunk”.

• Estoy bien pedo: I’m drunk.

Drink big time? Call it la peda.

• Te vi en la peda de anoche: I saw you at the party last night.

Use it when you need to know  if there is a problem or not:

• ¿Cuál es tu pedo?: what’s your problem?

Lastly, you can use the question ¿Qué pedo? In a friendly way for “What’s up?” Or, with an aggressive tone for “What the hell?” It is mostly used as an adjective for an object or someone. It is pretty much used in the same way the word “fucking” is in English.

• Mi pinche coche se dañó otra vez: My fucking car broke again.
• Ese pinche perro me hace reír: That fucking dog makes me laugh.

These Mexican slang words have become so popular that they’re being adopted by other countries in Latin America into their everyday language. If you want to sound like a local , pinche is the most Mexican you can get.

Everyday Expressions in Mexican Spanish

Mexico City is known for its movie dubbing for the Latin American market. Some of those are done with standard Spanish but some others are not. Therefore, many of the terms in Mexican Spanish slang are understood in other Spanish-speaking countries . However, the following phrases are not used as much as they are used in Mexico.

Use it on the phone only in Mexico to let the other person know you’re listening to them. It’s like giving them a “talk to me”. On the other hand, it is frequently used in regular conversations when you need to know what someone said but you didn’t understand. You’d be asking “What?”.

Another slang term for which the literal translation won’t work. In this case, we have “waters”. ¡Aguas! is a warning like “careful” or “watch out”. You’ll most likely hear this expression when danger is near. 

• ¡Aguas! Ahí viene mi mamá: Careful! Mom’s coming.

The one who’s watching out to warn the rest is echando aguas .

Ever wondered how to say “what’s up” in Mexican slang? Here are some examples:

• ¿Qué tal? 
• ¿Qué pasó? 
• ¿Qué onda? 

Each of the above works perfectly to ask someone about the current situation or state. The first three are for people you don’t know well. The last expression should be used with close friends.

Buenas Ondas

There are two words for wave in Spanish. The ones in the ocean are “olas” and the rest are “ondas” . Teenagers will use “olas” on the Internet to say “hello” instead of “hola” because it is cooler.

Use it to describe someone cool! So, a nice person is buena onda .

We can also label a situation as good or bad. Let’s say you found money on the street, you can say ¡Qué buena onda! in Mexican Spanish. On the contrary, if the situation is not favorable, you can say ¡Qué mala onda!

Think about good vibes or bad vibes when using this word and you’ll master this slang term.

Chido/Padre

Pretty common in Mexican Spanish and it’s used to describe something cool. It could vary depending on gender and number but it means “cool”. Don’t use chido to describe someone, locals prefer to use buena/mala onda for that.

• ¡Que chidos tus juegos!: You have cool games!
• ¡Esas sillas están muy chidas!: Those chairs look really nice!

Even when we learn that “father” is “padre” in Spanish. Mexican slang uses it as a synonym for chido, too. The only difference is that it doesn’t change depending on the gender:

• ¡Qué padre está tu coche!: What a nice car you have!
• Está muy padre tu casa, tengo que venir más: Your house is nice, I gotta come by more.

A Mexican slang word for which The literal translation is “big male goat” but it is nothing like that in Spanish. Depending on the context and the person you’re dealing with, this expression can be rude or friendly. Here are some examples:

• No te quiero ver por aquí cabrón: I don’t want to see you here fucker.
• ¡Ah, cabrón!: Oh, wow!
• Juan es bien cabrón bailando: Juan is fucking good at dancing.

Now,  cabrón is also commonly used to express that a situation is particularly hard with Está cabrón . Then, it could describe something or someone.

You can’t miss this one considering its importance in Spanish. If this list had a specific order, güey would take the first place. People from Latin America know this word very well and, even though they exaggerate when using it, they understand its meaning in Mexico as it looks simple.

Do not confuse it with güero which is blond only in Mexico, too. Güey or wey (as you can also see it written) means “mate”, “dude” or “man”. 

• No sé güey, está cabrón: I don’t know man, it’s hard.
• ¿Qué hay, wey?: What’s up, mate?

Young people have this word as a filler in most cases and it isn’t a curse word unless you’re angry. By the way, it doesn’t change if you talk to a girl!

Another piece of Mexican slang with several interpretations that you’ll love. It means the truth but… Are you talking about how good something is?

• Mi moto es la neta: My bike is the best.

Do you want to be dead serious about a statement?

• L a neta wey, vi un fantasma: I’m dead serious dude, I saw a ghost.

Are you looking for Mexican slang words meaning “really” or “for real”?

• La neta, ¿No le dijiste?: You didn’t tell her? Really?
• ¿Neta wey?: Are you for real?

Widely used among the locals when feeling doubtful about a situation just like “neta” . But, it is equivalent to “shut up” in English when responding to another sentence. 

• ¡Gané la lotería!: I won the lottery!
• ¿A poco?: shut up!

¡No manches! or ¡No mames!

More replies in Spanish for those moments in which you’re surprised. Now, it’d be good to know that, even when these express the same feeling, ¡No manches! is not vulgar but ¡No mames! is. No mames means “don’t suck”.

• ¡No manches cabrón!, ¿otra vez?: No way dude, again?
• Que se dañó mi compu, ¡No mames!: My computer broke, come on!

¡Órale!/¡Híjole!

A pretty fun exclamation in Mexican slang that describes amazing situations or just encourages people to do something.

• ¡Órale! Tú hermana es muy bonita: Wow! Your sister is very pretty.
• Órale, vamos que llegamos tarde: Let’s go, we’re going to be late.

Along with órale for amazement, a Mexican will use híjole, too. However, the second one is used when they don’t want to use a bad word or a religious-related word.

• ¡Híjole! Se cayó mi torta de cumple: Man! My birthday cake fell.
• ¡Híjole! ¡Perdí de nuevo!: Gosh! I lost again!

In Mexico, if there isn’t a bronca then you don’t have to worry. Similar to pedo, it means problem but it isn’t as vulgar or rude. So, don’t mind what others would think. 

• Si llegamos temprano, no hay bronca: If we’re on time, there is no problem.

This particular word has a wide and confusing meaning throughout Latin America because it doesn’t have a fixed time frame (beat that, English!). This Spanish word could mean now, soon, or eventually and mothers don’t like it when children respond to them with this word regarding household chores. In Mexican slang, the word is no different and, even though people can tell you it means “right now”, it isn’t usually true. 

• ¡Deja de jugar y ponte a estudiar!: Stop playing and start studying!
• ¡Ahorita ma!: Soon mom! 

From my personal experience in Latin America, the kid will wait for more menacing instruction.

Luego Luego

Contrary to ahorita, locals do employ this one to talk about the very near future. Luego alone means “later” or “after that” but when you double it, you get immediateness. The expression is also mostly heard in Mexico.

