mexican essay spelling

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What does "ese" mean?

I keep hearing this word "ese" (also spelled "esé" or "ése") on TV used when parodying Spanish speakers. It's often used in a very funny way to indicate friend or homie but I can't tell what it means. Googling produced mixed results where some said it was a fake word used only in Hollywood, others claimed it just meant friend, and some claimed its like using the n-word.

Can someone clarify the meaning of ese (as used in this context) and explain if it is derogatory or not? If obviously don't want to use it if it is!

Additional info from comment :

I've seen it in comedy sketches by Key and Peele. Key often talks in a mock Spanish speaking accent. I'm not sure what nationality or ethnicity it is supposed to represent, but the jokes are of a sort of parody-like nature in that he is skirting the line between funny and racist as comedians sometimes do. Example: East Side Locos Tagger

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• Is there any example of such an use you can point to? I agree with the answers given below but I can't think of how ese can be used in parody. –  JMVanPelt Commented May 2, 2015 at 21:02
• Key and Peele. Key often talks in a mock Spanish speaking accent. I'm not sure what nationality or ethnicity it is supposed to represent, but the jokes are of a sort of parody like nature in that he is skirting the line between funny and racist as comedians sometimes do. Maybe parody isn't the right word. If u have a better one, let me know and I'll change it. Here's the example: youtu.be/fwQXwlg5JU0 –  Stan Shunpike Commented May 2, 2015 at 21:42

9 Answers 9

Looking at the video you mentioned, and doing some googling, it turns out that ese (which has the gramatically correct meanings mentioned in the other answers) is a Spanglish slang to refer to someone, generally the person you are talking to. There are no academic sources for that, but here's a very plausible explanation :

In some places, "ese" (pronounced es-say) is just a slang way of refering to a guy. No different than dude , bro or man . [...] In short, ese can be a neutral term for any average guy or it can be a statement of one's gang affiliation.

Ese is a demonstrative adjective ( quiero ese libro , I want that book) or a demonstrative pronoun ( quiero ese , I want that one). As a pronoun, it's sometimes written with an accent on the stressed syllable: ése. ( RAE, see the 1st meaning of ese, esa, eso )

Ese can be used to refer to people, and it sometimes has a pejorative connotation ( RAE, see the 2nd meaning of ese, esa, eso ):

No conozco al tipo ese. (I don't know that guy.) Ese es un imbécil. (That [guy] is a moron.)

Actually, the word " ese " originated in Mexico City as a urban slang used among kids in the neighborhoods. Kids would use that as a term for "dude" or "hey, man", so it has not negative or offensive meaning. Gangs in East Los Angeles adapted the term since they are of Mexican descent and it is a very common word used among kids and teenagers who lived in urban areas in Mexico City.

• 1 According to Urban Dictionary, it is clearly a word used (in English) by people of Mexican descent, specially sureños (from Southern Mexico): urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=esé –  Gorpik Commented Jun 16, 2016 at 9:24

I am sort of weirded out by this thread!!! I am from California, but the strange nitpick on the use of ese in Mexican dialects sounds almost like it’s being answered by a bunch of folks who either did not grow up or have been exposed to common “ California/Baja ” Spanish usage, Idioms or slang, but are still of Mexican descent, or it is being answered by more people who never spoke Spanish in their lives, perhaps trying to find a translations to a meme or similar joke. You aren’t going to find a proper translation online for this use of the word..

It’s actually easier than all this. To answer the question alone, for this circumstance only, it can be replaced in English with any of these words:

Homie, Holmes, Bro, Dude, etc.

if an accent is heavy, it is because the person saying it has a heavy accent. A MEXICAN ACCENT, and anyone repeating it that doesen't belong to that sort of Barrio culture, is portraying what they hear from Mexicans saying it. Or, making fun of Mexicans . Not cool, homie. (Homie switched out for ese ).

The use of this word, and whether it is maliciously intended or in good faith, depends on if it is being said one of those ways or not, exactly like how it is in English . if you were to use one of the equivalent words i mentioned above...

“What’s your problem, Bro?” sounds menacing, hostile in english “Hey! Bro! How’s it going?” sounds friendly in English. “Dude! You shoulda seen it!” sounds neutral in english too.

However, You still would not say that neutral use of ‘ Dude ’ while talking to your great aunt Beatrice, right?

And just like in English, these Bro , Dude etc names are slang , and you would never call grandpa “ Bro ” and demand a high five. It’s rude.

So, “que onda, ese?” (or the equivalent english “ What’s up, yo? ” ) Are phrases no one would ever use when speaking to grandma, relatives or respected community members, however this usage is OK among peers, it’s just common slang which anyone might find offensive , it just depends on who thinks that way.

I believe its like using the evil “ N” word being white, no matter how good of a friend you are to an African American person, you don’t get to use it. ever.

This rule can be applied to anyone who isn’t Mexican trying to use "ese" as slang. *Not cool, Brah .* At best you'd make a fool of yourself, at worst, depending on where you are, you could get in trouble you didn't need to get in to in the first place. Always use common sense.

However you DO get a free pass using "ese" as slang if you are trying to sing along to any Cypress Hill lyrics and you HAVE to sing to " Insane in the Membrane "-

nobody cares if you can’t control yourself cuz nobody can ,

also if you are paraphrasing your favorite lines from any movie portraying Barrio culture

In general, as with all slang, if you have to ask, you should probably not be using it, but if you want to know just to understand what’s going on if you hear it, there’s no reason to not be privy to the social usage of a slang word in a language that you SHOULD know if you are living in certain areas of the United States.

Summed up, any way you can think of to use “Dude” in English, aside from its proper, webster’s Dictionary use of the term in regard to horse ranches etc. is what “ese” means in the Mexican dialects of Spanish in this context only. Ignore all the other urban dictionary stuff and other proper uses.

• 1 This is a great answer, although perhaps a bit on the passionate side, i took the liberty of doing some edits to clarify and take some edge off that may come across as hostile. But the answer does make a very important point about the usage of slang in a multicultural context , Having lived in the LAX area, and lived this kind of experiences, I couldn't agree more on using common sense, specially in today's politically charged social climate, where misunderstandings may spark unneeded tensions between communities. Learning words in other languages in good faith always builds bridges, –  hlecuanda Commented Jul 9, 2018 at 12:55

Literally, "ese" is a demonstrative pronoun which can mean it, that thing over there, that person over there . However, the Latinamerican dictionary Así Hablamos gives this use of the demonstrative pronoun "ese" for Ecuador:

Sustitución despectiva de él ¡Míralo a ese! ==> Míralo a él | Pejorative substitution for "him"

This definition fits perfectly with what I learned in the 1980's living in a provincial university town in Mexico, far from Mexico City and even farther from the northern border areas where the drug business and gang activity were starting to build up. I'm quite certain the meaning and usage I was taught had nothing to do with gangs or anything related to gangs.

