Ever wondered: How does a Mexican speak? What kind of slang do they use when communicating with each other?
The best way to learn Mexican Spanish is 100% through their slang!
The world’s interest in Mexican slang has skyrocketed because of all the attention Hollywood has put on cartels.
Unfortunately, and with no disrespect to Narco fanatics*, not all Mexicans are in drug gangs.
💡 Don't forget to take our fun multiple choice quiz at the very end of the post! 💡
Actually, Mexico is a beautiful thriving country with the highest number of Spanish speakers in the world, followed only by the U.S. itself (¿Qué?)! Learning Mexican Spanish has never been more important!
Instead of some obscure expressions only your grandma would use or embarrassingly vulgar expressions in Mexican Spanish, here is a list of Mexican slang words and phrases you can ACTUALLY use every day:
Mexican Slang Words and Phrases You MUST know!
If you’re ready to spice up your Spanish with some authentic street lingo, you’re in the right place. Our native Mexican guide will walk you through the must-know phrases and words that’ll make you sound like a local straight outta the streets of Mexico City!
Greeting Slang: ‘Que Onda’ and Its Variations
Dive into the art of the Mexican ‘hello’ with ‘Qué onda’ and its cool variations. It’s the go-to phrase for a casual greeting, so let’s get you sounding like a local!
¿Qué onda wey?
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Naturally, we have to start with Mexican slang on how to you say hello in Mexico.
💡 Don't forget to take our fun multiple choice quiz at the very end of the post! 💡
Que onda is the cool way of saying it, and the number one thing people (including other Latinos) quote when finding out someone is Mexican.It literally means “what wave”, which you can interpret as what’s going on, what’s happening, what’s up?, How are you doing?
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Buena onda can mean cool, good vibes (good waves!) See where I’m going with this?
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‘Wey’ – A Versatile Mexican Slang Term
Meet ‘Wey’, the Swiss Army knife of Mexican slang. It’s your all-purpose word for ‘dude’ or ‘guy’, essential in any casual chat. Learn how to weave it into your daily convo like a pro!
Wey (güey) means bro or dude, but it can also be a general word for guy.
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A lot of young people have incorporated it into their vocabulary and even use it as a transition word, like the English use “like”.
- “y tipo wey, estaba allí, y me miró…”
- “and like I was there, and looked at me…”
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Listen to the phrase below, voiced by a native Mexican who appears in our incredible Gritty Spanish stories!
Wey is also not something you call your parents or use in excess around them. It’s not a curse word but it’s not super polite either.
But there is no wey (pun) you get through a day in Mexico without this word!
The Mexican slang vato and Mexican slang ese (pronounced “essay”, as seen in all stereotypical cartel series) both mean guy.
Slang for Friends and Companions
In the realm of Mexican friendship, ‘Carnal’ reigns supreme. Discover how to express brotherly bonds and solid friendships with these heartfelt slang terms.
Carnal
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Carnal is Mexican slang for friend, some you’ll call your Brother(hermano). This word looks awfully like the English word “carnal” meaning “of the flesh”. That’s because it is. Both words come from the Latin word “carne” or meat, but can also mean of the same blood, family or relative.Carnal gives the impression that your friend is like family to you.
Listen to the phrase below, voiced by a native Mexican who appears in our incredible Gritty Spanish stories!
- “¿Qué onda carnal? ¿Cómo estás?”
- What’s up brotha? How are you?
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Other Mexican slang for friend:
– Compa (from compadre, or Godfather)
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– Valedor (from valer, someone of value)
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You’ll hear this used in Gritty Spanish learning audios a few times.
Expressive Slang Phrases
Ready for some drama? Learn the expressiveness of phrases like ‘¡No mames wey!’ – the ultimate expression of disbelief or surprise in Mexico. Time to add some flair to your Spanish!
¡No mames wey!
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I would dare to guess that this is the second most quoted Mexican phrase after ¿Qué onda wey?
No mames literally means don’t suck, but it actually means stop pulling my leg or stop f*** with me, in a friendly way of course. It is usually followed by a mischievous smile or laugh.Wait, there’s more!!!! No mames has a more PG rated cousin, ¡No manches!, which is used in similar contexts but with more of an element of surprise.