• Luego luego de la farmacia, verás la panadería: right after the pharmacy, you’ll see the bakery.

Luego luego can also be used to confirm information:

• ¿Luego luego no venías conmigo?: Weren’t you coming with me?

It means work or job.

• No vengas que tengo mucha chamba estos días: Don’t come, I have a lot of work these days.
• Tengo que chambear: I have to work.

DID YOU KNOW…? A recent trend sweeping across Spanish-speaking countries , particularly on TikTok and other social media platforms, features a catchy AI-generated song titled “Mi primera Chamba” This viral sensation utilizes the distinctive voice of Eladio Carrión, a renowned artist, adding a unique flair that has captivated millions. The meme’s widespread popularity highlights the growing influence of AI in music and entertainment, and its ability to resonate across diverse audiences.

Mexican Spanish Slang Words for people

Aside from the slang phrases we already have to talk about someone in Spanish, some others are used for a more specific description. The usage of such Mexican slang words will most likely depend on age or intellectual status.

Chavo/Chava

Mexicans in general would use Chavo to talk about kids and teenagers. So, it doesn’t have a bad connotation.

• Ella es la chava que me gusta: She is the girl I like.

Chamaco/Chamaca

Even though it’s also for kids (but not teenagers), it could sound good or bad depending on if they’re either acting well or misbehaving. 

• ¡Oye, chamaco! Ven acá: Hey, kid! Come here.
• ¡Sáquese de aquí, chamaca!: Get out of here, kid!

Morro/Morra

In Mexico, If you want to indicate that a man is your boyfriend , call him mi morro. If it is a girlfriend, call her mi morra. This is no fancy word at all! If you’re over 20 years old, I wouldn’t recommend using it. Instead, call them mi chavo or mi chava. Confusing, huh?

Escuincle/Escuincla

Escuincle is the word in Mexican Spanish commonly used to refer to a spoiled kid when they are being annoying or unbearable to be around.

• ¡Callen a ese escuincle!: silence that brat!

Again, only for Mexico. It’s someone of an advanced age unless you want to undermine a middle-aged person’s capacities. Now, when a Ruco loves dating young girls, they call him rabo verde which translates to green tail.  In this context, rabo refers to girls’ butts and verde (green) as something that is not ripe. Hence, this person is known for pursuing girls that are too young.

In Mexican slang, naco is a pejorative term for those people considered rude. Nacos usually tend to use lots of bad language and slang going around with some sort of “gangster” attitude. Naco can also be employed as an adjective to talk about things or places related to these people. 

• Mira este lugar, ¡Puros sombreros nacos!: Look at this place, the hats are ridiculous!

Even though it means strawberry in English, we’re not talking about fruits here but a slang word for someone who is snobbish or picky. 

• No seas fresa y cómete los vegetales: don’t be picky and eat your vegetables.

Calling someone nosy, someone who meddles in people’s business without being asked, and who runs rumors. These rumors or gossip are called chismes and those telling them are chismosos or metiches.

In Mexican Spanish slang language, your bosses are your parents because they provide for you and thus they make the rules. Out of respect, your mother is your jefa and your father is your jefe.

Vieja/Viejo

It means old lady, yes, but you just cannot refer to an actual old lady in that way. You can call her Viejita or Abuelita instead. That would sound cute and respectful at the same time. On the other hand, it’s a very common slang word to mention your wife or girlfriend around friends and pals but never in front of them!

• Mi vieja me pelea mucho: My woman complains a lot.

The term works the same way for men, who are a bit less sensitive. Your wife can call you her Viejo even among friends and in your presence. And you can call your friends viejos, too. Not only in Mexico but also like in the United States and perhaps other parts of the world, you can refer to your father as mi viejo.

It’s a common Mexican Spanish term of endearment most parents refer to their kids with. It’s the contraction of the words Mi hija/Mi hijo.

On its own, the word means “mother” but we already know that language doesn’t work that way. However, when this slang word is accompanied by phrases, it becomes one of the most common Mexican curse words. 

• ¡Vale madre, wey, vámonos! : Fuck it, man, let’s go!
• Me vale madres el examen: I don’t give a fuck about the test.

Yes, it changes that much depending on the subject who receives the action. The first one is impersonal yet the second one affects you directly.

• Ni madres: no way.
• ¡Qué poca madre! No me ayudaste: What the hell? You didn’t help me.  

It expresses your anger towards a situation or someone’s action.

• ¡Chinga tu madre cabrón!: Fuck off!

It could be a good or a bad thing. 

• El reventón fue un desmadre: The party was crazy.
• El examen fue un desmadre: The test was a mess.

Other Mexican Slang words used to call someone

Used in the north of Mexico to point out a young man.

• Mira a ese vato de la esquina: Look at that guy on the corner.

Cuate  

For close friends; those you call brothers because you’ve gone through many different things together.

• Pedro es mi cuate, no lo olvides: Pedro is my mate, don’t forget that.

Carnal 

Use it to describe a person, a dear friend you consider part of the family.

No voy solo, que mis carnales me acompañan: I’m not going alone, my buddies come with me.

Practice what you learned

You’re now ready to walk around Mexico City as if you own the place. Enjoy using these slang words and phrases with the locals to sound like them and have a good laugh. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes with Spanish slang as long as you are among friends.

If you don’t have anyone to practice with, we invite you to try a free private class or a 7-day free trial of our group classes and see why thousands of students trust SpanishVIP!

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What Does "Ese" Mean?

ese = dude, bro, homie

Ese is also the singular masculine form of the Spanish demonstrative pronoun meaning this , as well as a letter in the Spanish alphabet .

As a term of address , this term was popularized in Spanish-speaking regions of the United States. The word on the street is that it came about as a shorthand way for speakers of Mexican Spanish to say ese vato or ese güey ( that dude ).

While not commonly used in Mexico, you're quite likely to hear it in California, for example. But, ¡aguas! ( be careful! ) In some parts of California ese is used by members of certain gangs to self-identify. Most of the time, though, it just means dude or bro .

Check out these examples of ese .

Love finding out what words mean?! Check out the following articles!

• What Does "Ay, Dios Mío" Mean?

• What Does "¡Arriba, Arriba! ¡Ándale, Ándale!" Mean?

• What Does "¿Qué Hace?" Mean?

• What Does "Dale" Mean?

• What Does "Buen Provecho" Mean?

• What Does "¿Qué Pasa?" Mean?

• What Does "¿Cómo Está Usted?" Mean?

• What Does "¡Olé!" Mean?

• What Does "Mucho Gusto" Mean?

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For Latinos, a Spanish word loaded with meaning

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When Boyle Heights shop owner Arturo Macias hears fellow Latinos use the Spanish word for “wetback,” he doesn’t necessarily take offense.