Now, with the help of Urban Dictionary , here's what I believe is going on in the Key & Peele sketch. Key is playing a California latino gang leader. His use of "Ese" is analogous to how you might hear young African American men greet each other with "Nigga." A term originally (and in some circles still ) used by racist whites to refer pejoratively to African Americans has been appropriated, with a slight change in pronunciation and spelling, to mean

fellow tribesman and badass

where I'm using "tribe" to mean racial/ethnic peer group , and I'm using "badass" to mean a formidable and intimidating person .

In the case of ese , it's not a term originally used by people outside the group, but the backdrop of racism is still there, upping the ante, and we see a similar appropriation of a pejorative term as part of a reclaiming of cultural identity and building up of personal self-esteem and group-level ethnic pride.

Note, at least one of the Urban Dictionary entries uses the spelling "esé," but there is a helpful audio recording at https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=esé which shows that the accent is not used to indicate a stress on the last syllable, as in formal Spanish, but rather, to indicate that the whole word is stressed when used as a greeting.

Key uses the term to build the character he's playing, to make the comedy sketch work.

Key and Peele's comedic work with racial stereotypes has been described this way:

Key & Peele’s best sketches are subversive, but still sensitive to the fact that if you joke about a marginalized group, you don’t do so in a vacuum. They’re aware that comedy can either “punch up” against the established hierarchy or “punch down” against people who are already vulnerable.

In other words, it's complicated.

In some contexts you also use "eseeeeeee", with a phonetically longer ending "e", just to express something similar to "that's it dude" or "you rock!". This is specially used in parodying comedian shows.

Hope it helps.

• @Carlos Alejo de hecho, cosas como hope it helps sí suele recomendarse que se elimine. Interesante debate en What should I keep out of my posts and titles? - no es documentación oficial, pero fue escrita por un Community Manager de Stack Exchange . Enlaza con lo que comenté el otro día de Escribamos títulos de preguntas más concretos y textos con menos ruido . –  fedorqui Commented Jun 16, 2016 at 7:44
• @fedorqui, entiendo la postura y la respetaré si es mayoritaria, pero no la comparto. Yo entiendo que ese tipo de mensajes no se pongan en páginas como la Wikipedia, que es un sitio enciclopédico, pero los sitios de Stack Exchange en el fondo no dejan de ser foros. Si a un usuario le sale del alma decir que espera que su mensaje sea de utilidad, no veo por qué no respetarlo, yo me sentiría un poco mal si escribo eso con toda mi buena intención y me lo eliminan. Otra cosa es eliminar frases como "perdón por la respuesta tardía" y cosas así, que eso sí lo entiendo. –  Charlie Commented Jun 16, 2016 at 7:53
• @fedorqui yo propondría dejar el texto de "hope it helps" en la respuesta para no hacer sentir mal al usuario, pero avisarle de que su respuesta siempre ayuda y que no es necesario que lo escriba en el futuro. –  Charlie Commented Jun 16, 2016 at 7:54
• @CarlosAlejo dejemos este "hope it helps", vale. Este sería un buen debate para Spanish Language Meta . En general, coincido en que no hay que ser excesivamente puristas: en sitios como Stack Overflow (donde empecé yo) sí lo son porque hay una gran cantidad de actividad, por lo que es importante dejar el mínimo imprescindible para minimizar ruido. Muchas respuestas que vemos aquí que son apenas una línea se tienden a convertir en comentarios, por ejemplo. Volviendo a este caso, los elementos tangenciales a las respuestas las puede añadir el propio autor pero en comentarios, como estamos haciendo aquí ahora. –  fedorqui Commented Jun 16, 2016 at 8:19

Ese has multiple proper uses, such as Quiero ese coche, "I want that car!" Quiere ese coche, "Do you want that car?" It is also used predominantly in Mexican or Mexican American/Chicano slang as part of a greeting "Qvo (what's up) ese?" or depending on the intonation "Qvo ese!!!" (said with grit or malice) can be a challenge/confrontation of someone. I have also seen and heard it used with derogatory overtones (re: movie "Next Friday" and "Training Day"). That "Ese" or Eses" over there as the term for Mexican American/Chicano people.

• This is an interesting contribution, Cesar. the part that I didn't understand is "Qvo." Is it sort of an abbreviation for "Quiubo" (derived from "Qué hubo"? –  aparente001 Commented Jun 2, 2018 at 14:22
• @aparente001 indeed it is: q'vo –  jacobo Commented Jul 7, 2018 at 17:47

It's Mexican Spanish slang to refer to a person, analogous to tío, hombre etc (or dude, bro, man in English). It's not inherently derogatory, but could be used disparagingly in a certain context.

It's very distinctive of Mexican Spanish, so is often used as an easy marker in television etc to imply someone is Mexican, or generally 'hispanic' (since Mexican Spanish varieties are the biggest influence on US perception of the language as a whole).

e.g. Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in Young Justice uses it frequently (a character of Mexican descent, growing up in El Paso, Texas).

ese, sa. ■ M. y F. supran. Persona indeterminada; "Estaba un ese esperando en la puerta del edificio". Academia mexicana de la lengua: Diccionario de mexicanismos

ese, -a. I. 1. m. y f. EU. Hombre o mujer. pop. RAE: Diccionario de americanismos - ese

ése ... 3. ( Mexico, vocative ) dude, guy, pal, man wiktionary.org - ése (Spanish)

If you say: "Que onda, ese" it's like "what's up, dude" . You wouldn't use this expression to address any person of respect such as your boss, your dad, your dad-in-law, etc. In fact, the use of this expression will give the worst impression unless it's said to a close friend. This expression is usually frowned upon and it's considered rude when it's said out of the slums.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged modismos coloquialismos cultura-de-masas lenguaje-peyorativo lenguage-despectivo or ask your own question .

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Ese Meaning: What Does the Slang Term “Ese” Mean and Stand for?

What does Ese mean? If you come from a Spanish background or associate with a lot of Spanish speaking people, then you may hear this term used quite often not only in all forms of electronic communication but also as a part of face-to-face conversation. If you have recently encountered this phrase being used and were unable to determine its meaning through context, then you have come to the right place to learn everything there is to know about this slang term.

Here you will not only find its meaning, but you will also unveil information about its origin and see some other meanings it can have. Conversation examples are provided here for your convenience as well for you to better understand how the term is used properly and to assist you with gaining an understanding of its meaning also. Finally, you will see some words that you can use in place of this term to convey the same meaning.

Ese Meaning

What does ese mean.

Pronounced like the American word “ essay ,” this slang term is a standalone word that is most commonly used in all forms of communication to mean “guy” or “dude” . It is used to talk about someone or to greet someone who is male in a friendly matter.

Origin of Ese

This slang term originated in Mexico City and was first used by urban street kids. It is believed that the term was shortened from the full phrase “ese vato” which means “that guy” or “that man” in Spanish. However, there is no time frame mentioned regarding when the slang term was first used.

Other Meanings

Aside from being used as this standalone term, you may see it representing specific phrases, titles, processes, etc. as an acronym. While not intended to be an all-inclusive list, some of the things that this term can stand for when being used as an acronym are “Extensible Storage Engine,” “Enhanced Systems Engineering,” “Error in Simple Expression,” “Electronic Stock Exchange,” and “Engineer Support Equipment.”

