The Mexican slang you will hear most is güey (dude), ¿qué onda? (what’s up?), ¡qué padre! and chido (awesome, cool), no manches (no way), órale (okay, let’s go) and ahorita (in a bit). To say “awesome” like a Mexican, say ¡qué padre! Save slang for friends and people your age.
This lesson comes from Speak Better Spanish, live one-to-one Spanish coaching for adults with Hannah, Arturo and Jacky. Rated 5.0 on Google. Get a free speaking plan →
Updated November 1, 2026
Key Takeaways
- For “awesome,” Mexicans say ¡qué padre!, ¡qué chido! or ¡está padrísimo! Genial and increíble work in every Spanish-speaking country.
- Güey, ¿qué onda?, no manches, órale and sale are the everyday core. Learn those first.
- Mexican slang has levels: some words are fine with anyone, some are for friends only, and a few are vulgar.
- Güey sounds like the English word “way,” one syllable. Most learners say it with two.
- The table below links each word to our full guide wherever we have one, so this page works as your Mexican slang dictionary.
Mexico has more Spanish speakers than any other country, so its slang travels. You hear it in Mexican shows and songs, on social media, and from friends in the US who grew up with Mexican parents. It is also what learners look up most. In our own search data, queries about Mexican slang brought our site 709,187 Google impressions in about seven and a half months, against 92 for the subjunctive.
What is the most common Mexican slang?
These are the words you will hear in almost any casual conversation in Mexico. The last column tells you who you can say each one to, and links to the full guide where we have written one.
| Slang | What it means | Example | Who you can say it to | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| güey (also wey) | dude, man; also “some guy” | ¿Qué onda, güey? What’s up, dude? | Friends only | Güey with no manches |
| ¿qué onda? | what’s up? | ¿Qué onda? ¿Cómo has estado? What’s up? How have you been? | Friends and people your age | Below |
| ¡qué padre!, chido | awesome, cool | ¡Qué padre tu casa! Your house is awesome! | Almost anyone | Below |
| no manches | no way, you’re kidding | ¿Te ganaste la rifa? ¡No manches! You won the raffle? No way! | Almost anyone | No manches vs no mames |
| no mames | no way (much stronger) | ¡No mames, qué golazo! No way, what a goal! | Close friends; vulgar | No manches vs no mames |
| órale | okay, let’s do it; whoa | Órale, vámonos. Okay, let’s go. | Almost anyone | Órale, ándale, híjole |
| ándale | come on, hurry up; that’s it | ¡Ándale, que ya nos vamos! Come on, we’re leaving! | Almost anyone | Órale, ándale, híjole |
| híjole | yikes, oh man | Híjole, se me olvidó. Oh man, I forgot. | Almost anyone | Órale, ándale, híjole |
| sale | okay, deal, sounds good | ¿Nos vemos a las ocho? Sale. See you at eight? Deal. | Casual, almost anyone | What sale means |
| ahorita | in a bit, sometime soon (not reliably right now) | Ahorita lo hago. I’ll do it in a bit. | Anyone | Ahorita meaning |
| ¿a poco? | really? no way! | ¿A poco ya terminaste? You’re done already? | Anyone | A poco meaning |
| luego luego | right away | Te lo mando luego luego. I’ll send it right away. | Anyone | Luego luego |
| gacho | bad, mean, harsh | ¡Qué gacho! That sucks! | Casual | Gacho meaning |
| feria | money, cash, small change | No traigo feria. I don’t have any cash on me. | Casual | Feria meaning |
| güero, güera | light-skinned or blond person; a friendly “buddy” from vendors | ¿Qué le damos, güera? What can I get you, hon? | Common, but context matters | Güero and prieto |
| no hay pedo | no problem | No hay pedo, me lo das mañana. No problem, give it to me tomorrow. | Friends; informal | How to say no problem |
