Mexican dialect

Mexican words/slang

Güey (or Wey)

Means "dude" or "bro," used constantly between friends.

¿Qué onda?

An informal greeting meaning "What's up?”

¡Aguas!

A warning meaning "Watch out!" or "Be careful!"

Chido

An adjective used to describe something cool, nice, or great.

Neta

Means "the truth" or used to ask "Really?"

No manches / No mames

An expression of surprise, disbelief, or frustration (the latter is more vulgar).

Codo

Literally means elbow, but describes someone who is cheap or stingy.

Crudo

Literally means raw, but slang for being hungover.

A huevo güey

Hell ya dude. Or, for sure bro!

Güey

Dude, bro

Chingón

Badass or sick

A la verga

Means like, ah shit! Or fuck it (Vulgar)

Pinche

Means fucking, freaking, damn

Ándale

Hurry up, or, if you say "Ándale pues" it means "alright then" when your saying bye to someone.

Huevón

Means lazy ass

¿Mande?

A polite, respectful way to say "pardon?", "excuse me?", or "what did you say?" when you did not hear someone or when you are answering someone calling your name.

¡Híjole!

Used to express surprise; wow, jeez, yikes

Ese

Used like "man" or "guy" to address someone directly.

Mijo / Mija

Short for mi hijo ("my son") or mi hija ("my daughter"). Used for children, younger people, or loved ones as "sweetie" or "kiddo"

Gordito

Affectionate nicknames based on physical traits (meaning "little chubby"), used even if the person isn't particularly heavy.

Flaquito

Affectionate nicknames based on physical trait (meaning "little skinny"), used even if the person isn't particularly thin.

¡Órale!

Can be used for encouragement, like Go for it! or Right on! It can be used to agree: Let’s do it! or Let’s go! Or it can express excitement, like Wow! or My goodness!, similar to its second cousin híjole.

No Hay Bronca

Means no problem and is an alternative to the vulgar No hay pedo (meaning “no problem” or ”no worries”).

Güera

Means a light-skinned woman with blonde or light hair. For men the word is güero.

Pelón

A common nickname, used as a noun, this refers to a bald guy, especially those who shave their head. Pelo is hair, so pelón means…well there’s some irony at work here.

cátsup

Means ketchup