Conversation Examples

A conversation between two friends via text message.

• Friend 1 : What’s up, ese ?
• Friend 2 : Not much! I am just waiting for my mom to get home so she can tell me what we are having for dinner. I am starving!
• Friend 1 : Yeah, same here. I think I am going to go heat up some Hot Pockets or something.
• Friend 2 : Oh, that sounds good! I wish I had some of those in my freezer right about now.

An online conversation between two Facebook users.

• User 1 : Hey everyone! I am finally back from vacation! It was awesome!
• User 2 : Hey! What’s up, ese !! I have missed you, my friend! Glad to see you made it back safely! Can’t wait to see the pics!

Synonyms for Ese

There are many other words that you can use to replace this slang term in a conversation without changing the meaning of the original term. Some of the other words that you could use include:

Ese Meaning Infographic

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Translations dictionary

or esse [ es -ey] or [ ey -sey]

What does ese mean?

Ese , amigo , hombre . Or, in English slang, dude ,  bro , homey . Ese is a Mexican-Spanish slang term of address for a fellow man.

Related words

Where does ese come from.

Ese originates in Mexican Spanish. Ese literally means “that” or “that one,” and likely extended to “fellow man” as shortened from expressions like ese vato , “that guy.”

There are some more elaborate (though less probable) theories behind ese . One goes that a notorious Mexican gang, the  Sureños  (“Southerners”), made their way from Mexico City to Southern California in the 1960s.  Ese is the Spanish name for letter S , which is how the gang members referred to each other. Or so the story goes.

Ese is recorded in English for a “fellow Hispanic man” in the 1960s. It became more a general term of address by the 1980s, though  ese remains closely associated (and even stereotyped) with Chicano culture in the US.

Ese is notably found in the Chicano poetry of José Antonio Burciaga and Cheech & Chong comedy routines (Cheech Marin is Mexican-American.)

White confusion over ese was memorably parodied in a 2007 episode of the TV show South Park . On it, the boys think they can get some Mexican men to write their essays , but them men write letters home to their eses .

Examples of ese

Who uses ese?

For Mexican and Mexican-American Spanish speakers,  ese has the force of “dude,” “brother,” or “man,” i.e., a close and trusted friend or compatriot .

I needa kick it wit my ese's its been a minute — al (@a1anxs) February 1, 2019

It’s often used as friendly and familiar term of address…

Always a good time with my ese. 😎 pic.twitter.com/xxM4YroWDV — | Y | G | (@yg_monroe) January 12, 2019

…but it can also be more aggressively and forcefully.

Cypress Hill 2018: Who you tryin' ta mess with, ese? Don't you know I'm seeking professional help for my deep rooted emotional problemsssssss?!? — JAY. (@GoonLeDouche) June 30, 2018

“You’d have to be crazy to swipe left.” Who you tryna get crazy with, ese? Don’t you know I’m loco? Sorry, always wanted to say that. Anyway, swipe left. Might actually be crazy. — Why I Swiped Left (@LeftyMcSwiper) December 17, 2018

Ese is associated with Mexican and Chicano American culture, where it can refer to and be used by both men and women. The term is also specifically associated with Mexican-American gang culture.

What's up ese? pic.twitter.com/0vAQxZZ6SO — AlesiAkiraKitsune© (@AlesiAkira) January 21, 2019

It is often considered appropriative for people outside those cultures to use ese , especially since some non-Mexican people may use  ese in ways that mock Mexicans and Mexican-American culture.

This is not meant to be a formal definition of ese like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of ese that will help our users expand their word mastery.

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Spanish essay example and how to write it.

Today, I will share a  Spanish essay example   in the end of the article and talk about the steps and hacks to help you craft the perfect Spanish essay.

As an experienced writer, I understand how hard it can be to write in a language different from your mother tongue. But, know that learning  how to write a good Spanish essay  has more to do with following a structure than it has to do with understanding the language.

Of course, you need to have a basic understanding of spelling and grammatical practices; as well as a vast vocabulary to avoid sounding monotonous. 

However, learning  how to write a Spanish essay  is not impossible if you follow these simple steps:

• Draft an outline 
• Create a list of words and terms 
• Start writing the body of your essay
• Write the introduction 
• Formulate the conclusion 
• Proofread and edit 

As you can see, learning how to write a good Spanish essay requires a lot of planning and organization. And although it might be counter-intuitive at first, following the structure above will save you a lot of time. Plus, once you have the system down, you will be able to create exciting pieces without breaking a sweat!

Before we dive in, I always recommend you do a little research. So, look up  Spanish essay examples  online and analyze the way the writer structured the piece. Bonus points if you can find useful examples of essays within your topic of choice. The idea is not to copy what others are saying but to understand  how to write a Spanish essay  that is well crafted, appealing, and informative — all at the same time. 

Now that you have done your homework; it is time to start writing your essay by following the steps I mentioned earlier:

1. Draft an outline

An outline is vital when you are learning  how to write a Spanish essay , as it will allow you to organize your arguments and ideas. Plus, given that you are not writing in your first language, an outline will help you translate keywords or phrases from English to Spanish (if need be).

As you can see from the Spanish essay example, I have shared it after the text . You must keep it simple. Nonetheless, make sure you have enough information to elaborate on 6-7 paragraphs. Also, do not forget to include any quotes, statistics, or other information (from credible sources) that could support your arguments.

2. Create a list of words and terms 

I always recommend that before you start writing, you create a list of keywords or phrases that are vital to your essay. More often than not, these terms will appear as part of your outline, but, in other instances, these could be hard-to-translate terms. 

You do not need to write every word or term you will be using throughout the piece as you can always use a English-Spanish dictionary if you cannot recall a specific term.

The list is a way of double-checking. keywords to make sure you are using the correct term in Spanish and not using a literal translation. For instance, in the list of our Spanish essay example, the word “ must-have ” is not translated to “ debes tener ,” as that would be a literal translation. Instead, the phrases “ cualidades indispensables ” is used, which would be the appropriate term in Spanish.  

3. Start writing the body of your essay

The body of the essay is where you fully develop your argument. It might seem odd, but you should ignore your essay’s introduction and go straight to the body . 

If your goal is to master  how to write a good Spanish essay  make sure your body has a good flow in between paragraphs, so they do not end up being separate mini-essays. It is also essential that each body paragraph contains only one main argument or claim. However, this central idea can (and should) be supported by approximately 5 to 6 other sentences.

Spanish essays are usually wordier/more complicated than your average English essay as the language is richer. So, do not be afraid to write longer sentences to get the message across.  

Lastly, do not forget to add relevant examples, evidence to support your arguments, and quotes from experts or credible sources (i.e., academic books and journal articles).   You can see one example of a quote here.

Let’s be honest, most students do not do that, but shows the teacher you have put effort to research your topic.

 Go back to our Spanish essay example and dissect each paragraph. Pay attention to the transitions here and here , the way we incorporated quotes, and how each paragraph’s main idea is developed. In doing so, you will be gaining valuable insight as to how to structure your document. 