Macias, who crossed illegally into the U.S. through Tijuana two decades ago, has heard the term “ mojado ” for much of his life and sees it less as an insult than a description of a common immigrant experience.

“As a country of immigrants,” he says in Spanish, “in one way or another, we’re all mojados .”

Macias is very offended, however, when he hears a non-Latino say “wetback.” That distinction befuddles his 20-year-old daughter Karina.

“It definitely is a term to divide people,” she said. “You can’t use it as a term of endearment at all, whether it’s someone outside of your culture or not.”

An Alaska’s congressman’s reference to “wetbacks” during a radio interview last week stirred an uproar and he was forced to apologize. In Latino communities, the episode highlighted how cultural reactions to the word have changed through generations.

Everyone seems to agree that the English version of the term is highly offensive to Latinos when others use it. But when Latinos use mojado — which literally means “wet” but is also used to describe illegal immigrants in the United States — it’s different.

“My grandfather, for all practical purposes, was a mojado . They call each other mojados ,” veteran Latino activist Arnoldo Torres said. “It’s about understanding the complexity. Of seven, eight, nine, generations of Latinos that have lived in the United States.”

Torres was already dealing with the fallout of the word 30 years ago.

In 1983, Ernest Hollings, a South Carolina senator running for the Democratic presidential nomination, used the English term at a dinner during a campaign stop in Des Moines. Hollings apologized and met with a group of Latino leaders, including Torres, then the executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

“We said, ‘Look, this is why it’s offensive.’ We weren’t looking for some astronomical apology,” Torres said. “Our hope was very simple. If we’re able to educate him, maybe he can tell others.”

Each time the word resurfaces, it carries with it a long history and a nuanced reputation.

The English term, originally coined after Mexicans illegally entered the U.S. by swimming or wading across the Rio Grande, evolved to include a broader group of immigrants who entered into the country on foot or in cars. The Spanish translation espaldas mojadas , is typically shortened to just mojado or mojada , depending on the person’s gender.

In 1954, as the U.S. economy sputtered to find its footing after the Korean War, the government launched the now-infamous Operation Wetback, a deportation drive that sent Mexicans back to Mexico in droves and roused complaints of racial profiling and fractured families.

During that decade, the term was still splashed across the pages of the country’s major newspapers.

In 1952, the New York Times ran a story under the headline: “Hero in Korean War Deported as Wetback; Served in Army 3 Years After Entering U.S.” Three years later, the Associated Press wrote a story about “the ‘wetback invasion’ across the Mexican border.” And Angelenos at the time read headlines like “Wetback, 16, Gets School Diploma in Jail” and “Roundup of Wetbacks in L.A. Still On,” in the Los Angeles Times.

Amin David, a Latino rights activist from Orange County, remembers when Latinos could joke with one another about the term — “One of the jokes that we used to say was that if we crossed the Rio Grande we wouldn’t even get our backs wet because there was no water,” he recalled.

“It moved from a humorous-type label to a very derogatory one,” David said, adding that he noticed the shift begin in the 1960s.

Gustavo Arellano, editor of the OC Weekly and author of the syndicated ¡Ask a Mexican! column, said the term started to drop off in the 1980s and ‘90s. As its usage waned, “illegal alien” gained footing.

“When you want to insult Mexicans, calling them a ‘wetback’ is so 1950s,” Arellano said. “It’s so dated.”

The Alaska congressman who sparked the most recent furor is Republican Don Young. He spoke of “50 to 60 wetbacks” who picked tomatoes at his father’s farm in California.

“I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California,” he said in an apology Friday. “I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays, and I meant no disrespect.”

For Raul Ruiz, a professor of Chicano Studies at Cal State Northridge, Young’s apology was a bit off. He conceded that the term used to be more common, but doesn’t think it used to be any less offensive.

Ruiz, 70, admits some Latinos use mojados freely. But he says it has a different meaning coming from an Anglo.

“I’m not trying to excuse it, but the word mojado isn’t totally a pejorative in the way Mexicans use it in referring to themselves,” Ruiz said. “It really isn’t as mean-spirited at all.”

Back at Macias’ clothing shop in Boyle Heights, his family continued to discuss the term.

For Karina Macias, a UC Berkeley student who spent a recent afternoon during her spring break helping her parents run the shop, Young’s words are surprising given the growing political clout of Latinos.

“As the Latino population increases, the Latino impact on society increases,” she said. “If there’s a Latino in office, you can’t put ‘wetback’ in the headlines.”

She turned to her mother, who was leaning on the counter near the cash register, and asked her, in Spanish, what she thought about the word “ mojado .”

The raven-haired woman with a sweet smile put her hand on her chest and raised her eyebrows. “Wow,” she said, shocked to hear her daughter use the term. “I think it’s offensive, it has always been offensive.”

Arturo simply smiled and shrugged.

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Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano: The History Behind the Terms

By: Yara Simón

Updated: September 25, 2023 | Original: September 14, 2020

The terms Latino, Hispanic and Latinx are often used interchangeably to describe a group that makes up about 19 percent of the U.S. population. While it’s now common to use umbrella terms to categorize those with ties to more than 20 Latin American countries, these words haven’t always fostered a sense of community among the people they’re supposed to describe.

Before activists, the media and government officials worked to group these identities into one, they were seen as separate. Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, for example, lived in different parts of the country and had their own distinct political and cultural identities .

Yet, as long as there have been people from Latin American countries living in the United States, there have been words to describe them. Some have fallen out of favor, while others have evolved. And many of them have a history as complicated as trying to unify multiple nationalities under one banner.

'Hispanic' Helps Unify Communities, Agenda

The first time the federal government used the word Hispanic in a census was 1980. The appearance of the term was borne from decades of lobbying. “It took the debates of the 1970s, the protests of the late 1960s to get us to 1980,” explains G. Cristina Mora, a sociology professor at UC Berkeley and author of Making Hispanics: How Activists, Bureaucrats, and Media Constructed a New American .

Before 1980, those of Latin American descent were considered Spanish-speaking, having Spanish origin or white on the census. The latter frustrated Mexican-American activists because they had no data to prove that their communities needed resources for programs, such as job training . The National Council of La Raza, known today as UnidosUS, led in lobbying the Census Bureau to change the way it categorized Latinos and uniting Puerto Ricans and Mexicans to “ hammer out a Hispanic agenda .”

“In the late 1960s and early 1970s as people in the Census Bureau and bureaucrats in the Nixon administration were thinking about what this new group would be called, Hispanic became a term that people thought would probably be well-known because it was linked to hispano ,” Mora says. “But Hispanic was helpful because it seemed more American.”

Hispanic refers to those from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, which excludes Brazilians. Grace Flores-Hughes, who worked as a secretary in what was then known as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, has said she coined the term . However, as Mora explains, it’s possible that Hispanic was in use before then.