Understanding ‘No Mames’ and Its Variations
“¡No mames!” – ever heard this and wondered what’s the fuss? It’s all about expressing disbelief or calling out someone’s wild story. From shock to skepticism, master how to use ‘No mames’ and its softer cousin ‘¡No manches!’ in everyday Mexican banter.
No mames can also be surprise, but to the point of disbelief
(i.e. “don’t go off inventing things!’)
- “¡No manches! ¿Te dieron la posición?”
- No way! They gave you the position!
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And then the less believable…
- “Te lo juro wey, la profe me preguntó si quería salir con ella después de los exámenes.”
- I swear to you man, the teacher asked me if I wanted to go out with him after the exams.
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- “No mames wey, ¡no puede ser!”
- Come on man, there’s no way!
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**You’ll sometime see wey spelled, “güey“.
Mastering Neta and Chamba
Nailing the ‘Neta’ and ‘Chamba’ means you’re really talking business. Get the lowdown on how to talk truth and work in true Mexican style.
Neta
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Neta means the truth, the reality, really or forreal. Depends on the way you you use it! We’ll give you examples of all.
Neto/neta also means net, the net value of something after discounting taxes/expenses. This will help you remember: Once you discount taxes, or what’s not TRULY yours, you are left with your actual income, the real deal!
- “Te lo juro! ¡Es neta!”
- I swear to you! It’s true!
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- “¡No manches! ¿Es neta?”
- No way! Really (forreal)?
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- “La neta es que no tengo tiempo para salir.”
- The reality (or thing) is I don’t have time to go out.
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- “¡Dime la neta!”
- Tell me the truth!
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Chamba
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Chamba means work, or a job.
Latinos have a different outlook on work because worker benefits are very different and binding contracts are less common. Instead, man Latinos are entrepreneurs that have various “negocios” (businesses) on the side.
Thus, to have “mucha chamba” almost gives the impression that you have lots of work coming your way, or many different projects, because you don’t only have one steady stream of income.
“Chamba” can be a regular job at an office, too. And if someone says “tengo mucha chamba”, it could mean they have a lot of work at the office, so the word “chamba” is not just for entrepreneurship and side hustles, it can also refer to work in a more traditional job..
It can be a verb as well!
- “Voy a chambear”
- I am going to work
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- “¡No quiero chambear! Tengo hueva”
- I don’t want to work! I feel lazy
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This slang phrase along with others on our list was mentioned in this awesome video with Eva Longoria and Michael Peña teaching Mexican slang.
Chingar
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Chingar is undoubtedly the most Mexican slang word that exists and has literally innumerable uses. The word is understood in other Latin countries, but not used in nearly as many contexts.
The actual definition is the following:
- To disturb
- To have sex (offensive)
- To frequently have wine or drinks
However, in Mexico it can mean a whole range of things: to aggressively do something, to assert, to invoke violence, to hurt. Don’t worry- it’s not all that serious!
Here are some diverse uses of the word:
Chingados (madness, mess):
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- ¿Qué chingados esta pasando aqui?
- What the hell is going on here? (or What kind of craziness is going on here?)
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Chingón (wicked, far out- in a good way!):
- Listen:
Check out this video below to learn more about this word!
- ¡No mames wey el festival de house estuvo bien chingón !
- Omg bro the festival was so awesome!
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La chingada (A place really really far away, i.e., Butt F*** Egypt, Way the F*** out there, The Boondocks):
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- “No mames wey fuimos hasta la chingada y el bar estaba cerrado! ¡Qué mal pedo!”
- No way man, we went all the way to BFE and the bar was closed! How sh*tty!
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Chingarle (to go at something aggressively/to hustle/to work hard):
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- ¡Hay que chingarle mucho para ganar un buen dinero en México!
- You gotta hustle to make good money in Mexico!
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- Chinga tu madre
- (F*** your mom)
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A clear insult to tell someone to piss off):
- Si ella terminó contigo pues ¡chinga su madre wey! ¡Qué idiota!