4. Write the introduction 

Once you have finished writing your entire essay’s body, write the introduction. Why? Simple. If the job of an introduction is to set the tone for what will follow. You will have a more precise and more detailed idea of what that is once you’ve written the entire piece. 

An introduction should state a problem or introduce a subject of discussion. It should also tell the reader  why  you are writing this essay and why he/she should feel compelled to read it. 

Let’s look at our Spanish essay example. Here, the introduction , although it is short, gives us enough information. It allows us to understand that we will know how to manage a remote team by choosing the right candidates and establishing an effective strategy after reading this essay. And that is precisely what you want an introduction to be doing!  

5. Formulate the conclusion 

When learning  how to write a Spanish essay , you have to be really careful with how you formulate the conclusion. In Spanish, your conclusion should always begin by restating your main argument. In other words, this is your chance to tie all of your main points together and give the reader a succinct takeaway. 

For instance, in our Spanish essay example, the conclusion is everything. Think about it, if you only read the title and this last paragraph, you almost do not need to read the body. All the main points are there, and as a reader, I got what I came looking for: strategies to manage a remote team effectively. 

6. Proofread and edit 

To finish our easy steps on  how to write a Spanish essay,  we must not leave our editing and proofreading! This step is critical to composing a great essay. Most readers will not even finish reading articles if they spot a spelling mistake, typo, or grammatical error. Thus, take the time to go over your essay.

Furthermore, when editing your essay, pay attention to:

• Readability 
• Consistency of the language
• Argument reasoning and rationale
• Transition between paragraphs
• Writing style
• Citations and referencing 

Lastly, given that Spanish is not your first language, I always recommend having someone else proofread your final draft before sending it out or printing it. A native Spanish speaker can easily spot mistakes that you might have missed, which could affect your article’s natural flow. 

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How to Make your Spanish Essay More Persuasive 

Now that you have finished writing a good Spanish essay, you might want to go the extra mile by making it more persuasive. 

A  Spanish persuasive essay  or any persuasive essays’ goal is to convince the reader to think like you or validate your perspective. But, some topics can be more subjective than others. Thus, to make sure your essay is effective, always rely on others. 

In other words, don’t let your argument stand-alone—research statistics, graphs, information, and data that can back up what you are saying. Citing or quoting experts in the field is also a great way to go about it as it allows your message to carry more weight. 

Nonetheless, make sure you are only using reliable sources. Below a list of ways to vet a reference to make sure your  Spanish persuasive essay  uses only the best sources:

Verify the information you already have against the data found in the source.

• Authority

Make sure a dependable author or institution writes the source.

Depending on your subject, your currency needs will vary. Thus, make sure to check when was the book or article written/published.

As a rule of thumb, I consider a reliable source:

• Materials published within the last five years

• Official websites (.gov., .edu,.org)

• Academic databases

• Articles published by well-known authors or experts in a specific topic

There you have it! Six easy steps that will help you write a good Spanish essay and a few tips and tricks to make it more persuasive.

Spanish essay example – See below

Cómo desarrollar una estrategia efectiva de teletrabajo.

[Start of the Introduction section]

El Covid-19 ha llevado a muchas empresas a migrar de un trabajo presencial al teletrabajo. Según Global Workplace Analytics [ and in the end you can add the reference to your Bibliografía ], unos 75 millones de trabajadores de los EEUU podrían teletrabajar al menos un parte de su jornada de trabajo. Sin embargo, para muchos sectores esto se ha convertido en un verdadero reto.

Aunque para muchos no sea obvio, los beneficios de trabajar con equipos remotos son incontables, siempre que construyas una política realmente efectiva y diseñes el proceso de reclutamiento acertado. Así es que si buscas desarrollar una estrategia efectiva de teletrabajo, debes asegurarte de que tus empleados o candidatos para trabajar a distancia, cuenten con las herramientas adecuadas.

[End of the Introdution]

[Start of the body section]

Cuando comiences a reclutar personas (nuevas o dentro de tu mismo equipo de trabajo), asegúrate de informarles de las cualidades indispensables que buscas en un candidato. No todo el mundo podrá unirse a la modalidad de teletrabajo por más que la situación lo requiera.

Por ejemplo , si una de las características más importantes para el desarrollo del proyecto es la conectividad, los candidatos adecuados deben poder estar a tu disponibles a través de sus computadoras o dispositivos móviles. Mónica Zent [ another reference in our Bibliografía section ], fundadora de Foxwordy la primera red social privada para abogados, recomienda que a todos los candidatos se les debería preguntar acerca de sus hábitos digitales. Pues, los candidatos ideales para el teletrabajo son aquellos que tienen disponibilidad y buena disposición para mantenerse conectados o conectarse en el momento en que sea necesario.

Del mismo modo , debes infórmales sobre de tus reglas para el teletrabajo y ayudarlos a mejorar sus métodos de gestión del tiempo. La idea es que te apoyes en un equipo eficiente, pero que además sea capaz de lograr un buen equilibrio entre la vida y el trabajo. Aunque la flexibilidad es una de las características inherentes del trabajo remoto, debes construir una política firme según las necesidades específicas de tu proyecto para poder dirigir un equipo eficiente y efectivo.

Las horas laborales oficiales, dependerán de los requerimientos de tu proyecto, por lo que es importante que los miembros de tu equipo sepan a qué horario atenerse. En caso de que los miembros de tu equipo tengan distintos husos horarios, define uno oficial con el que todos se sientan cómodos.

Determina los días que necesites una videoconferencia con todo el equipo dentro del huso horario oficial. Estas llamadas les permitirán recordar que trabajan con otras personas aunque por lo general hagan sus tareas aislados. Promueve el uso de la webcam para que todos estén concentrados en la conversación y estén realmente presentes. El verse las caras permite la comprensión del lenguaje corporal y una mejor comunicación.

[End of body section]

[Start of the conclusion section]

En conclusión, una estrategia efectiva de trabajo remoto dependerá de la forma en la que buscas y vetas los candidatos en tu empresa. No todo el mundo tiene la capacidad de trabajar desde casa de manera efectiva.

Además , recuerda hacer hincapié en la modalidad de trabajo y plantea una estructura clara donde se establezcan horarios, reuniones y seguimientos para lograr los mejores resultados.

Si logras incoporar todas estas prácticas dentro de tu modelo de negocio, tendrás un equipo remoto efectivo, compenetrado y eficiente. Tres factores de vital importancia para sobrepasar la crisis mundial que nos ha tocado vivir este 2020.

