100 Mexican Slang Words to Speak Spanish Like a Native

Hola Amigos!

Are you failing to make new friends in a Hispanic neighborhood? 

Well, the US has an impressive Hispanic population, and being bilingual really pays off if you are a resident of a multilingual state like the US. 

Hence, having a basic understanding of some Mexican slang words will definitely help you score some brownie points in your Hispanic neighborhood. 

So join me as I lay down some of the most common Mexican slang phrases to help you better prepare for a slang-filled conversation. 

50 Mexican Slang Phrases That Will Make You Sound Like a True Mexican

Mexican slang phrases can be a bit confusing for English-speaking people. Therefore, here are the most common Mexican slang words that you should definitely know in order to engage in seamless conversations with Mexican people. 

1. Güey (wey): This Mexican slang particularly means ‘dude,’ ‘bro,’ and ‘guy.’ However, sometimes it is also used sarcastically to call someone an idiot.

Spanish Example: Ese güey es mi mejor amigo.
English Meaning: That dude is my best friend.

2. ¡Qué padre!: It means ‘how cool’ and ‘awesome.’ Though its literal translation to English is ‘how’s father,’ it lacks sense; hence, it’s used to compliment something amazing. 

Spanish Example: ¡Qué padre tu coche nuevo!
English Meaning: Your new car is awesome.

3. Poca madre: In Mexican slang, this phrase is used as a compliment and means ‘really cool,’ ‘amazing,’ or ‘awesome.’

Spanish Example: El concierto estuvo poca madre.
English Meaning: The concert was amazing.

4. Fresa: It means preppy, snobby, and upper-class person and is generally used to refer to the young person from a wealthy family who is narcissistic, materialistic, and delusional.

Spanish Example: Ella es muy fresa, solo compra ropa cara.
English Meaning: She’s so preppy, always showing off her branded clothes. 

5. Me vale madre: It means ‘I don’t care’ or ‘I don’t give a damn’ and is considered an inappropriate Mexican slang phrase for a formal setting. 

Spanish Example: Me vale madre lo que digan los demás.
English Meaning: I don’t care what others say.

6. Ese: This is a popular slang word for the Mexican gang called Sureños and was highly used in the 1960s. Currently, it means ‘dude’ and ‘homie’ and is casually used between youngsters. 

Spanish Example: ¿Qué onda, ese?
English Meaning: What’s up, dude?

7. ¡Aguas!: It’s one of the most popular Mexican slang words for showing concern, which means ‘watch out,’ ‘be careful,’ and ‘look out.’

Spanish Example: ¡Aguas! Viene un coche.
English Meaning: Watch out! A car is coming.

8. Estar crudo: Generally, it means ‘to be hungover.’ However, when used in terms of food, it also means ‘to be raw.’

Spanish Example: Estoy crudo; tomé mucho anoche.
English Meaning: I’m hungover; I drank too much last night.

9. En el bote: This Mexican slang is complicated, as the word ‘bote’ in the Mexican language means a can of soda. But the phrase en el bote, altogether, means ‘in jail.’

Spanish Example: Lo metieron en el bote por robo.
English Meaning: They put him in jail for robbery.

10. Te crees muy muy: The literal translation of this Mexican slang phrase is ‘you think you are very very.’ It’s another popular slang phrase used to call out self-centered people and can also mean ‘you think you’re something special’ or ‘you think you’re all that.’

Spanish Example: Te crees muy muy solo porque tienes coche nuevo.
English Meaning: You think you are special just because you have a new car. 

11. Naco: This word is used to refer to someone who is poorly educated, bad-mannered, tacky, and unrefined.

Spanish Example: Su forma de vestir es muy naca.
English Meaning: His way of dressing is really tacky.

12. Cholo: Someone who is a street-style person, and it literally means ‘Mexican gangster.’

Spanish Example: Ese cholo del barrio es buena onda.
English Meaning: The gangster from the neighborhood is cool.