While 1980 marked a milestone, this pan-ethnic term didn’t really catch on until about the 1990s. By then, there had been two rounds of censuses and the media, particularly Univision and Telemundo, had helped to unite these communities.

“It wasn’t just activists and it wasn’t just bureaucrats,” Mora says. “It was certain figures like Telemundo, Univision, who had a huge vested interest in connecting their audiences across the country and having those audiences across the country see themselves as one market.”

'Latino' as Alternative to 'Hispanic'

While Hispanic may have utility, the term has been criticized for highlighting Spain, which colonized much of Latin America . Some have offered “Latino” as an alternative. This term refers to those from Latin America, meaning it includes Brazil but not Spain.

The word existed long before the 1960s. But Ramón A. Gutiérrez, a Preston & Sterling Morton Distinguished Service Professor of United States history at the University of Chicago, explains that it was previously a Spanish-language word that came from Latino America , which Colombian writer José María Torres Caicedo helped popularize.

“Latino is short for Latino Americano ,” he says. “And it’s the result of what happens between 1808 and 1821 as the Latin American countries become independent.”

In the second half of the 19th century, the abbreviated words “ hispano ” and “ latino ” were in use in California among Spanish speakers, but eventually, other terms replaced them. By 1920, they had “virtually disappeared,” Gutiérrez writes .

The term Latino gradually re-emerged in English, appearing in books and even in a 1970 White House diary entry by Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson. In another early example, a March 17, 1973 issue of the Black Panther Party ’s newspaper described a program drawn up by an “action group composed of Blacks, Latinos and Whites.” By 2000, Latino was on the census, with the question, “Is this person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino ?”

Though Latino deemphasized the connection to Spain, some still rejected the term as it attempted to group several distinct cultures into one. For example, a popular bumper sticker declaring, “Don’t Call Me Hispanic, I’m Cuban!” circulated in Miami during the early 1990s, according to Mora. In many cases, those who didn’t want to identify as Hispanic or Latino chose nationality.

A  2019 survey  by the Pew Research Center found that 47 percent of respondents most often describe themselves by their family’s country of origin, while 39 percent use the terms Latino or Hispanic and 14 percent most often describe themselves as American.

Some Mexican-Americans Embrace 'Chicano'

For some Mexicans who shunned Latino and Hispanic, this meant turning to the word “Chicano.”

There are a few theories about the origins of Chicano, including that it comes from mexicano ( pronounced meshicano) , a word that some “groups of Nahuas (Indigenous speakers of Nahuatl) began calling their language,” writes David Bowles , an author and professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Another possibility is that Chicano is a result of hypocorism. “It’s basically using baby talk,” Bowles says. “If you think about nicknames, Spanish nicknames, if you’re Ignacio, you’re called ‘Nacho.’ Graciela, you’re called ‘Chela.’ It’s possible that that could be some type of hypocorism behind the change from mexicano to Chicano—a playful kind of thing.”

One of the first mentions of Chicano in print is in Spanish-language newspaper La Crónica in 1911, where it was used as a slur against “less cultured” Mexican Americans and recent immigrants. But by the 1960s, the word had changed. While not every Mexican or Mexican American would use the term, it gained traction, including among Mexican Americans who were fighting for civil rights.

“Because the word was in regular use at that time,” Bowles says, “it was kind of this way of reclaiming the slur and using it for a political Latinx identity.”

'Latinx' Emerges as Gender-Neutral Term

Spanish is a gendered language. If there is a group made up of women, they can be described as “ellas.” If there is a group with men and women, it defaults to the masculine (ellos instead of ellas). The word “Latino” follows this convention, labeling nouns as either masculine or feminine. For those who fall outside the gender binary, this word fails to represent them, which is where the gender neutral “Latinx” comes into play.

Much like the other words used to describe those of Latin American descent, Latinx has faced some pushback—from arguments that it’s difficult to pronounce to the Real Academia Española, the institution tasked with maintaining the consistency of the Spanish language, saying it’s unnecessary. Some even argued non-Latino whites imposed the word on Latinos.

Bowles argues against this notion. “White people did not make up Latinx,” he says. “It was queer Latinx people... They are the ones who used the word. Our little subgroup of the community created that. It was created by English-speaking U.S. Latinx people for use in English conversation.”

Though it’s unclear when or how it began, it’s mostly tied to the early 2000s, with it reportedly appearing on Google Trends in 2004 . There are a few possibilities about how the word came to be. One theory is that Latin American protests inspired the word. From the 1970s to the 1990s, as feminists protested, they would X out words ending in “OS” to “visually… reject the notion that the default is the masculine,” Bowles says. It could have also been a nod to the use of X during the civil rights movement in the United States.

Despite an August 2021 Gallup poll  finding that only 4 percent of Hispanic Americans use Latinx, it’s a term that gained momentum through the 2010s and 2020s, cropping on TV shows and in politics. 

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What’s the difference between Hispanic, Latino and Latinx?

When I was a kid, we used to visit my grandparents in their apartment in downtown Long Beach. On one visit, I noticed my grandmother speaking Spanish to another tenant. My family is Mexican American, deeply rooted in the Southwest. Her neighbor, a woman about my grandmother's age, looked to be African American, and I'd never heard someone like her speak Spanish before. I asked my grandmother about it and she responded: “Antonio, we come in all colors.”

I realized then that there was a more expansive “we” to describe people like me and my grandmother than I had assumed before: some of us call ourselves Hispanic, others Latino or Latinx, and some a combination of both or neither.

Throughout my life, I have thought a lot about what it means to be “us” and whether there is one right term. Scholar Cristina Mora, a UC Berkeley associate professor of sociology and Chicano/Latino Studies, has devoted much of her career to thinking about what it means to be Hispanic, Latino or Latinx — and how the meaning of the terms themselves has shifted over time.

How one identifies is a lifelong journey that lends itself to nuance, and not necessarily a fixed construct. Professor Mora’s research lends credence to that view. The terms themselves have evolved over time, Mora says, as has what it means to be Latinx in the United States.

Finding the right word to be counted in the Census: Hispanic

People often want to know which term — Hispanic, Latino or Latinx — is the most respectful. But it really depends on the person and context. I’ll sometimes say I’m Latino or Hispanic. Or I’ll be more specific and say Mexican American.

Mora in the video above uses a similar range of terms.

Of all of these, I use the term Hispanic the least. Yet this word might be the most important in terms of the visibility it has given to the Latinx community in the United States over the last few decades.

“Hispanic” refers to any of the peoples in the Americas and Spain who speak Spanish or are descended from Spanish-speaking communities. It was coined in the 1970s by the U.S. Census Bureau to offer a pan-ethnic name for peoples such as Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans and others, whose social, economic and political needs were often ignored.

