Mexican Spanish Slang: 30 Words You'll Hear Every Day
Learn the Mexican slang locals really use: qué padre, chido, neta, güey, ahorita and more, with meanings, examples and when not to use them.
By Ayoub Farid · · 3 min read
Mexican Spanish is full of colorful everyday slang. You'll hear it in Mexico City cafés, in family kitchens in Los Angeles and in every Mexican series. Knowing it helps you understand real conversations, and using a few words makes you sound warm and local.
The essentials
| Slang | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Qué padre! | How cool! | ¡Qué padre tu casa! |
| Chido | cool, nice | Está bien chido. |
| ¿Neta? | Really? / seriously | ¿Neta? No te creo. |
| Güey (wey) | dude | ¿Qué onda, güey? |
| ¿Qué onda? | What's up? | ¿Qué onda, cómo estás? |
| Ahorita | right now / in a bit / maybe never | Ahorita voy. |
| Chamba | work, job | Tengo mucha chamba. |
| Lana | money | No traigo lana. |
| Cuate | buddy | Es mi cuate. |
| Fresa | posh, preppy | Es bien fresa. |
| Naco | tacky (can be offensive) | — |
| Chela | beer | ¿Unas chelas? |
| Crudo | hungover | Ando crudo. |
| Aguas | watch out! | ¡Aguas con el coche! |
| No manches | no way! (mild) | ¡No manches, qué caro! |
| Órale | wow / okay / come on | ¡Órale, vamos! |
| ¿Mande? | pardon? (polite) | ¿Mande? No escuché. |
| Padrísimo | super cool | El viaje estuvo padrísimo. |
| Me late | I like it / sounds good | Me late la idea. |
| Está cañón | it's tough / intense | Está cañón el tráfico. |
| Chafa | cheap, low quality | Es bien chafa. |
| Gacho | mean, bad | ¡Qué gacho! |
| Un buen | a lot | Hay un buen de gente. |
| Echar la hueva | to laze around | Hoy voy a echar la hueva. |
| Pedo | problem / drunk (vulgar) | ¿Cuál es tu pedo? — avoid with elders |
| Sale | okay, deal | Sale, nos vemos. |
| ¿Qué pedo? | What's up? (vulgar) | Friends only |
| Chilango | person from Mexico City | Mi abuela es chilanga. |
| Antojo | craving | Tengo antojo de tacos. |
| Botana | snack, appetizer | Traje botana. |
About "ahorita"
Ahorita is famous for being vague. It can mean "right now", "in a little while" or, politely, "probably never". Context and tone tell you which.
Careful with these
Some slang is fine with friends but rude with elders or at work: güey (casual), pedo (vulgar), naco (classist). When talking to abuela or your partner's parents, stick to qué padre, órale and ¿mande?.
Mexican food words people mix into conversation
Antojitos, conchas, tortas, tamales, elote, chilaquiles. In a Mexico City café, ask for una concha (the sweet bread with a shell pattern) rather than the generic un pan dulce. See Mexican food vocabulary.
Mini dialogue
- A: ¿Qué onda, güey? ¿Vamos por unos tacos?
- B: ¡Órale! Pero no traigo lana.
- A: No hay pedo, yo invito.
- B: ¡Qué padre! Sale, vamos.
Practice
Slang sticks when you hear it in context. Lolo's café call is set in Mexico City, so you'll hear and use real Mexican Spanish and get "say it like a native" tips after each call. See also Mexico City travel Spanish and Spain Spanish slang.
Frequently asked questions
What does "qué padre" mean?
"How cool!" Padre literally means father, but in Mexican slang it means great or cool.
Is "güey" offensive?
Among friends it's like "dude". It can be rude with strangers or elders.
What does "ahorita" really mean?
It depends on context: right now, soon, or a polite "not really".