13. Chilango: It is used to refer to a person from Mexico City representing the culture of the place. 

Spanish Example: Mi primo es chilango, vive en CDMX.
English Meaning: My cousin is from Mexico City. 

14. Carnal: Originating from the Spanish carne, the word carnal means ‘close friend’ and is used to denote someone who is like a sibling for you.

Spanish Example: Gracias, carnal, te debo una.
English Meaning: Thanks, bro, I owe you one. 

15. Metiche: It means busybody and is used for a nosy person who always wants to get the tea about other people’s lives. 

Spanish Example: No seas metiche, eso no te incumbe.
English Meaning: Don’t be nosy; that’s none of your business.

16. Ahorita: This Mexican slang means ‘right now,’ ‘in a bit,’ and ‘sometime soon.’

Spanish Example: Ahorita voy.
English Meaning: I’ll go in a bit. 

17. ¿Neta?: It’s a popular Mexican interjection that means ‘really?,’ ‘for real,’ or ‘truth?’ and is particularly used to confirm something, silence/pause a conversation or to give someone a clean chit in a controversy.

Spanish Example: ¿Neta ganaste la lotería?
English Meaning: Really, you won the lottery?

18. Ni modo: In English, it means, ‘whatever.’ However, the literal translation of this Mexican slang is ‘no way’ and ‘either way.’

Spanish Example: Ni modo, perdimos el partido.
English Meaning: No way, we lost the game.

19. Eso que ni qué: It’s another highly used Mexican expression that means ‘absolutely’ or ‘no doubt about it.’ 

Spanish Example: Es el mejor jugador, eso que ni que.
English Meaning: He’s the best player, no doubt about it.

20. Coda/Codo: Used to refer to someone who is very cheap or stingy.

Spanish Example: No invites a Juan, es bien codo.
English Meaning: Don’t invite Juan; he’s super cheap.

21. No hay tos: The literal translation of this Mexican expression is a little weird, as it means there’s no cough. However, it is popularly used to say, ‘don’t worry about it’ and ‘no problem.’

Spanish Example: ¿Puedes ayudarme mañana? — No hay tos.
English Meaning: Can you help me tomorrow? No Problem!

22. Sale: It’s a simple Mexican slang that means ‘ok,’ ‘deal,’ or ‘sounds good.’

Spanish Example: Nos vemos a las ocho. — Sale.
English Meaning: See you at eight? Deal!

23. Buena onda: Though it translates as ‘good wave’ in the English language, it means ‘good vibes,’ ‘cool’,  ‘good energy,’ and ‘nice.’ 

Spanish Example: Tu hermana es bien buena onda.
English Meaning: Your sister is really cool.

24. Tener feria: This expression means to have money or cash.

Spanish Example: Hoy sí tengo feria para salir.
English Meaning: I’ve got cash to go out today.

25. Vato: Another popular expression for a guy or dude. 

Spanish Example: Ese vato siempre llega tarde.
English Meaning: That dude is always late.

26. Hola, amigos: It means ‘hello friends’ in Mexican slang.

Spanish Example: ¡Hola amigos! ¿Cómo están?
English Meaning: Hello, friends! How are you?

27. ¿Qué onda?: This is a common expression to ask about someone’s wellbeing, and it means ‘what’s up?’.

Spanish Example: ¿Qué onda, cómo te va?
English Meaning: What’s up? How’s it going?

28. Cabrón: It’s vulgar Mexican slang which is used as an insult and  means ‘unpleasant’ and ‘you are not very smart.’ Depending on the tone, it can also mean ‘bastard’ or ‘tough guy.’

Spanish Example: Ese cabrón juega muy bien.
English Meaning: That bastard plays really well.

29. ¡Viva México!: This is a popular Mexico unifying phrase that literally translates to ‘Long Live Mexico.’

