25 Mexican Slang Words That Make You Sound Like a Local

Slang is the difference between speaking Spanish and speaking Mexican. Sprinkle three of these into a conversation and watch faces light up.

The top 10 you'll hear daily

• Chido — Cool, awesome. (¡Qué chido!)
• Neta — For real / the truth. (¿Neta? = Really?)
• Güey — Dude. Friends only. Casually pronounced «wey».
• Chamba — Job, work. (Tengo mucha chamba.)
• Padre / padrísimo — Cool / super cool.
• Sale — OK, deal.
• Órale — Wow / let's go / right on (multi-purpose).
• No manches — No way / get out of here.
• Chela — Beer.
• Crudo — Hungover.

Use with caution

• Pinche — Damn / freaking. Strong; close friends only.
• Mames / no mames — Stronger version of «no manches». Adult company only.
• Cabrón — Can mean «badass» or be an insult. Tone is everything.

Rule of thumb: if you wouldn't say it in front of your boss in English, don't say it in front of someone's abuela in Spanish.