Bibliografía

• Global Workplace Analytics, 2020. How many people could work-from-home . Consultado a 04.10.2020 en [https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/how-many-people-could-work-from-home].
• Zent, Mónica, 2015. Monica Zent’s 5 Ways to Effectively Lead Remote Teams . Consutlado a 04.10.2020 en [https://medium.com/@MonicaZent/monica-zent-s-5-ways-to-effectively-lead-remote-teams-the-most-cutting-edge-companies-of-the-ab409c3db16a]
• Introducción
• “En los EE. UU., 4.7 millones de empleados trabajan desde casa al menos la mitad de la semana.”
• Qué estas buscando
• Conectividad
• Disponibilidad
• El candidato ideal
• Tip de Mónica Zent
• Flexibilidad
• Modalidad de trabajo
• Estrategia/planificación
• Video conferencias/Uso de la webcam
• Fechas de entrega

List of words

• Work remotely = Trabajo remoto/teletrabajo
• Flexibilty = Felixbilidad
• Availability = Disponibilidad
• 24/7 Connectivity = Conectividad las 24 horas
• Must-haves = Cualidades indispensables
• Video conference = Video conferencias
• Deadlines = Fechas de entrega
• Time zone = huso horario
• Webcam = webcam

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Spanish Essay Phrases: 40 Useful Phrases for an Impressive Writeup

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May 30, 2019

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Do you need to write a lot of essays in Spanish? If you do, don’t worry. It's about to get a little bit easier for you because here in this article, we’ve listed many useful Spanish essay phrases that you can readily use in your essays.

Feel free to pepper your essays with the words and expressions from this list. It would certainly elevate your essays and impress your teachers. You're welcome!

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Spanish Essay Phrases

Additional Resources

You can also check out the following resources:

84 Spanish Expressions for Agreeing and Disagreeing

Common Spanish Verbs

Expresiones útiles para escribir en español

Looking for more Spanish phrases? Check out this e-book with audio!

Try to use the essay phrases in Spanish that you learned in this lesson and write a few example sentences in the comments section!

About the author 

Janey is a fan of different languages and studied Spanish, German, Mandarin, and Japanese in college. She has now added French into the mix, though English will always be her first love. She loves reading anything (including product labels).

VERY VERY useful !! Gracias

Amazing! This will definitely help me in tomorrow’s spanish test 🙂

Sounds good

Thanks for the assistance, in learning Spanish.

Amazing article! Very helpful! Also, this website is great for Spanish Beginners.

It’s easy when you put it that way

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52 Spanish Essay Phrases for Your AP Exam

In order to do well on the AP Spanish exam’s   free-response  section, you must be able to write a persuasive essay based on three Spanish-language sources.

Here we’ve put together a list of 52 vocabulary words and essays phrases that will come in handy for making and supporting arguments in your AP Spanish essays.

Handy Essay Phrases for Writing a Strong Spanish AP Composition

Starting your essay, agreeing and disagreeing, stating an opinion, supporting an opinion, contrasting (or comparing), transitional phrases, changing topics, concluding your essay, how to prepare for the ap spanish essay, what are the details of the ap spanish essay.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Para empezar – To begin with

Hoy en día – Nowadays…

Hoy en día, las personas están en Internet hasta ocho horas por día. (Nowadays, people are on the Internet up to eight hours per day.)

A manera de introducción – We can start by saying…

Como punto de partida – As a starting point

Al principio – At the beginning… 

En primer lugar  – To start… 

Empecemos por considerar – Let’s begin by considering…

Estoy de acuerdo/No estoy de acuerdo — I agree/I disagree

Estoy de acuerdo con lo que dice el autor. (I agree with what the author says.)

No estoy de acuerdo con la idea principal de la fuente número dos . (I disagree with the main idea of source number two.)

En mi opinión — In my opinion

En mi opinión, los jóvenes deberían comer más sano. (In my opinion, young people should eat healthier.)

La verdad es   — The truth is

La verdad es que todavía hay mucha desigualdad en los Estados Unidos . (The truth is there is still a lot of inequality in the United States.)

Es verdad  — It’s true

Es verdad que las redes sociales pueden ser peligrosas . (It’s true that social media can be dangerous.)

Es falso   —   It’s false

Hay gente que dice que las redes sociales son peligrosas, pero esto es falso . (There are people who say that social media is dangerous, but this is false.)

Me parece/No me parece   —   It seems to me/It doesn’t seem to me

Me parece bien que los niños asistan a colegios bilingües . (I think it’s a good idea that children attend bilingual schools.)

No me parece bien que los niños asistan a colegios bilingües . (I don’t think it’s a good idea that children attend bilingual schools.)

Remember that since me parece implies an opinion or emotion, you must conjugate the verb in the subjunctive tense.

(Yo) pienso que   —   I think that

Yo pienso que no hay nada más importante que la familia . (I think that there is nothing more important than family.)

(Yo) creo que  — I believe that

Yo creo que todos los adolescentes deberían aprender a tocar un instrumento . (I believe that all adolescents should learn to play an instrument.)

The following phrases all have the same structure: Es  + adjective +  que .

This structure is similar to the English “It’s [adjective] that…” and is great for expressing and supporting opinions in a strong and confident manner. Here are some phrases that are especially useful when making and defending claims in a persuasive essay:

Es evidente que   —   It’s evident that

Es claro que   —   It’s clear that

Es cierto que  —   It’s certain that

Es obvio que   — It’s obvious that

Es importante que  — It’s important that

Es necesario que   — It’s necessary that

Es probable que   —   It’s probable that

Es dudoso que  — It’s doubtful that

For some of these phrases, the verb following the word que must be conjugated in the indicative, while others require the subjunctive . A good rule of thumb is that when implying that something is certain, use the indicative. When expressing doubt or expressing some other emotion, use the subjunctive.

On this list, evidente, claro, cierto  and obvio use indicative verbs, and importante, necesario, probable  and dudoso use subjunctive verbs.

Es cierto que nuestro clima está cambiando . (It is certain that our climate is changing.)

Es importante que la gente sepa hablar más de un idioma . (It’s important that people know how to speak more than one language.)

These words will help you refer to your three sources, which contain information that will help you support your argument. This section also contains transition words to connect one part of your argument to the next.

Según   — According to  

Según el autor… (according to the author…)

La fuente  —   The source

Según la fuente numero 1… (According to source number one…)

El tema   —   The theme/topic

Esto es un tema muy importante. (This is a very important topic.)

Mostrar   —   To show

La fuente muestra la importancia de la diversidad. (The source shows the importance of diversity.)

Remember, mostrar is an o-ue stem-changing verb—pay attention to conjugation!

Demostrar   —   To demonstrate

La tabla demuestra que muchos jóvenes en España juegan al fútbol. (The table demonstrates that many youths in Spain play football.)

Demostrar is also an o-ue stem changing verb. Luckily for you, it follows the exact same conjugation rules as mostrar !

Indicar   —   To indicate

La tabla indica que hay muchas familias pobres en ese barrio. (The table indicates that there are many poor families in that neighborhood.)

Apoyar   —   To support

Estos datos apoyan la idea de que el clima está cambiando. (This data supports the idea that the climate is changing)

Sin duda   — Without a doubt

Sin duda, el cambio climático es el problema más grave que enfrenta nuestra planeta. (Without a doubt, climate change is the most serious problem that our planet faces.)

Por otra parte   — On the other hand

Es importante que la economía crezca, pero por otra parte, tenemos que cuidar el medio ambiente. (It’s important that the economy grows, but on the other hand, we have to care for the environment.)

