Spoken Spanish in Mexico and in California is full of Mexican slang. Whether you are watching Narcos on Netflix or chatting with a local, you will be at a loss if you don’t have a basic understanding of the idioms below. Mexican slang is playful and fun. Even though some of these words are rude and not exactly polite, they are frequently playfully used amount friends. If you are familiar with Castillian Spanish, you must review this slang before a trip to Mexico city or even Los Angeles.
Below is a list of the most common Mexican slang and their meanings:
- ¡No mames! = “No Way!” This expression means “No Way!” but be careful when you say it around because it comes from the expression “to suck ____” – so literally, it means “don’t suck.” This is the more colorful and less polite version of ¡No manches! Even though it is technically rude, it is used extensively in conversation. This slang expression started in Mexico as early as the 1990s. From there, it has spread in the Spanish-speaking communities across Latin American countries and into U.S. soil.
- Güey/wey = Hey / Dude. This is best translated as dude/buddy/bro. Often simplified into wey. Read our detailed post on Güey here.
- ¡Órale! = Let’s go! This multi-purpose word can express a range of ideas and feelings, such as paying a compliment, as an exclamation, or to motivate, or to express approval, enthusiasm, and a range of similar feelings.
- La Neta = The truth. But La Neta doesn’t just mean the truth in a literal sense. It can also be a compliment (Eres la neta! – You’re amazing!)
- ¡No manches! = No Way! This is equivalent to saying/exclaiming “No way!”, or “For real?”
- Qué padre = Awesome, great, brilliant!
- Pinche = Fucking Best thought of as the equivalent of “fucking” in English when used as an introjection. Eg. Eres un pinche idiota, Miguel – You’re a fucking idiot Miguel
- Gacho = Sad / Ugly. Can be used to mean ugly, sad, boring, or uncool. Applied usually to people.
- Pendejo = idiot While this literally translates as “pubic hair”, it is used mainly as a stronger, more derisive version of “idiot”
- Culero = Asshole Literally means arsehole
- Chingar = To Fuck. Literally translates as Fuck. Can be used in a complimentary manner, depending largely on context.
- Vives en las nubes = To have your head in the clouds
- ¿Qué onda? = What’s up? Often used with Güey.
- ¡Vámonos! = Lets go!
- Se la voló = He/she crossed a line, or he/she took the piss.
Now that you have read through this list of slang, take our in-depth look at the word chingar as well as our list of the 50 most common Spanish adjectives.