Spanish Example: ¡Viva México, cabrones!
English Meaning: Long Live Mexico!

30. Pendejo: Another insulting expression that means ‘jerk,’ ‘idiot,’ ‘stupid person,’ and ‘dumbass.’

Spanish Example: No seas pendejo, piensa bien.
English Meaning: Don’t be an idiot; think it through.

31. Pinche: In Spanish the word Pinche simply means ‘kitchen helper,’ but in Mexican Spanish it means ‘ugly,’ ‘damn,’ ‘poor,’ ‘cheap,’ or ‘substandard.’

Spanish Example: Ese pinche perro no deja de ladrar.
English Meaning: That damn dog won’t stop barking.

32. ¡No manches!: This is one of the fun Mexico slang phrases that simply means ‘no way’ or ‘you are kidding.’

Spanish Example: ¡No manches! ¿En serio hiciste eso?
English Meaning: No way! Did you really do that?

33. Está cañón: This expression is used to refer to something that is really tough, hard, or intense to do. 

Spanish Example: El examen estuvo cañón.
English Meaning: The exam was really hard.

34. Chulo/Chula: The slang phrase ‘chulo/chula’ is primarily used as an adjective to compliment someone for their good looks, and its English translation also means ‘a good-looking person’ or ‘something cute.’

Spanish Example: Tu vestido está bien chulo.
English Meaning: Your dress is really cute. 

35. ¡Órale!: It’s an expression of excitement and is mainly used as an exclamation, which means ‘right on!’ ‘wow!’ ‘come on!’ or ‘let’s do it!’

Spanish Example: ¡Órale, qué rápido corres!
English Meaning: Wow! You run fast.

36. Pedo: Depending on the context of the conversation or tone of the speaker, the expression pedo means ‘fart,’ ‘problem,’ or ‘drunk.’

Spanish Example: Estar o andar pedo.
English Meaning: They are drunk.

37. Chido: This is a casual slang phrase, particularly used to say ‘nice’ and ‘cool’ in Spanish. 

Spanish Example: Tu coche está bien chido.
English Meaning: Your car is really cool.

38. ¿A poco?: Another popular Mexican phrase that doesn’t have any literal English translation but is primarily used by Mexicans to show surprise or confirm something. It means ‘really?’ in Spanish.

Spanish Example: ¿A poco ya te casaste?
English Meaning: Really, you already got married?

39. Paro: This Mexican slang literally translates to “favor” in Spanish and is generally used for seeking help from someone. 

Spanish Example: Hazme un paro, préstame dinero.
English Meaning: Do me a favor; lend me some money.

40. Chamba/Chambear: It’s one of the casual Mexican slang phrases that means ‘job,’ ‘work,’ or ‘to work.’

Spanish Example: Estoy buscando chamba.
English Meaning: I’m looking for a job.

41. Ándale: This slang has multiple meanings that include ‘hurry up,’ ‘come on,’ ‘let’s go,’ and ‘right on.’

Spanish Example: ¡Ándale, ya vámonos!
English Meaning: Come on, let’s go!

42. Suave: It’s an old-school slang that means ‘cool’ and ‘smooth.’

Spanish Example: Esa canción está suave. 
English Meaning: That song is cool.

43. La tira: In Mexican slang, the word ‘La tira’ means ‘cops’ or ‘the police.’

Spanish Example: Ahí viene la tira, vámonos.
English Meaning: The cops are coming.

44. Bronca: It means ‘problem’ in Spanish and is used with ‘no hay bronca’ to say ‘no problem.’ 

Spanish Example: No hay bronca, todo bien.
English Meaning: No problem, everything is fine.

45. Chela: This word simply means beer.

Spanish Example: Vamos por unas chelas.
English Meaning: Let’s grab some beers.

46. Gacho: It’s an insulting Mexican slang that means ‘slouchy,’ ‘mean,’ and ‘ugly.’

Spanish Example: Qué gacho que no me invitaste.
English Meaning: That’s mean! You don’t invite me.