| se me hace que | I have a feeling that | Se me hace que va a llover. I have a feeling it’s going to rain. | Anyone | Se me hace que |
| estar al pendiente | to keep an eye out; I’m here if you need me | Aquí estoy al pendiente. I’m here if you need anything. | Anyone | Estar al pendiente |
| me dejaste en visto | you left me on read | ¿Por qué me dejaste en visto? Why did you leave me on read? | Anyone, lightly | Me dejaste en visto |
| michi | kitty | ¡Qué bonito tu michi! What a cute kitty! | Anyone casual | Michi meaning |
| lomito | doggo, pup | Adoptamos un lomito. We adopted a pup. | Anyone casual | Lomito meaning |
| neta | truth; really? | ¿Neta? Really? La neta, no sé. Honestly, I don’t know. | Friends | Below |
| chamba | work, job | Tengo mucha chamba. I have a lot of work. | Casual | None yet |
| chela | beer | ¿Vamos por unas chelas? Want to go for some beers? | Friends | None yet |
| aguas | watch out | ¡Aguas con el coche! Watch out for the car! | Anyone | None yet |
| chale | ugh, bummer | Chale, ya cerraron. Ugh, they already closed. | Friends | None yet |
| ¡qué oso! | how embarrassing! | Me caí enfrente de todos. ¡Qué oso! I fell in front of everyone. So embarrassing! | Friends | None yet |
| ¿mande? | sorry? / yes? (polite) | ¿Mande? No te escuché. Sorry? I didn’t hear you. | Anyone, it is polite | Below |
For texting shortcuts like ntp and tqm, see our guide to Spanish text slang. For the expressions people use without even thinking of them as slang, read Mexican expressions you will actually hear every day.
Want more Mexican Spanish like this? Get our free Spanish Starter Pack: a Mexican slang guide, a conversation ebook with real dialogues, and a phrase ebook.
How do you say awesome in Mexican Spanish?
Say ¡qué padre! It is friendly, safe with almost anyone, and very Mexican. ¡Qué chido! means the same and sounds a little more casual. If you want something that works in any Spanish-speaking country, use genial or increíble.
| Phrase | Where it works | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Genial! | Everywhere | Neutral, safe in any setting |
| ¡Increíble! | Everywhere | Neutral, for news that really impresses you |
| ¡Qué padre! | Mexico | Friendly, safe with almost anyone |
| ¡Qué chido!, ¡Está bien chido! | Mexico | Casual |
| ¡Está padrísimo! | Mexico | Extra enthusiastic |
| ¡De lujo! | Mexico | Casual, “excellent” |
| ¡Qué guay! | Spain | Casual; sounds out of place in Mexico |
| ¡Está chingón!, ¡Poca madre! | Mexico | Vulgar, close friends only |
A few details the translation sites skip. Padre does not change for gender: qué padre tu vestido and qué padre tu carro both work. Chido does change, so a party is chida (la fiesta estuvo bien chida). Mexicans also use bien to mean “very,” so “very awesome” is bien padre or súper chido. To tell someone “you’re awesome,” say eres lo máximo or eres genial, and both work for a man or a woman. The Real Academia Española dictionary lists chido as a colloquial Mexican word for good or nice.
For “fun,” the standard word is divertido: ¡qué divertido! means “that’s so fun!” In Mexico you will also hear la pasamos bien padre, “we had a great time.”
What do no hay pedo and qué pedo mean?
Pedo literally means “fart,” but Mexicans use it in dozens of expressions that have nothing to do with that. Hannah explains two of them in the video at the end of this post. They are not offensive, but they are informal, so keep them for friends and leave them out of work emails.
- No hay pedo means “no problem.” Lo siento, Luz. No hay pedo. (I’m sorry, Luz. No problem.) The safer version is no hay problema.
- ¿Qué pedo? means “what’s up?” or “what’s going on?” ¡Qué pedo, amigo! Hasta que te dejas ver. (What’s up, buddy! Long time no see.)
