Mexicans are known for our food, music, incredible beaches, rich traditions, and beautiful history. But when it comes to our culture, one of the things I love the most is our colorful colloquialisms. It doesn't take much time around Mexican-Americans to notice that there is a whole different set of terminology on top of the already beautiful and rich traditions that make up Mexican cultura. Like most Latin American countries, a lot of our terms and slang come from observing nature and Indigenous languages. And similar to Dominican and Puerto Rican slang, Mexicans love to play on words.
We say things like "buena onda," which means "good deep" but also describes someone easygoing and cool. We say things are "gacho" when they're bad and "chafa" when something is of bad quality. Not to mention, there are way too many terms that have to do with farts and sex organs. Here are 20 Mexican slang words that you may have heard and should definitely know.
What it means: "Mamar" means "to suck." "No mames" is generally a response, like "stop messing around," "stop messing with me," and "quit bullsh*tting."
In a sentence: "My friend told me she's dating J Lo. I told her, '¡No mames!'"
What it means: Pedo translates to "what fart." It's a way of saying "no way," "what's up?" or "what's the problem?" You can also jazz it up by saying "puro pedo," or "pure farts." It means "you're full of sh*t" or "you're lying."
In a sentence: "Why are you giving me attitude? Que pedo?"
What it means: Technically a cabron is a male goat. It can also mean "assh*le" and "dumb*ss." But when Mexicans say that a situation is a male goat, they typically mean that it's difficult or "that sucks."
In a sentence: "Comadre my sister is getting evicted."
"No pos wow, esta cabron."
What it means: "Huevo" means "egg" or "testicle" depending on the context. You're basically saying "egg/balls" as a way of saying "hell yeah," "of course," or "for sure." It can also be used as a way of expressing you're being forced to do something.
In a sentence: "The medicine was gross but I had to take it. ¡Ahuevo!"
What It means: "Órale" is a way of expressing many emotions. It can be celebratory. It can indicate surprise or discomfort. It can be used as encouragement or as in "hurry up." It can also be used to agree with someone.
In a sentence: "¡Órale mija! I've been waiting for 15 minutes."
What it means: Stupid person.
In a sentence: "¡Eso es lo que te pasa por pendeja!"
What it means: "Güey" literally means "ox" or "slow and stupid." But it's basically Mexico's version of "dude."
In a sentence: "Ese güey me cae gordo."
What It means: "Morro/a" can mean "buddy" or "dude," or it may refer to a small child.
In a sentence: "Me gusta la camisa que trae esa morra."
What it means: "Crudo/a" means "raw." It also means "hungover."
In a sentence: "I only had three drinks last night. ¡Me siento bien cruda!"
What it means: It literally translates to "waters" but is often used to mean "watch out" or "be careful."
In a sentence: "¡Aguas! Don't fall down."
What it means: "Chiflar" means "to whistle." A chiflado is someone who is always calling attention to themselves by showing off, bragging, or being conceited.
In a sentence: "No quiero salir con Rudy, es bien chiflado el güey."
What it means: Strawberry, but also a rich, spoiled girl/child.
In a sentence: "¿Qué quiere la niña fresa?"
What it means: "Seriously," "real talk," or "the truth is."
In a sentence: "La neta, I don't like exercising. Let's go eat!"
What it means: It means father but also means cool.
In a sentence: "Gas esta carsimo, que padre que vivo cerca del centro commercial."
What it means: "Chorro" refers to a jet of water. It can mean "a lot," "a ton," or "a bunch."
In a sentence: "Ese morro me gusta un chorro."
What it means: It can mean "damned," "sh*tty," or "f*cking."
In a sentence: "¡No encuentro mis pinches llaves!"
What it means: Cute, pretty, or attractive.
In a sentence: "Te ves bien chula."
What it means: Job or work.
In a sentence: "Ya me voy a poner a chambear."
What it means: "Gacho" can mean "awful," "bad," "ugly," or "mean," depending on the context.
In a sentence: "¡No seas gacho!"
What it means: "Verga" refers to the male genitalia. "Me vale" means "it's worth to me." "It's worth d*ck" is a way of saying "I don't care" or "I don't give a damn."
In a sentence: "Me vale verga si no quieres salir. ¡Nos llama la calle!"