According to Mora, before the term “Hispanic” was adopted, the census enumerators would often check off people such as Mexican Americans as “White” on the census forms.

Similarly, I had always thought it was curious that my grandparents were categorized as “white” on both my mother’s California birth certificate as well as my father’s Texas birth certificate. It struck me because my grandfather, who is from Austin, Texas, talked about the kind of segregation he faced growing up there and how the school system would punish children simply for speaking Spanish on school grounds.

By classifying folks like my grandfather as white, it erased his community. As Mora says, “Latinos lived their everyday reality as Latinos, a sometimes Spanish-speaking world with places where they were not allowed, in swimming pools, school districts and other public places.”

In order to name the ways in which people like my grandfather were excluded from certain American institutions, “Hispanic” was adopted by the U.S. Census Bureau to both define a community but still recognize their American identity. Latino and Latin American were also proposed early on, but as Mora puts it, “Hispanic was seen as a term that could be viewed as much more American.”

By aggregating everyone under the term “Hispanic,” particularly with an eye on the upcoming 1980 census, political leaders were able to illustrate how large and important this community was on a national level.

Finding the right word for my family: Mexican American/Chicano

On the most recent U.S. census, I checked off Mexican American/Chicano for my chosen ethnic identity. For me, this most accurately fits with how I think of myself in relationship to other Americans.

Mora notes that “[Latinx] communities have identified themselves with much more localized identities. So, for example, national identities such as Mexican or Cuban have always been important and continue to be important even though these pan-ethnic and pan-racial categories exist.”

The reason Mexican American and Chicano feels most right for me goes back to my family. On my mother’s side, there are relatives whose ancestry goes back to the time before Texas was annexed by the United States. All my grandparents were born in either Texas, California or Arizona, all of which were at one time a part of Mexico.  (Interestingly, a photo of my aunt and grandparents appears in the 1980 National Geographic in an article titled “Mexican Americans: A People on the Move.”)

Finding the right word in the community: Latino

Between Hispanic and Latino, I will tend to describe myself as a Latino most, particularly when wanting to express solidarity with other Latinx groups in the United States.

In contrast to Hispanic, the term Latino describes any person with ancestry in Latin America, a politically defined region usually unified by the predominance of Romance languages. This definition usually includes Portuguese-speaking Brazil and French-speaking Haiti, but excludes Spain.

“In the 1990s and 2000s, ‘Latino’ was much more in vogue and had a sense that we are all connected to each other by our history of being colonized, our history of struggle versus our connection to Spain, which is what ‘Hispanic’ tends to conjure up,” says Mora.

Similarly, I tend to feel an affinity to Latino over Hispanic because it focuses on the peoples of what we call Latin America over the kind of imposed colonial cultures and institutions of Spain.

Still, it is imperfect, as it continues to mask the diversity within the Latino community, particularly Indigenous peoples, Afro Latinos, and many others. “If we only used these broad categories,” Mora said, “we’d be doing a great disservice to Indigenous Latinos and Afro Latinos and the way that national categories shape our lives.”

The terms Latino and Latin America have grown and evolved, sometimes with contradictory objectives. And as with the neologism “Latinx,” these words are continually changing.

Finding the right word to be inclusive: Latinx

I have come to embrace the term Latinx. I understand why many in the community feel it’s not quite right.

For some, the pronunciation of the word is cryptic: la-TEENGKS? LA-tin-EX? For others, it represents a kind of language imperialism by imposing a new English word onto a Spanish word and rendering it unpronounceable.

Latinx is essentially a non-binary form of Latino or Latina. The suffix “-x” replaces the “-o” or “-a” corresponding to masculine or feminine, allowing the word to resist the gender binary. (In Spanish-speaking countries, the term  Latine  with the suffix “-e” is circulating as an alternative to the -o/a binary.)

Mora believes that this word has increased in use in the 21st century owing to the internet and social media: “There’s certainly a big correlation between the fact that it’s Gen Z and Millennials using Latinx and that it took off on social media.”

I personally choose this word to show solidarity with queer and non-binary identity politics. The circulation of the term among college students and in academic circles makes it preferred by university outlets.

But whatever term you prefer — Latinx, Latina, Hispanic or Latino — the debate itself shows the ongoing fight for recognition and being counted is not yet over. In choosing what term to use, everyone has to ask themselves: Who is included and who is excluded? And what do we hope to accomplish when we bring forth a word and speak its power?

Antonio Campos is a writer, editor and project manager at the University of California Office of the President, and a 2008 graduate of UC Santa Cruz. He researched contemporary Latin American art for his museum studies degree from San Francisco State University.

Antonio Campos (the author)

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51 Mexican Slang Words To Sound Like a True Mexican

A while ago, some of my best students had the hardest time understanding what some Mexicans were saying. Does this sound familiar to you? When struggling to understand locals, it’s highly-likely you need to improve your slang vocabulary. So, if want to take your Mexican Spanish to the next level, you must learn some Mexican slang words

Slang terms can make a huge difference when learning Spanish . For that reason, in this article, you’ll learn 51 common Mexican slang words and phrases we Mexicans use on a daily basis. I’ll include definitions and examples of how to use these terms. By the end of it, you’ll be able to understand and apply these words like a true Mexican speaker. 

1. Güey 

Güey or wey is a Mexican slang word for friend. However, it can also be used to say that someone is dumb, to express surprise or annoyance. So, depending on the context, it means ‘ dude’, ‘mate’ , ‘ pal ’ , ‘buddy’ , ‘guy’, ‘silly’, ‘dumb’ or ‘damn ’. 

Güey , ¿ya vienes? Dude , are you on your way?

¡Qué wey estás! You’re so silly!

2. Pedo 

Pedo is one of the most robust Mexican slang words. Its meaning depends on the phrase you use:

• Echarse un pedo – To fart
• Estar pedo – To be drunk
• Ponerse pedo – To get drunk
• No hay pedo – No biggie / No problem
• Ni pedo – It is what it is / Oh well
• ¡Qué pedo! – Jeez! / What’s up
• Buen pedo – Nice
• Mal pedo – That’s too bad / Mean
• Traer un pedo – Have an issue
• Hacerla de pedo – Make a fuss / Look for trouble
• Ser otro pedo – Be something else 
• Bajarle a tu pedo – Chill out 
• Agarrar el pedo – To understand

Take Note: Pedo is a very common slang word among Mexicans. However, for some people, it’s close to a curse word. Pex is the less coarse version of ‘pedo’. So, if you want to be more cautious, you can replace ‘pedo’ with this word. 

Chido is the Mexican slang word for ‘ cool ’ and ‘awesome’ . Mexican speakers use this word to describe things and people or as an informal way to agree with something or say ‘thank you’ .  

¡Qué chido ! Me da gusto por ti. Awesome! I’m happy for you.

