🇲🇽 Mexican Spanish
How Mexico says it — Mexico City, word by word
Chamaco, Peda, Güey. 27 everyday things and the word Mexico City uses for each, beside what Buenos Aires, Santiago, Medellín, Santo Domingo, Madrid, Mexico City, Lima and San Juan say. Click any row for the full comparison and its sources.
Mexico City word by word
| In English | In Mexico City | Elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| a kid informal | chamaco | pibe cabro chico pelao carajito chaval chibolo nene |
| a party / going out | peda | joda carrete rumba teteo fiesta / salir de marcha tono jangueo / un party |
| a straw | popote | sorbete bombilla pitillo calimete pajita cañita sorbeto |
| dude | güey | che weón parce manín tío causa pana |
| what's up? | ¿Qué onda? | ¿Qué hacés? ¿Cómo estái? ¿Qué más? ¿Qué lo que? ¿Qué tal? ¡Habla! ¿Qué es la que hay? |
| a T-shirt | playera | remera polera camiseta franela camiseta polo t-shirt |
| ok / sure | sale | dale ya po listo ta' to' vale ya dale |
| popcorn | palomitas | pochoclo cabritas crispetas cocaleca canchita popcorn |
| right away | ahoritita | ya mismo al tiro de una ahora mismo enseguida al toque ahora mismo |
| a job | chamba | laburo pega camello trabajo curro trabajo |
| cool | chido North: chilo | copado bacán bacano chévere guay chévere |
| gas station | gasolinera | estación de servicio bencinera bomba bomba grifo |
| money | lana | guita plata plata cuartos pasta plata chavos |
| the bus | pesero Rest of Mexico: camión | colectivo micro bus guagua autobús micro guagua |
| a beer with friends | chela | birra una fría una caña una fría |
| a birthday cake | pastel | torta torta bizcocho tarta torta bizcocho |
| a hangover | cruda | resaca la caña guayabo resaca resaca resaca hangover |
| a pen | pluma | birome lápiz pasta lapicero lapicero boli lapicero |
| a traffic jam | embotellamiento | taco taco tapón atasco tapón |
| beans | frijoles | porotos porotos fríjoles habichuelas judías / alubias frejoles habichuelas |
| a banana | plátano | banana banano guineo guineo |
| eyeglasses | lentes | anteojos gafas espejuelos gafas espejuelos |
| a car | coche north: carro | auto auto carro carro carro carro |
| a swimming pool | alberca | pileta piscina piscina piscina piscina piscina |
| an apartment | departamento | apartamento piso apartamento |
| avocado | aguacate | palta palta palta |
| sneakers | tenis | zapatillas zapatillas zapatillas zapatillas |
Each row links to the full eight-country comparison with its sources. Grey = the standard dictionary word is the local word too.
Talk like a chilango
The in-app «Talk like a local» guide for Mexican Spanish — the words and turns of phrase Mexico City's characters use in conversation, so you recognise them when they come at you at speed.
| They say | It means | You'll hear |
|---|---|---|
| jitomate | (red) tomato (elsewhere: tomate) | ¿Le pongo jitomate a la torta? In central Mexico the red tomato is "jitomate"; a bare "tomate" often means the green tomatillo. |
| elote | corn on the cob (elsewhere: mazorca de maíz) | Un elote con todo, por favor. Street-corner staple; "esquites" are the off-the-cob cup version. |
| torta | filled bread-roll sandwich (elsewhere: bocadillo / sándwich) | Una torta de milanesa para llevar. In Mexico a "torta" is a sandwich on a bolillo or telera — not a cake (that's "pastel"). |
| camión | (city) bus (elsewhere: autobús) | Tomo el camión al centro. In CDMX you'll also hear "pesero" or "micro" for the smaller green route buses. |
| chamarra | jacket (elsewhere: chaqueta) | Trae chamarra, en la noche hace frío. Everyday word in Mexico; "chaqueta" is best avoided in Mexican slang. |
| alberca | swimming pool (elsewhere: piscina) | El hotel tiene alberca en la azotea. "Piscina" is understood but sounds foreign in Mexico. |
| popote | drinking straw (elsewhere: pajita) | Sin popote, gracias. From the Nahuatl "popotl" — one of many Nahuatl words in Mexican Spanish. |
| chamba | work / a job (elsewhere: trabajo) | Mañana tengo mucha chamba. Casual but universal; the verb is "chambear". |
| platicar | to chat (elsewhere: charlar) | Nos quedamos platicando hasta tarde. Mexico's everyday verb for having a conversation; "una plática" is a chat or a talk. |
| refresco | soda / soft drink (elsewhere: gaseosa) | ¿Me da un refresco bien frío? Any soda; at a taquería you'll also be asked "¿de sabor?" — what flavor. |
Everyday phrases
- ¿Mande? — Sorry, what? / Come again? THE Mexican way to ask someone to repeat — far more common (and politer) than "¿qué?".
- ¡Órale! — Wow! / OK! / Let's go! All-purpose: surprise, approval, agreement, or a nudge to get moving — tone decides.
- ¡Ándale! — That's it! / Exactly! / Hurry up! Confirmation or gentle hurry-up; "ándale pues" closes a deal warmly.
- ¿Qué onda? — What's up? Casual greeting among friends; "¿qué onda con…?" asks what's going on with something.
- No manches — No way! / You're kidding! Family-friendly disbelief. Its ruder cousin exists — stick with "no manches".
- Ahorita — right now… ish Famously elastic: anywhere from "this second" to "eventually". Context (and hope) decide.
Practise it with someone from Mexico City
Mexican Spanish never says «vosotros» — it's «ustedes» for everyone, «¿mande?» when you miss something, and a diminutive on half the nouns in the room. You learn it standing at Rosa's trompo in Narvarte, ordering al pastor by count and filling while she flicks the pineapple off the knife without looking.
Meet Rosa in Mexico City →