- ¿Cuál es tu pedo? means “what’s your problem?” It sounds confrontational, so do not use it as a greeting.
- Andar pedo or estar pedo means to be drunk.
- ¿Qué pex? is a softer, playful spelling of ¿qué pedo? that you will see in texts.
What does mande mean in Mexico?
¿Mande? is how many Mexicans say “sorry?” or “pardon?” when they did not hear you, and “yes?” when someone calls their name. It is polite, not slang in the rude sense, and you can use it with anyone. ¡Carlos! ¿Mande? Ya está la cena. (Carlos! Yes? Dinner’s ready.) You will also hear it in Ecuador.
What does qué onda mean?
¿Qué onda? means “what’s up?” It is the most common casual greeting among friends and people your age in Mexico. Hola, Pedro. ¿Qué onda, güey? (Hey, Pedro. What’s up, dude?) Answer with nada, todo bien or aquí nomás (just hanging around). In Monterrey and much of the north you will hear ¿qué rollo? just as often.
What does güey mean, and how do you say it?
Güey (also written wey) means “dude” or “man” between friends. It can also mean “some guy” (un güey me pidió direcciones, a guy asked me for directions). It comes from buey, an ox, and it used to be an insult. Between friends today it is warm, but from a stranger or in an angry voice it still stings.
It is one syllable and sounds almost exactly like the English word “way.” The ü tells you to pronounce the u, so it is a light “w” sound, not “goo-AY.” Our No manches vs no mames guide shows how it combines with those two phrases.
What is the difference between no manches and no mames?
Both mean “no way!” or “you’re kidding!” No manches is the clean version, and you can say it to almost anyone. No mames is much stronger and vulgar, so save it for close friends who say it first. Acabo de ver un unicornio. ¡No manches! ¿En serio? (I just saw a unicorn. No way! Seriously?)
What does qué huevos mean?
Huevos means “eggs,” but in Mexican slang it also means testicles, so this one is crude. ¡Qué huevos! expresses shock at someone’s nerve, a little like “what guts!” or “the nerve!” Depending on tone, it can be admiration or outrage. ¡A huevo! means “hell yes!” Both are for close friends only.
Which Mexican slang words are rude?
Most of the slang on this page is just informal. The problem is not the word itself, it is saying a friends-only word to your landlord or a vulgar one to your partner’s grandmother. Here is a rough scale.
| Level | Words | Where it is fine |
|---|---|---|
| Safe with almost anyone | qué padre, órale, ándale, híjole, ahorita, sale, ¿a poco?, aguas, mande, no manches | Neighbors, vendors, coworkers, your host family |
| Friends and people your age | güey, ¿qué onda?, neta, chale, chela, qué oso, no hay pedo, ¿qué pedo? | Friends, casual coworkers, group chats |
| Vulgar | no mames, qué huevos, a huevo, poca madre, chingón | Close friends who already talk this way |
Slang is about who you are talking to more than what the word means. Güey with your friends sounds natural. Güey with your landlord sounds like you didn’t notice who was in front of you. Listen to how people talk to you, and match that.
Hannah Pinkerton, Speak Better Spanish coach
Is Mexican slang the same everywhere in Mexico?
The core is national. Güey, qué padre, no manches, órale and ahorita work from Tijuana to Mérida. Each region adds its own words on top. Even natives get caught out, as we share in Mexican Spanish words that surprised a native speaker.
- Monterrey and the north: ¿qué rollo? for “what’s up?”, and morro and morra for a kid or a young guy or woman.
- Mexico City: people from the capital are chilangos, a word you will hear all over the country.
- Cancún and the Riviera Maya: people move there from all over Mexico for work, so you will mostly hear the national slang in the table above. If you are planning a trip, our week in Cancún guide is a good place to start.
How do you start using Mexican slang without sounding forced?
- Start with three safe words: ¡qué padre!, órale and sale. You can use them with almost anyone tomorrow.