Tu mamá es super chida . Your mom is super cool . 

Tip: When men use chido to describe a girl , they can refer to her personality or her physical appearance. ‘Estar chida’ is a very informal way to say that a girl is hot. 

Neta or la neta is an informal synonym of ‘truth’ or ‘to be honest’ . However, we can also use it as an expression to show surprise when someone is saying something to us. In this context, it’s close to ‘really?’.

La neta no sé. The truth is that I don’t know. 

¿Neta terminaron? Did you guys really break up? 

If you need to tell someone to wait, you can use the Mexican slang word aguanta. You can also use this word to show disbelief. Aguanta means ‘wait a minute’ , ‘hold on’ or ‘no way’ .

¡Aguanta , ya casi acabo! Wait , I’m almost done!

¿Es neta? ¡ Aguanta ! Really? Hold on!  

6. No Manches

One of the most popular Mexican slang phrases is no manches , which you’ll use to express surprise, anger, or astonishment. No manches is close in meaning to ‘no way’, ‘damn’, ‘come on’, ‘holy cow’ or ‘you are kidding’.

¡ No manches! Te dije que tenía que llegar temprano. Come on! I told you that I had to arrive early. 

No manches , Axel me invitó a salir. Holy cow , Axel asked me out. 

7. Buena Onda / Mala Onda

Buena onda and mala onda describe people or situations. ‘Buena onda’ means something or someone is ‘nice ’ or ‘cool ’. On the other hand, mala onda means ‘uncool ’, ‘ disagreeable’ ‘mean ’ or ‘ bad’ . You can use these expressions with the verb ser or the interjection ‘qué’. 

¡Qué buena onda que ganaras! It’s so nice that you won!

Tu novio es super mala onda . Your boyfriend is so disagreeable .

Take Note: Buena onda and mala onda are popular informal expressions to describe someone’s personality in Mexican Spanish.

8. ¡Qué onda!

When greeting their friends, Mexican speakers will likely say ¡qué onda! instead of ‘hola’. On top of being an informal greeting, you can also use ‘¡qué onda!’ to show surprise or disbelief. This Mexican slang phrase can be translated as “what’s up”, ‘how are things?’, ‘how is it going?’ or ‘what is up with…?’ . 

¿ Qué onda con tu amiga? What’s up with your friend?

¿Ana? ¡Qué onda! ¿Cómo estás? Ana? What’s up! How are you?

9. Morro / Morra

Morro and morra are informal words for ‘kid’, ‘lad’, ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ . In informal settings, parents can use these words to refer to their kids. Additionally, morro and morra are also Mexican slang words for ‘girlfriend’ and ‘boyfriend’ .  

Ya duérmanse, morros . Go to sleep, kids.

Mi morra trabaja aquí. My girlfriend works here.

Tip: You can use the diminutive form morrito or morrita to show affection or express that the other person is slightly younger than you.

10. Güero 

In Mexican slang, people use the term güero to refer to white people. Güero, and its feminine form güera , are not derogatory terms but rather an informal adjective or name. These words can be translated as ‘ blonde’ or ‘blondie ’. 

Oye, güero , ¿ya terminaste? Hey, blondie , did you finish?

Mi prima es güerita y de ojos azules. My cousin is blonde and has blue eyes.

To describe bad quality, you can use the informal term chafa. This word can also be used to express disappointment when a situation doesn’t turn out as expected. So, ‘chafa’ is close in meaning to ‘crappy’, ‘lame’, or ‘shoddy’ . 

¿No vas a venir? ¡ Qué chafa ! You’re not coming? That’s lame !

La película estuvo muy chafa . The movie was very crappy .

12. Chavo / Chava

In Mexican slang, chavo and chava are terms used to refer to young people. So, they can be translated as ‘boy’, ‘guy’, ‘girl’ or ‘gal’ . Since these words refer to youth, Mexican speakers also use them to express that a person is naive or immature. 

Esa chava es mi novia. That girl is my girlfriend.

La neta estás chavo . You’re a kid , to be honest.

Tip: ‘Chavo’ and ‘chava’ are also Mexican slang words for boyfriend and girlfriend. 

Chela is the Mexican slang term for ‘beer’ . It may also be used as a nickname for certain given names. 

Se me antojan unas chelas . I feel like having some beers .

In standard Spanish fresa means ‘strawberry’. However, in Mexican slang, fresa is close in meaning to ‘posh’ or ‘preppy’ , and it describes people, behaviors or places. 

¡Qué fresa eres! You’re so preppy !

Hablas muy fresa . You speak very posh .

Padre is a variation of ‘chido’. As a result, it’s another Mexican slang word for ‘cool’ , ‘ awesome’ , and ‘ great’ . Padre is only used to describe situations or things. 

Tu casa está muy padre . Your house is very cool .

Que padre . How cool .

Tip: Padrísimo and padrísima are the superlative forms of ‘padre’. You can use them to emphasize the thing you’re describing. For example, tu casa está padrísima – ‘your house is super cool’ or ‘your house is the coolest’. 

In Mexican Spanish, peda means ‘to get drunk ’, but it also refers to partying or going on a binge . 

Vámonos de peda . Let’s go on a binge .

Luis y yo nos pusimos una buena peda . Luis and I got very drunk .

Achis is an informal Mexican word that you can use to express surprise or admiration. It’s close in meaning to ‘oh gosh’ , ‘blimey’ , and ‘holy moly’. 

¡Achis! ¿Dónde dejé mis llaves? Oh, gosh ! Where did I leave my keys?

Tip: ‘Achis, achis’, ‘achis piachis’, and ‘achis, achis los mariachis’ are popular variations you can use. 

18. ¡Ándale!

In Mexican slang, ándale is used to tell people to hurry up . Native speakers also use this word to show surprise or agreement. Ándale is close in meaning to ‘ hurry up’, ‘ come on ’, ‘okay ’, or ‘jeez ’. 

¡Ándale! Se nos va a hacer tarde. Come on! We’re going to be late.

Ah, ándale , a esa hora está bien. Okay , that time sounds good.

In Mexico, the slang word hueva refers to laziness. You can use this term to express that: 

• You feel lazy – Tener hueva. 
• Something is so boring that it makes you lazy – Dar hueva / Estar de hueva.
• You were being lazy – Tirar la hueva

Take Note: Huevón is an adjective that you can use to describe lazy people. 

Gacho is a negative adjective in Mexican Spanish. It expresses that a situation or person is ‘awful’ , ‘nasty’ , or ‘crappy’. 

¡Qué gacha eres! You’re awful !

Cámara is a Mexican slang word that you can use to show agreement. It means ‘okay’ , ‘good’ or ‘right’ . 

Cámara , nos vemos el lunes. Okay , I’ll see you on Monday. 

Like ‘cámara’, arre is a common informal term that Mexican speakers use to express agreement. It’s closer in meaning to ‘okay ’. 