47. ¿Mande?: In Mexico, it’s a common way of responding when someone calls you to ask what they want from you, and it translates to ‘what?’ in English.

Spanish Example: ¿Mande? No te escuché.
English Meaning: What? I didn’t hear you.

48. Chale: This expression is particularly used to show frustration. It means ‘damn’ or ‘give me a break.’

Spanish Example: ¡Chale! Se me olvidó el dinero.
English Meaning: Damn! I forgot my money.

49. Aguanta: It’s a casual way of asking someone to ‘chill,’ ‘wait,’ ‘be patient,’ or ‘hold on.’

Spanish Example: Aguanta, ya casi llego.
English Meaning: Hold on, I’m almost there.

50. Güero/Güera: Someone who has light skin, blond hair, and good facial features.

Spanish Example: Oye, güero, ¿me pasas la sal?
Mexican Slang: Hey Blondie, can you pass me the salt?

50 Popular Mexican Slang Words at a Quick Glance

Let’s take a look at some other prominent Mexican slang phrases highly used in Mexican Spanish. 

S. No.	Mexican Slang	Meaning	Spanish Example	English Example
01.	Lana	Money	No tengo lana para la fiesta.	I don’t have money for the party.
02.	Varo	Another Mexican slang phrase for cash.	Échame un varo para el camión.	Lend me some money for the bus.
03.	Compa	Buddy/Friend	Mi compa viene a la reunión.	My buddy is coming to the meetup.
04.	Cantón	House/Home	Vamos a mi cantón después.	Let’s go to my house afterward.
05.	Jaina	Girlfriend	Voy a salir con mi jaina.	I’m going out with my girlfriend.
06.	Patrón	Boss	El patrón quiere verte hoy.	The boss wants to see you today.
07.	Fierro	Expression to motivate someone.	¡Fierro, equipo!	Let’s go, team!
08.	Arre	‘Let’s go,’ ‘hurry up,’ and ‘okay.’	¡Arre, ya llegamos!	Hurry up, we’ve arrived.
09.	Trucha	Be alert or watch out.	Está trucha, hay peligro.	Be alert; there’s danger.
10.	Machín	Very good or awesome.	Esta canción está machín.	This song is awesome.
11.	Jalón	A ride.	Dame un jalón para la fiesta.	Give me a ride to the party.
12.	Jale	Job/work	Busco un jale para ganar dinero.	I’m looking for a job to earn money.
13.	Perico	Cocaine	Traen perico en la fiesta.	They have cocaine at the party.
14.	Chante	House/home	Voy para mi chante después del trabajo.	I’m going home after work.
15.	Bato	Dude/guy	Ese bato es mi amigo.	That guy is my friend.
16.	Ñero	Homie or street friend.	Mi ñero me ayudó con la tarea.	My homie helped me with the homework.
17.	Wacha	Girlfriend or female friend.	Mi wacha viene a la fiesta.	My girlfriend is coming to the party.
18.	Valedor	Buddy or pal.	Ese valedor siempre me apoya.	That buddy always supports me.
19.	Madrazo	A big hit or a hard punch.	Me dio un madrazo en la pelea.	He gave me a hard punch in the fight.
20.	Relajo	Chaos or mess.	En la casa hay mucho relajo.	There is a lot of mess at home.
21.	Jato	House or home.	Vamos a mi jato a ver la película.	Let’s go to my home to watch the movie.
22.	Mamacita	Hot girl or attractive women.	Esa mamacita es muy guapa.	That hot girl is very beautiful.
23.	Camión	Bus	Tomé el camión para llegar rápido.	I took the bus to get there quickly.
24.	Nalga	Butt or backside.	Me senté en las nalgas.	I sat on my butt.
25.	Rola	Song	Esa rola está muy buena.	That song is really good.
26.	Troca	Pickup truck.	Compré una troca nueva.	I bought a new pickup truck.
27.	Pacheco	High on weed.	Está bien pacheco hoy.	He is really high today.