- If she ended it with you well f*** her, bro! What an idiot!
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Chido
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Chido means cool, great, awesome.
In Spanish dialects, there are literally hundreds of ways to say this word, but you’ll hear this word in Mexico every day (along with chingón)!
Hueva
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Hueva, similar to huevo or egg in Spanish, actually means spawn, or the release or deposit of fish eggs (sweet, right?)
Hueva is a Mexican slang that means laziness, but can also mean when something is too much or you don’t have the energy to deal with it. In some ways, it replaces the Castellano word pereza.
Let’s look at some sample uses:
Darhueva:
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- “¡Tengo que ir al correo pero, me da hueva!”
- I have to go to the post office but, I’m too lazy!
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(Prime Urban dictionary example) Tanta pendejada me dio hueva. All of this nameless stupidity impeded my will to do anything.
Qué hueva:
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Ay no, qué hueva! Tengo muchísima chamba y cero ganas de hacerla! Oh no, I can’t even ( or too much laziness). I have so much work and no will to do it!
Echar/tirar la hueva (legit when today you don’t feel like doing anything, Bruno Mars style):
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- “¿Qué haces aparte de echar la hueva huevón?”
- What do you do besides sit on your butt lazy you schmuck?
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- “Ay wey déjame tranquilo, solo quiero echar la hueva hoy.”
- Bro let me be, I just wanna chill and do nothing today.
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Fresa
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A fresa is Mexican slang is the equivalent of preppy or bougie; a snob. Someone from high social standing who wears polo shirts and boat shoes and pearls. However, it can be used to describe anyone with significant privilege. Literally, it means, “Strawberry“.
- “Ya no quiero salir con ella, es una Fresa”.
- I don’t wanna go out with her anymore, she is snob.
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Naco is its antonym- the ghetto hood rat. Mnemonic device: Think of a nasty taco- naco.
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“Naco” is not just the antonym of “fresa”, it could have several meanings, most of them pejorative, among them:
- An uncouth person
- An uneducated or vulgar person
- Someone with very bad manners
- Someone with bad taste
- Someone pretentious (usually a poor person that pretends to be rich)
It is often used in a humorous way, as a joke among friends, but in some contexts, it could be a very pejorative way to refer to poor people or lower class, or someone from indigenous origin, which makes it sometimes a racist and discriminatory word.
Depending on the situation, some equivalents in other cultural contexts could be “ghetto hood rat” (as mentioned before), but also “redneck”, “white trash”, “hick”, “trailer trash”, etc.
Sale
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Have you ever heard the Spanish slang dale?
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or vale?
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Dale (from the verb dar, to give) and vale (from the verb valer, to be worth) both mean: okay, yeah, sure, or let’s go!
Sale is the Mexican version of this. Okay, yeah, it’s a deal, I’m down, let’s go!
- “Quieres ir al cine mañana?”
- You wanna go to the movies tomorrow?
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- “¡Sale, vamos!”
- ¡Yeah, let’s do it!
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You’ll find some others not mentioned in this post here:
In our Gritty Spanish Course, you’ll hear many of these as well as hundreds of other slang words used in different Spanish-speaking countries, be sure to check it out and take your Spanish to the next level!
Wrap-up: Your Mexican Slang Odyssey!
¡Qué hueva escribir esta conclusión carnal, neta! Pero es mi chamba, y es bastante chida, así que no me quejo. Sabes que no soy fresa. ¡Tengo que chingarle compa!
- Listen:
I’m way too lazy to write this conclusion man, forreal! But it’s my job, and it’s pretty cool, so I’m not complaining. You know I’m not bougie, I gotta hustle bro!
How much of that did you get? If you need a refresher, scroll back up! However, the best way to learn Mexican slang is by listening to it in context in real conversations with Mexican accents.
You’ll hear a ton of Mexican slang and many other places all in context with our Gritty Spanish learning audios and side by side transcripts!
It features super fun Spanish dialogues with side-by-side English to Spanish translations along with audios of real Latino conversations!
Es hora de chingarle! It’s time to hustle! Start listening today!
Take Our Mexican Slang Quiz Below!
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