Arre , entonces, yo te marco. Okay, I’ll call you then. 

Mande is a polite and informal way to say ‘ what? ’, ‘ yes ?’ or ‘ come again? ’ in Mexican Spanish. 

Chamba is the Mexican slang word for ‘work’ or ‘ job ’. 

Tengo mucha chamba . I have a lot of work . 

Tip: Chambear is the equivalent of the verb ‘to work’, and chambeador is the slang adjective you can use to describe a hard-working person. 

25. Gandalla

In Mexican slang, gandalla is a negative word that describes an abusive (not necessarily aggressive) person that takes advantage of a situation or others. It’s close to ‘abusive’, ‘underhanded’ , ‘sketchy’ , or ‘shifty ’. 

Ese güey es muy gandalla . That guy is very shifty .

26. Bato / Vato

Bato or vato is a Mexican slang word for ‘ guy ’. People also use this term to say ‘boyfriend ’. 

¿Quién es ese bato ? Who is that guy ?

In Mexico, poner paros means ‘ to give excuses ’. However, you can also use the slang phrase hacer el paro if you want to ask someone for help or to give you a hand . 

Oye, ¿me haces un paro ? Hey, can you give me a hand ?

No pongas paros, ya sé que no vas a venir. Don’t give me excuses . I know you’re not coming.

Take Note: Do not confuse the slang phrase ‘poner paros’ with the standard idiom ‘ poner peros ’, which we use to express that someone is making objections to something. 

28. Bañársela / Volársela

Bañársela or volársela are informal Mexican words that express that someone crossed the line or went too far . Although these translations may refer to bad behaviors, bañársela and volársela are frequently used when someone says or does something too funny. 

No manches, morra, te la bañaste . Holy cow, girl, you went too far .

‘ Pasarse de lanza ’ is a popular variation that you can also use. 

Híjole is a Mexican term for ‘jeez’, ‘goodness’, or ‘gosh’ . This slang word is used to express surprise. 

Híjole, el súper estaba llenísimo. Jeez, the supermarket was very crowded.

Tip: You may also hear its variation jíjole or jíjos . 

30. Sacarle 

Sacarle is an informal verb that Mexicans use to say ‘to back out ’ or ‘to bail ’. 

¡No le saques! Dijiste que íbamos a ir. Don’t back out ! You said we were going.

Notice that sacar is a stem-changing verb in Spanish .

Tip: Sacatón and sacatona are slang adjectives that you can use to express that someone is a coward. 

In Mexico, pichar is when you offer to pay for your friends’ drinks or food. This informal term is close in meaning to ‘to be on me’ , ‘to treat to’ or ‘to be [my/your/their] treat’. 

¿Se te antojan unos tacos? Yo te los picho . Do you feel like having tacos? It’s my treat .

Mijo and mija are informal terms of endearment in Mexico. People use these words to call kids or as affectionate terms to call their partners or friends. ‘Mijo’ and ‘mija’ mean ‘boy’, ‘lad’, ‘girl’, ‘son’, ‘daughter’, ‘kid’, ‘honey’, ‘dude’ , or ‘pal’ . 

Mijo , dale esto a tu abuela. Son , give this to your grandma.

Qué onda, mijo , ¿se va a armar la peda? What’s up, dude , are we going to party?

33. Cargar el payaso

If a Mexican uses cargar el payaso, they mean that something went wrong for them. ‘Cargar el payaso’ is closely related to ‘ to be screwed ’. 

No manches, ¡las llaves! Ya me cargó el payaso . Damn! The keys! I am screwed.

34. A darle que es mole de olla

This Mexican phrase expresses that a task must be done quickly and keenly. It can also be used to say that you must take advantage of a rising opportunity. Although it doesn’t do it justice, ‘get cracking’ or “let’s hustle” . 

El proyecto es para mañana, a darle que es mole de olla . The project is due tomorrow, get cracking people.

35. Carrilla

The Mexican slang word carilla is related to ‘make fun of someone ’. You can use ser carilla to describe people who like to make fun of someone . On the other hand, echar carrilla means to say something to make fun of others. 

Mi morra es bien carrilla . My girlfriend likes to make fun of other people .

Tip: Mexican speakers can use the word carreta as a synonym of ‘carrilla’. 

36. Aguïtarse

When something is disappointing or makes us sad, we Mexicans use the verb agüitarse to express these feelings. This slang verb means ‘to be down in the dumps ’ , ‘to be saddened ’ or ‘to be upset ’. 

Linda se aguïto conmigo. Linda is upset with me.

Tip: Andar agüitado is a variation you can use to express that you’re currently feeling sad. 

37. Estar cañón

When Mexicans use the slang phrase estar cañón they either mean that something is challenging , or that something or someone is really good at something . 

El examen estuvo cañón . The test was very hard .

Matt está cañón en matemáticas. Matt is very good at math .

38. Pistear

In Mexican Spanish, pistear is a slang word that means ‘to drink ’. 

Caéle, estamos pisteando . Come over, we’re drinking .

Tip: El pisto is another Mexican slang word to say ‘drinks’. 

Órale is an informal term that you can use to show agreement or surprise and to ask someone to hurry up. So, depending on the context, ‘órale’ can be translated as ‘wow’ , ‘ oh my God’ , ‘ okay ’, or ‘come on ’. 

¡ Órale , ya me quiere dormir! Come on, I want to sleep!

Órale, entonces, ahí te veo. Okay, I’ll see you there, then.

40. Armarse

In Mexican slang, armarse is a word we use to ask or affirm that an activity is going to be done . 

¿ Se va a armar la peda? Are we going to party?

41. Chale 

Chale is a popular expression that people use to show surprise, disappointment, or annoyance. It’s close to ‘Jesus’ , ‘oh my God’ or ‘holy moly’ .

Chale , se me olvidó la cartera. Oh my God , I forgot my wallet.

Compa is a Mexican slang word for ‘friend’ , ‘homie’ , ‘pal’, ‘mate’ , or ‘buddy’ . As a result, it’s more popular among men. 

Deja le pregunto a mi compa . Let me ask my buddy .

Take Note: ‘Compa’ is the shortened form of ‘compadre’, a term Mexicans use to call their children’s godfather. 

Chin is another slang word you can use in Mexico to express surprise or annoyance. It’s close in meaning to ‘ damn ’, ‘ jeez ’, or ‘ oh my Good ’.

¡ Chin ! Se me olvidó pagar el internet. Damn! I forgot to pay for the internet.

44. ¡Aguas! 

Aguas is a slang term that people use to warn others about a potential danger, mistake, or consequence. It means ‘watch out’ or ‘be careful’ . 

¡Aguas! Te vas a lastimar. Be careful! You’re going to hurt yourself.