28.	Chavito/Chavita	Kid or youngster.	Ese chavito es muy travieso.	That kid is very mischievous.
29.	Pisto	Alcohol or some booze.	Vamos por un poco de pisto.	Let’s go get some booze.
30.	Tapado	Reserved guy.	Es un tipo tapado.	He is a very reserved guy.
31.	Chiquitín	A tin or little kid.	El chiquitín está dormido.	The little kid is sleeping.
32.	Zarape	A traditional Mexican blanket.	Me regalaron un zarape típico.	They gave me a typical Mexican blanket.
33.	Cuate	Friend or buddy.	Mi cuate me ayudó con el trabajo.	My friend helped me with the work.
34.	¿Sapbe?	‘You know?’ or ‘you get me?’	No voy a ir, ¿sapbe?	I’m not going, you know?
35.	Vato loco	Crazy dude or a reckless guy.	Ese vato loco siempre mete problemas.	That crazy dude always causes trouble.
36.	Carnalito	Little brother or a close friend.	Mi carnalito es muy leal.	My little brother is very loyal.
37.	Sobres	Cash envelope or extra money.	Le dieron sobres en la boda.	They gave cash envelopes at the wedding.
38.	Guacala	Gross or yuck.	¡Guacala! Eso sabe mal.	Yuck! That tastes bad.
39.	Vieja/Viejo	Old man/woman or life partner.	Mi vieja es muy cariñosa.	My woman is very loving.
40.	Chulear	To flirt or compliment someone.	Él siempre chulea a las chicas.	He always flirts with the girls.
41.	Morro	A youngster or a kid.	El morro juega en la calle.	The kid plays on the street.
42.	Huevón	A lazy or dumb guy.	No seas huevón y ayuda.	Don’t be lazy and help out.
43.	Jeta	Face or mug.	Tiene una jeta muy conocida en el barrio.	He has a well-known face in the neighborhood.
44.	Pirata	A pirate or bootleg.	Compré un disco pirata.	I bought a bootleg CD.
45.	Estrenar	To use something for the first time.	Voy a estrenar mi camisa nueva.	I’m going to wear my new shirt for the first time.
46.	¡Qué oso!	How embarrassing!	Me caí en público, ¡qué oso!	I fell in public. How embarrassing!
47.	¿Que pex?	What’s up!	¿Qué pex, cómo estás?	What’s up! How are you?
48.	Riata	Rope	Usó la riata para amarrar el caballo.	He used the rope to tie the horse.
49.	Jefa/Jefe	Mom/dad or parent.	Mi jefa me llamó para cenar.	My mom called me for dinner.
50.	Chingar	To mess with, bother, or screw up.	No me vengas a chingar con eso.	Don’t come bothering me with that.

Here’s What to Know About Mexican Spanish

The following important information about Mexican will help you ace the Spanish like a pro!

• The pronoun tú in Mexican Spanish is mainly used for second person.
• ‘Vosotros’ is not a part of Mexican Spanish; instead, you can use ustedes both in formal and informal settings.
• Not all the words of Spanish mean the same in Mexican Spanish. Some perfectly polite phrases in Spanish from Spain can be considered rude in Mexican Spanish.
• Lastly, remember that Mexican Spanish has a variety of loanwords from English, as it’s the second most commonly spoken language in the United States.

Wrapping Up!

As a traveler, learning Mexican slang words will help you avoid awkward situations in Mexico City. This way, you’ll be able to better connect with the natives and make your trip a remarkable one. 

The knowledge of Mexican slang phrases will immediately ensure you sound more natural and fluent, assisting you in mixing effortlessly with the Mexicans. For more comprehensive knowledge of teen slang, you can check out the text slang dictionary and seamlessly decode the digital lingo.