Aunque   — Even though/Although

Aunque is followed by an indicative verb when the outcome is known, but a subjunctive verb when the outcome is speculative.

Aunque cuesta mucho dinero, tenemos que buscar una solución. (Even though it costs a lot of money, we have to search for a solution.)

Aunque cueste mucho dinero, tenemos que buscar una solución . (Even though it may cost a lot of money, we have to search for a solution.)

Al igual que  —   Just like

Al igual que en los años 40, hoy en día hay mucha gente que no quiere ayudar a los refugiados de guerra . (Just like in the 40s, today there are many people who don’t want to help war refugees.)

Tanto… como… — … as well as…

Fill in this phrase with two nouns to emphasize that you’re talking equally about two different things.

Tanto chicos como chicas deberían aprender a cocinar, limpiar, coser y cuidar a los bebés. (Boys as well as girls ought to learn how to cook, clean, sew and care for babies.)  

Sino   —   But rather

Remember that Spanish has two translations for the English word “but.” The word sino is like the English phrase “but rather,” used to introduce an alternative.

En comparación  —   In comparison

En comparación, la fuente número 2 indica que hay más obesidad en Estados Unidos que en España . (In comparison, source number 2 indicates that there is more obesity in the United States than in Spain.)

Leer no es una pérdida de tiempo, sino una manera de aprender y de conocer otras culturas . (Reading isn’t a waste of time, but rather a way to learn and understand other cultures.)

Además  — Additionally

This word is usually seen at the beginning of a sentence, and it’s useful for transitioning from one idea or argument to another.

Además, es evidente que la tecnología nos ayuda mucho. (Additionally, it’s evident that technology helps us a lot.)

Sin embargo   —   However

This is another good transition word. In your essay, you may want to present an alternate argument and then explain why you disagree with it. Sin embargo is very helpful for this.

Obviamente, estudiar es muy importante. Sin embargo, es necesario que los adolescentes tengan tiempo para jugar con sus amigos . (Obviously, studying is very important. However, it’s necessary that teenagers have time to play with their friends.)

Por lo cual   —   For this reason/That’s why/Which is why

This phrase is used in the middle of a sentence to connect ideas.

La Amazonía tiene un alto nivel de biodiversidad, por lo cual la conservación de esta región debe ser una prioridad.  (The Amazon has a high level of biodiversity, which is why the conservation of this region must be a priority.)

Sobre un tema relacionado — On a related topic

Sobre un tema relacionado con la inteligencia artificial, se están llevando a cabo investigaciones para mejorar la capacidad de aprendizaje de los algoritmos de machine learning.  (Regarding a topic related to artificial intelligence, research is being conducted to enhance the learning capacity of machine learning algorithms.)

Cuando se trata de –  When it comes to

Relacionado con esta idea — Related to this idea

Una idea similar es — A similar idea is

Una idea similar es utilizar la realidad virtual como herramienta educativa para mejorar la experiencia de aprendizaje de los estudiantes. (A similar idea is to use virtual reality as an educational tool to enhance the learning experience of students.)

Ahora estoy pasando a  — Now moving onto

In your final paragraph, you’ll want to provide a summary of your main argument and your main supporting points. You can use the following helpful phrases:

En conclusión   —   In conclusion

En resumen   —   In summary

En fin   —   Finally

En conclusión,/En resumen,/En fin, las tres fuentes muestran que la contaminación del aire es un problema muy grave para todo el mundo . (In summary, the three sources show that air pollution is a very serious problem for the whole world.)

After summarizing your essay, you’ll want to restate your main argument in a succinct, strongly-worded sentence. Start with these phrases:

Por estas razones   —   For these reasons

Por eso  — That is why

Así que   —   Therefore

Entonces  — So

Por estas razones,/Por eso,/Así que/Entonces, afirmo que los adolescentes no deberían usar las redes sociales. (For these reasons, I affirm that teenagers should not use social media.)

In many ways, preparing for the free-response section is the same as preparing for the rest of the AP exam.

It involves studying grammar and vocabulary, and it also means immersing yourself in the Spanish language as much as possible.

There are also some targeted ways to practice for the free-response section.

• Do practice exams and read sample essays. The College Board  has posted the full AP exams from the last several years. Try to read the sources and write the essay in the allotted 55 minutes. When you’re done, go back and slowly revise your essay for errors in grammar, spelling and logic. After that, you can also check out the grading rubric provided by the College Board and several sample persuasive essays . Try to compare your essay against the rubric and the samples to see how you can improve your writing.
• Practice summarizing and analyzing Spanish-language sources. Remember all those great resources listed above? Well, it’s not enough to just read or listen to them. The whole point of the presentational essay is to measure your ability to summarize, synthesize and argue. So, after you read or listen to a Spanish-language source, take five minutes to summarize it—on paper. Identify the main argument, and then make a bulleted list of important points. Finally, write a few sentences summarizing your personal opinion.
• Learn targeted vocabulary for talking about opinions and arguments. Is there anything more frustrating than knowing exactly what you want to say, but not having the vocabulary to say it? This article lists many crucial vocabulary words for expressing and supporting opinions in persuasive essays. Using these words and phrases will help make your writing flow more smoothly, and allow you to argue with more credibility.
• Use authentic content to immerse yourself so you get used to thinking in Spanish. A virtual immersion program like FluentU can help you get going with a bit more structure.

You can also find some great info on great news outlets , podcasts , YouTube channels  and blogs —all in Spanish. Even following some Spanish Twitter feeds or listening to Spanish music can be a great way to work a little language practice into your day.

The free-response section of the exam is meant to test your ability to communicate with others in spoken and written Spanish.

There are two essays in the free-response section. The interpersonal essay asks you to respond to an email. The presentational essay  tests how well you can draw information from Spanish-language sources, form an argument and write formally. This second essay is a little less straightforward, so we’ll walk you through it here.

So, how does it work?

The presentational essay is based on three sources . Two of them are written sources and one is an audio source.

These sources can be just about anything: Advertisements, articles, infographics, letters, maps, interviews, radio programs, podcasts and conversations are just some examples of the types of sources you may encounter.

You’ll have about 55 minutes to complete this particular essay. First, you’ll have six minutes to read the prompt and the two written sources, and then you’ll hear the audio source twice. Finally, you’ll have 40 minutes to plan and write your essay.

The essay is graded on the basis of Spanish language skills like reading, listening, writing and grammar—but it’s also based on your general ability to analyze the sources and make a strong, coherent argument.

Of course, learning vocabulary and essay phrases is just one way to prepare for the free-response section.

Remember to expose yourself to as many Spanish-language sources as you can before test day, and don’t forget to think critically about those sources as you read them!