45. A huevo 

The Mexican slang phrase a huevo is used to celebrate good news, to express that something is mandatory, and as an informal way to say ‘yes’. So, ‘a huevo’ means ‘heck, yes’, ‘for sure’, ‘of course’, ‘by force’ or ‘mandatorily’ . 

¡A huevo , ahí te veo! For sure , I’ll see you there!

Mi mamá a huevo quiere que vaya. My mom wants me to go mandatorily .

46. Rifársela 

When someone does something cool or funny, or they do great, Mexicans use the verb rifársela to describe those actions. So, this verb can be translated as ‘to be cool’ , ‘to be amazing’ , or ‘to do great’ . 

Se la rifaron , morros, chido. You were amazing , boys. Thanks.

As a slang word, sobres means “let’s do this” or ‘okay’ . 

Sobres, ahí te marco. Okay , I’ll call you.

Carnal is a common Mexican slang word for ‘brother’ , ‘buddy’ , or ‘pal’ .

Ese morrito de allá es mi carnal . That kid over there is my brother.

Simón is a common way to say ‘yes’ in Mexican slang. You can also use this word to show disbelief. In this case, it would be close in meaning to ‘yeah, right’ .

Simón, yo le digo. Yes, I’ll let her know.

Ay, simón , no creo. Yeah, right , I don’t believe that.

In Mexico, feria is one of the most common ways to say ‘money’ . With this meaning you can also use the variation ‘ lana ’. 

La neta no tengo feria , güey. The truth is that I don’t have money , dude.

51. Caer el chahuistle 

Caer el chahuistle is used in Mexican slang to express displeasure because an unexpected or unwelcome person shows up unexpectedly. This phrase can also imply that something will be ruined because this person shows up. 

For example, if you’re having a nice family gathering and a disagreeable relative arrives, you can say “ya nos cayó el chahuistle”. In other words, things are ruined because this person showed up.

This expression doesn’t have a translation. 

Wrapping Up

Mexican slang language is its own thing. So, if you want to be able to understand and communicate with Mexican speakers, you need to learn some of their most popular terms. In this article, we covered some of the most common Mexican slang words, and you’ve learned their different meanings and variations. 

You probably noticed that many of the examples included for each slang word or expression used other terms from this list. So, the more slang you learn, the more you can combine the terms in your sentences.

Cheat sheet: If you need help memorizing these terms, you can download it below.

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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11 Mexican Slang Words Only the Locals Know

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Last Updated on May 2, 2019

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So you’re heading to Mexico and want to talk and haggle like a local. Every country has its own, unique slang words, and Mexico is home to some of the largest variations of the Spanish language in the world. Always stay polite, and only use slang if the environment is appropriate. Here are some of the most used Mexican slang words and phrases:

Warning: This article contains strong language

One of the most used slang words in Mexico is calling someone a ‘pendejo’. While the word ‘pendejo’ literally means ‘pubic hair’ it’s the equivalent of calling someone ‘stupid’ or an ‘asshole’ and can be used in both an endearing way (between friends) or in an offensive way — it all depends on the tone of voice. While Mexican Spanish varies greatly from other Latin American countries, you can also find this word used in countries such as Colombia and Venezuela. Wherever you’re using the word, it’s mildly offensive, so must be used with caution. For example, ‘Eres un pendejo’ means ‘You’re an asshole’.

Güey, sometimes spelled in the way it is pronounced as ‘wey’, means “mate” and is used all the time in Mexican Spanish. For example ‘ ¿Como vas, wey?’ means, ‘ How’s it going, mate? ’

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3. Chido & Padre

If you want to say something is cool, use the word ‘chido’. For example, ‘ Esa camisa es muy chida ‘ means, ‘ That shirt is really cool! ‘. You can also use the word ‘padre’ to say the same thing. While ‘padre’ means father in Spanish, in Mexican Spanish it also means ‘cool’. For example ‘ ¡Que padre!’  means ‘ How cool! ‘

While the literal translation of ‘cabrón’ is a male goat, its slang meaning is somewhat ruder. It generally translates to ‘asshole’, ‘fucker’ or ‘bitch’. It’s an offensive term and the type of word that shouldn’t be said in front of children. On the flip side, it can also be used in a positive way to say you’re ‘really fucking good at something’, for example, ‘ Soy bien cabrón cantando’  would mean, ‘ I’m fucking good at singing ’.

5. Buena Onda

The phrase ‘buena onda’ means the equivalent of good vibes or good going. If a place has ‘buena onda’ it means it has a cool atmosphere. A person can also be of ‘buena onda’, which means they are laidback and easy to get along with. Put your Spanish to the test and meet some chilled locals with one these exciting tours in Mexico .

Using ‘la neta’ in a sentence is generally like saying ‘really?’ or ‘the truth?’. It can be used to ask someone to confirm something or to make a declaration like ‘ La neta te amo !’ which means ‘The truth is, I love you!’. La neta can also be a way to emphasize a statement, like ‘ Mi nave es la neta wey! ‘, which roughly translates to ‘My ride is the shit, man!’.

Pinche is a word used to exaggerate or enhance what you’re saying. It translates to ‘fucking’ (in a non-sexual way) and it can be used in the context of phrases such as: ‘ My fucking car is broken ‘ which would be ‘ Mi pinche nave esta roto ‘.

Nearly every Spanish speaking country has its own word for a hangover, and Mexico is no exception. The word ‘crudo’, which literally means ‘raw’, is used to describe a hangover in Mexico slang. ‘ ¡ Estoy muy crudo esta mañana! ’ means ‘ I am really hungover this morning! ‘

If you’re a party animal looking to refine your Spanish, see how to say you’re hungover like a local in Colombia with these Colombian Slang Phrases .

While the literal meaning of the word ‘fresa’ is strawberry, in Mexican slang it can also be used to describe a person that’s snobby or stuck-up. ‘ Mi jefa es muy fresa ’ would mean, ‘ My boss is really stuck up .’

10. ¡A huevo!

While the word ‘huevo’ in Spanish means ‘egg’, the phrase ‘ ¡A huevo! ’ has nothing to do with food. It actually means ‘hell yeah!’ ‘Want to come to the party tonight? ¡A huevo ! ’

The feminine version of the word, hueva, can also be used to describe feeling lazy. ‘ Tengo mucha hueva ‘ means ‘I’m feeling lazy’.

11. Chinga Tu Madre

To be reserved for only the most necessary situations, ‘ chinga tu madre ‘ means ‘ go fuck yourself ‘. If someone has really made you angry, this is the phrase for you. It can also be used in a more light-hearted way, meaning ‘you’re annoying me, go away’ but again, it depends on the tone of your voice when you say it.

If you’re heading South and want to refine your Spanish, be sure to read up on the Best Spanish Schools in Latin America and secure a seat to speak like a local.

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