- Copy what people say to you. If a friend calls you güey, you can call them güey back.
- Learn the reaction, not just the word. Most slang answers something someone just said, like ¡no manches! after surprising news.
- Keep standard Spanish ready for formal settings: work, doctors, government offices and anyone much older than you.
A lot of learners know the slang but wait for the perfect moment to use it, and the moment never comes. Just try it with a friend. If it comes out a little strange, they’ll laugh with you, and that’s when it starts to feel like your Spanish.
Jacky, Speak Better Spanish conversation coach
Frequently Asked Questions
Say ¡qué padre! It is the most common friendly way to say “awesome” in Mexico and works with almost anyone. ¡Qué chido! means the same and sounds more casual, and ¡está padrísimo! is extra enthusiastic. Genial and increíble are understood everywhere, while ¡qué guay! sounds like Spain.
Güey, also written wey, means “dude” or “man” between friends, and it can also mean “some guy.” It is pronounced like the English word “way,” in one syllable. It is friendly among friends but can sound rude from a stranger, so wait until someone uses it with you first.
No. Most Mexicans enjoy hearing a foreigner say ¡qué padre! or ¡órale!, and it often starts a friendly conversation. The risk is the setting, not the accent. Keep friends-only words like güey for friends, avoid vulgar ones like no mames until people around you use them, and stay standard at work.
Güey is probably the slang word you will hear most, along with ¿qué onda?, no manches and órale. You will also hear ahorita all day long, though it is less slang than a way of talking about time. If you only learn five, learn those, and start with the safest ones first.
Not much. People move to Cancún from all over Mexico to work, so you will mostly hear the national slang: güey, qué onda, qué padre, no manches and órale. Workers in tourist areas also switch to English often, so ask them to keep speaking Spanish if you want the practice.
Start with three words
You do not need every word on this page. Pick three you like, use them this week with someone you trust, and add more as you hear them. Beyond slang, see our guide to learning Mexican Spanish online.
Reading a slang list is the easy part. Knowing when güey sounds friendly and when it sounds like you forgot who you were talking to comes from real conversations. In a free Spanish Roadmap Session, a coach hears how you talk now and builds a plan around the Mexican Spanish you need. You can also see how our real-life Mexican Spanish coaching works.
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Every week we send one real piece of Mexican Spanish you will hear in real life: an expression, a usage difference or something that trips up learners who already speak well. Join the Speak Better Spanish newsletter to get it in your inbox.
Watch the Full Video
Video transcript
Hola, amigos, Hannah from Speak Better Spanish here. Today we're going to be covering two expressions in Mexican Spanish that use the word "pedo." What does "pedo" mean? Well, literally, it means fart. But these expressions are idiomatic and they actually have nothing to do with fart. Why? I don't know, but Mexicans really love to use the word "pedo." There are so many uses of the word "pedo." And I'm going to teach you two of them today. Now, keep in mind, these are not to be used in a professional setting.
While they are not offensive, they are definitely not formal and professional expressions. These are typically used among friends. Alright, the first one. ¿Qué pedo? This is the question. ¿Qué pedo? Okay, literally, what fart? But actually, the meaning is, what's up? What's happening? Could even be like, what's the problem? Depends on the context. So, you see your friends: "Hey, ¿qué pedo?" Hey, what's up? Do I say this? No, because I don't want to say, what fart? Do Mexicans say this? Yes, all the time.
Alright, the next one. "No hay pedo." Alright, you might have seen my video about how to talk about there's no problem. And people always want to say "no problemo." But actually, "problemo" does not exist in Spanish. The Mexican way is "no hay pedo." It means there's no problem. Literally, there's no fart, but actually means there's no problem. So, somebody does something that slightly inconveniences you. You're not upset at all. You just say, "No hay pedo." No problem. Todo bien. Everything fine.
Hope you guys enjoyed this video with two expressions using "pedo." Be sure to subscribe and I'll see you in the next video. Adiós.
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