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60 Mexican Slang Words to Improve Your Conversational Spanish

Ok, but what is mexican slang, improve your spanish language skills, 5 reasons why it is important to learn mexican slang, slang mexican words and phrases with context and examples, ¡no manches, ¿mande (or “ ¿mande usted ” when talking to older people), ¡eso que ni qué, te crees muy muy, no hay bronca, ¡qué padre, sale y vale, estoy crudo, ¿quién la cagó, no hay pedo, ando bien pedo, me vale madres, ¡puta madre, hijo de puta / hijo de perra, ¿qué estás haciendo, güey, ¡a la verga, what was your favorite mexican slang phrase, learn a new language faster, get more from lingvist.

51 Mexican Slang Words To Sound Like a True Mexican

A while ago, some of my best students had the hardest time understanding what some Mexicans were saying. Does this sound familiar to you? When struggling to understand locals, it’s highly-likely you need to improve your slang vocabulary. So, if want to take your Mexican Spanish to the next level, you must learn some Mexican slang words

Slang terms can make a huge difference when learning Spanish . For that reason, in this article, you’ll learn 51 common Mexican slang words and phrases we Mexicans use on a daily basis. I’ll include definitions and examples of how to use these terms. By the end of it, you’ll be able to understand and apply these words like a true Mexican speaker. 

1. Güey 

Güey or wey is a Mexican slang word for friend. However, it can also be used to say that someone is dumb, to express surprise or annoyance. So, depending on the context, it means ‘ dude’, ‘mate’ , ‘ pal ’ , ‘buddy’ , ‘guy’, ‘silly’, ‘dumb’ or ‘damn ’. 

Güey , ¿ya vienes? Dude , are you on your way?

¡Qué wey estás! You’re so silly!

2. Pedo 

Pedo is one of the most robust Mexican slang words. Its meaning depends on the phrase you use:

• Echarse un pedo – To fart
• Estar pedo – To be drunk
• Ponerse pedo – To get drunk
• No hay pedo – No biggie / No problem
• Ni pedo – It is what it is / Oh well
• ¡Qué pedo! – Jeez! / What’s up
• Buen pedo – Nice
• Mal pedo – That’s too bad / Mean
• Traer un pedo – Have an issue
• Hacerla de pedo – Make a fuss / Look for trouble
• Ser otro pedo – Be something else 
• Bajarle a tu pedo – Chill out 
• Agarrar el pedo – To understand

Take Note: Pedo is a very common slang word among Mexicans. However, for some people, it’s close to a curse word. Pex is the less coarse version of ‘pedo’. So, if you want to be more cautious, you can replace ‘pedo’ with this word. 

Chido is the Mexican slang word for ‘ cool ’ and ‘awesome’ . Mexican speakers use this word to describe things and people or as an informal way to agree with something or say ‘thank you’ .  

¡Qué chido ! Me da gusto por ti. Awesome! I’m happy for you.

Tu mamá es super chida . Your mom is super cool . 

Tip: When men use chido to describe a girl , they can refer to her personality or her physical appearance. ‘Estar chida’ is a very informal way to say that a girl is hot. 

Neta or la neta is an informal synonym of ‘truth’ or ‘to be honest’ . However, we can also use it as an expression to show surprise when someone is saying something to us. In this context, it’s close to ‘really?’.

La neta no sé. The truth is that I don’t know. 

¿Neta terminaron? Did you guys really break up? 

If you need to tell someone to wait, you can use the Mexican slang word aguanta. You can also use this word to show disbelief. Aguanta means ‘wait a minute’ , ‘hold on’ or ‘no way’ .

¡Aguanta , ya casi acabo! Wait , I’m almost done!

¿Es neta? ¡ Aguanta ! Really? Hold on!  

6. No Manches

One of the most popular Mexican slang phrases is no manches , which you’ll use to express surprise, anger, or astonishment. No manches is close in meaning to ‘no way’, ‘damn’, ‘come on’, ‘holy cow’ or ‘you are kidding’.

¡ No manches! Te dije que tenía que llegar temprano. Come on! I told you that I had to arrive early. 

No manches , Axel me invitó a salir. Holy cow , Axel asked me out. 

7. Buena Onda / Mala Onda

Buena onda and mala onda describe people or situations. ‘Buena onda’ means something or someone is ‘nice ’ or ‘cool ’. On the other hand, mala onda means ‘uncool ’, ‘ disagreeable’ ‘mean ’ or ‘ bad’ . You can use these expressions with the verb ser or the interjection ‘qué’. 

¡Qué buena onda que ganaras! It’s so nice that you won!

Tu novio es super mala onda . Your boyfriend is so disagreeable .

Take Note: Buena onda and mala onda are popular informal expressions to describe someone’s personality in Mexican Spanish.

8. ¡Qué onda!

When greeting their friends, Mexican speakers will likely say ¡qué onda! instead of ‘hola’. On top of being an informal greeting, you can also use ‘¡qué onda!’ to show surprise or disbelief. This Mexican slang phrase can be translated as “what’s up”, ‘how are things?’, ‘how is it going?’ or ‘what is up with…?’ . 

¿ Qué onda con tu amiga? What’s up with your friend?

¿Ana? ¡Qué onda! ¿Cómo estás? Ana? What’s up! How are you?

9. Morro / Morra

Morro and morra are informal words for ‘kid’, ‘lad’, ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ . In informal settings, parents can use these words to refer to their kids. Additionally, morro and morra are also Mexican slang words for ‘girlfriend’ and ‘boyfriend’ .  

Ya duérmanse, morros . Go to sleep, kids.

Mi morra trabaja aquí. My girlfriend works here.

Tip: You can use the diminutive form morrito or morrita to show affection or express that the other person is slightly younger than you.

10. Güero 

In Mexican slang, people use the term güero to refer to white people. Güero, and its feminine form güera , are not derogatory terms but rather an informal adjective or name. These words can be translated as ‘ blonde’ or ‘blondie ’. 

Oye, güero , ¿ya terminaste? Hey, blondie , did you finish?

Mi prima es güerita y de ojos azules. My cousin is blonde and has blue eyes.

To describe bad quality, you can use the informal term chafa. This word can also be used to express disappointment when a situation doesn’t turn out as expected. So, ‘chafa’ is close in meaning to ‘crappy’, ‘lame’, or ‘shoddy’ . 

¿No vas a venir? ¡ Qué chafa ! You’re not coming? That’s lame !

La película estuvo muy chafa . The movie was very crappy .

12. Chavo / Chava

In Mexican slang, chavo and chava are terms used to refer to young people. So, they can be translated as ‘boy’, ‘guy’, ‘girl’ or ‘gal’ . Since these words refer to youth, Mexican speakers also use them to express that a person is naive or immature. 

Esa chava es mi novia. That girl is my girlfriend.

La neta estás chavo . You’re a kid , to be honest.

Tip: ‘Chavo’ and ‘chava’ are also Mexican slang words for boyfriend and girlfriend. 

Chela is the Mexican slang term for ‘beer’ . It may also be used as a nickname for certain given names. 

Se me antojan unas chelas . I feel like having some beers .

In standard Spanish fresa means ‘strawberry’. However, in Mexican slang, fresa is close in meaning to ‘posh’ or ‘preppy’ , and it describes people, behaviors or places. 

¡Qué fresa eres! You’re so preppy !

Hablas muy fresa . You speak very posh .

