Learn some common Mexican Spanish slang
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: What is Mexican Spanish slang like? |
| Cesar: And is it commonly used? |
| Michael: At SpanishPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Jesús Pérez Molina uses a slang expression that Ben Lee has never heard before. |
| "Neta?" |
| Ricardo Román Garza: ¿Neta? |
| Dialogue |
| Ricardo Román Garza: ¿Neta? |
| Ben Lee: ¿Qué significa eso? |
| Ricardo Román Garza: Significa "¿En serio?" |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Ricardo Román Garza: ¿Neta? |
| Michael: ""Neta?"" |
| Ben Lee: ¿Qué significa eso? |
| Michael: "What does it mean?" |
| Ricardo Román Garza: Significa "¿En serio?" |
| Michael: "It means "for real?"" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: Slang is made of words and set phrases or expressions mainly used in colloquial language. It's a vivid part of any language, and it is constantly changing. It's usually used by a certain group of people and it gives that group an identity, so others may not understand that vocabulary at first. But, as time passes, many slang expressions have become more wide-spread and are now part of the language. Here, you'll learn some great Mexican slang words so you can be up to date with Mexican speakers! So, let's jump right in! For example: |
| Cesar: ¡Aguas! |
| Michael: Our first example is literally translated as "Waters!" but is used as "Watch out!" or "Be careful!". You can use it to warn someone about something dangerous that may, or is about to, happen, for example: |
| Cesar: ¡Aguas con el perro! |
| Michael: "Watch out for the dog!" |
| Another slang word used to alert someone about something is: |
| Cesar: ojo |
| Michael: Literally meaning "eye", but used to advise someone to "be careful" with something or to "watch out". For example: |
| Cesar: ¡Ojo con eso! Es muy caro. |
| Michael: "Be careful with that! It is very expensive." |
| Another slang word used in Mexico is: |
| Cesar: ¿Mande? |
| Michael: Literally meaning "Order me.", but used with the meaning of "Pardon?", "What?" or “Excuse me?”, when you don't understand something that someone said, so that they can repeat it to you. |
| In the conversation, Ricardo Roman Garza says: |
| Cesar: ¿Neta? |
| Michael: This slang word is used with the meaning of "for real?" or "Seriously?", used as a question, to get confirmation of something that you have a hard time believing. |
| In the conversation, Ben Lee doesn't understand it, so he asks: |
| Cesar: ¿Qué significa eso? |
| Michael: "What does it mean?". To which Ricardo replies: |
| Cesar: Significa "¿En serio?" |
| Michael: "It means, "for real?"". |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: In this lesson, you've learned some Mexican slang words that will keep you up to date with the language, especially in colloquial conversations. |
| As we've seen, slang is a dynamic aspect of any language, which is constantly changing. It is used by a certain group of people and can be understood as their code or identity, as it may not be understood by people outside of their group initially. As the slang gets more and more popular, it can become part of the language in many cases. |
| Now, let’s look at some examples. Our first example is: |
| Cesar: Te crees muy muy… |
| Te crees el muy muy… |
| Michael: Literally "You think you're very very...", used when someone has a high opinion of themselves, or brags about their many qualities or skills, or something similar. In this case, this is a common slang used to confront the person in a humorous way. For example: |
| Cesar: Te crees muy muy, pero aún no hablas inglés muy bien. |
| Te crees el muy muy, pero aún no hablas inglés muy bien. |
| Michael: "You think you're all that great, but you still don't speak English very well.". |
| The next example is: |
| Cesar: órale |
| Michael: Meaning "wow" or "alright". You can use this Mexican slang expression to express amazement, for example: |
| Cesar: Órale, ¿eso es verdad? |
| Michael: "Wow, is this true?". You can also use this phrase to agree with something: |
| Cesar: Órale, vamos a estudiar juntos, entonces. |
| Michael: "Alright, let's study together, then." |
| Expansion |
| Michael: Slang expressions are used for certain groups, giving them a unique identity. Let's check out an example of a Mexican slang expression commonly used by teenagers: |
| Cesar: ¡Te pasas! |
| Michael: It's literally "you pass", but is used as slang meaning "you've crossed the line" or "you've exaggerated": For example: |
| Cesar: ¿Compraste todo eso hoy? ¡Te pasas! |
| Michael: "Did you buy all this (stuff) today? You've exaggerated!" |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after Cesar focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember how Ricardo says ""Neta?"" |
| Ricardo Roman Garza: ¿Neta? |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Ricardo Roman Garza: ¿Neta? |
| Ricardo Roman Garza: ¿Neta? |
| Michael: And do you remember how Ben Lee says "What does it mean?" |
| Ben Lee: ¿Qué significa eso? |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Ben Lee: ¿Qué significa eso? |
| Ben Lee: ¿Qué significa eso? |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: Some slang expressions are considered more old-fashioned, preferred by older people and characteristic of that group, but it may happen that they are used by other groups as well, as language and slang are very dynamic. Let's take a look at an example: |
| Cesar: hacerse pato |
| Michael: Meaning "wasting time" or "playing dumb". This slang expression is used to say that someone is procrastinating or acting like a fool. For example: |
| Cesar: ¿Ya limpiaste tu cuarto? Deja de hacerte pato. |
| Michael: "Have you cleaned your room yet? Stop wasting time.". |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Cesar: ¡Hasta la próxima! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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