Padre is a variation of ‘chido’. As a result, it’s another Mexican slang word for ‘cool’ , ‘ awesome’ , and ‘ great’ . Padre is only used to describe situations or things. 

Tu casa está muy padre . Your house is very cool .

Que padre . How cool .

Tip: Padrísimo and padrísima are the superlative forms of ‘padre’. You can use them to emphasize the thing you’re describing. For example, tu casa está padrísima – ‘your house is super cool’ or ‘your house is the coolest’. 

In Mexican Spanish, peda means ‘to get drunk ’, but it also refers to partying or going on a binge . 

Vámonos de peda . Let’s go on a binge .

Luis y yo nos pusimos una buena peda . Luis and I got very drunk .

Achis is an informal Mexican word that you can use to express surprise or admiration. It’s close in meaning to ‘oh gosh’ , ‘blimey’ , and ‘holy moly’. 

¡Achis! ¿Dónde dejé mis llaves? Oh, gosh ! Where did I leave my keys?

Tip: ‘Achis, achis’, ‘achis piachis’, and ‘achis, achis los mariachis’ are popular variations you can use. 

18. ¡Ándale!

In Mexican slang, ándale is used to tell people to hurry up . Native speakers also use this word to show surprise or agreement. Ándale is close in meaning to ‘ hurry up’, ‘ come on ’, ‘okay ’, or ‘jeez ’. 

¡Ándale! Se nos va a hacer tarde. Come on! We’re going to be late.

Ah, ándale , a esa hora está bien. Okay , that time sounds good.

In Mexico, the slang word hueva refers to laziness. You can use this term to express that: 

• You feel lazy – Tener hueva. 
• Something is so boring that it makes you lazy – Dar hueva / Estar de hueva.
• You were being lazy – Tirar la hueva

Take Note: Huevón is an adjective that you can use to describe lazy people. 

Gacho is a negative adjective in Mexican Spanish. It expresses that a situation or person is ‘awful’ , ‘nasty’ , or ‘crappy’. 

¡Qué gacha eres! You’re awful !

Cámara is a Mexican slang word that you can use to show agreement. It means ‘okay’ , ‘good’ or ‘right’ . 

Cámara , nos vemos el lunes. Okay , I’ll see you on Monday. 

Like ‘cámara’, arre is a common informal term that Mexican speakers use to express agreement. It’s closer in meaning to ‘okay ’. 

Arre , entonces, yo te marco. Okay, I’ll call you then. 

Mande is a polite and informal way to say ‘ what? ’, ‘ yes ?’ or ‘ come again? ’ in Mexican Spanish. 

Chamba is the Mexican slang word for ‘work’ or ‘ job ’. 

Tengo mucha chamba . I have a lot of work . 

Tip: Chambear is the equivalent of the verb ‘to work’, and chambeador is the slang adjective you can use to describe a hard-working person. 

25. Gandalla

In Mexican slang, gandalla is a negative word that describes an abusive (not necessarily aggressive) person that takes advantage of a situation or others. It’s close to ‘abusive’, ‘underhanded’ , ‘sketchy’ , or ‘shifty ’. 

Ese güey es muy gandalla . That guy is very shifty .

26. Bato / Vato

Bato or vato is a Mexican slang word for ‘ guy ’. People also use this term to say ‘boyfriend ’. 

¿Quién es ese bato ? Who is that guy ?

In Mexico, poner paros means ‘ to give excuses ’. However, you can also use the slang phrase hacer el paro if you want to ask someone for help or to give you a hand . 

Oye, ¿me haces un paro ? Hey, can you give me a hand ?

No pongas paros, ya sé que no vas a venir. Don’t give me excuses . I know you’re not coming.

Take Note: Do not confuse the slang phrase ‘poner paros’ with the standard idiom ‘ poner peros ’, which we use to express that someone is making objections to something. 

28. Bañársela / Volársela

Bañársela or volársela are informal Mexican words that express that someone crossed the line or went too far . Although these translations may refer to bad behaviors, bañársela and volársela are frequently used when someone says or does something too funny. 

No manches, morra, te la bañaste . Holy cow, girl, you went too far .

‘ Pasarse de lanza ’ is a popular variation that you can also use. 

Híjole is a Mexican term for ‘jeez’, ‘goodness’, or ‘gosh’ . This slang word is used to express surprise. 

Híjole, el súper estaba llenísimo. Jeez, the supermarket was very crowded.

Tip: You may also hear its variation jíjole or jíjos . 

30. Sacarle 

Sacarle is an informal verb that Mexicans use to say ‘to back out ’ or ‘to bail ’. 

¡No le saques! Dijiste que íbamos a ir. Don’t back out ! You said we were going.

Notice that sacar is a stem-changing verb in Spanish .

Tip: Sacatón and sacatona are slang adjectives that you can use to express that someone is a coward. 

In Mexico, pichar is when you offer to pay for your friends’ drinks or food. This informal term is close in meaning to ‘to be on me’ , ‘to treat to’ or ‘to be [my/your/their] treat’. 

¿Se te antojan unos tacos? Yo te los picho . Do you feel like having tacos? It’s my treat .

Mijo and mija are informal terms of endearment in Mexico. People use these words to call kids or as affectionate terms to call their partners or friends. ‘Mijo’ and ‘mija’ mean ‘boy’, ‘lad’, ‘girl’, ‘son’, ‘daughter’, ‘kid’, ‘honey’, ‘dude’ , or ‘pal’ . 

Mijo , dale esto a tu abuela. Son , give this to your grandma.

Qué onda, mijo , ¿se va a armar la peda? What’s up, dude , are we going to party?

33. Cargar el payaso

If a Mexican uses cargar el payaso, they mean that something went wrong for them. ‘Cargar el payaso’ is closely related to ‘ to be screwed ’. 

No manches, ¡las llaves! Ya me cargó el payaso . Damn! The keys! I am screwed.

34. A darle que es mole de olla

This Mexican phrase expresses that a task must be done quickly and keenly. It can also be used to say that you must take advantage of a rising opportunity. Although it doesn’t do it justice, ‘get cracking’ or “let’s hustle” . 

El proyecto es para mañana, a darle que es mole de olla . The project is due tomorrow, get cracking people.

35. Carrilla

The Mexican slang word carilla is related to ‘make fun of someone ’. You can use ser carilla to describe people who like to make fun of someone . On the other hand, echar carrilla means to say something to make fun of others. 

Mi morra es bien carrilla . My girlfriend likes to make fun of other people .

Tip: Mexican speakers can use the word carreta as a synonym of ‘carrilla’. 

36. Aguïtarse

When something is disappointing or makes us sad, we Mexicans use the verb agüitarse to express these feelings. This slang verb means ‘to be down in the dumps ’ , ‘to be saddened ’ or ‘to be upset ’. 

Linda se aguïto conmigo. Linda is upset with me.

Tip: Andar agüitado is a variation you can use to express that you’re currently feeling sad. 

37. Estar cañón

When Mexicans use the slang phrase estar cañón they either mean that something is challenging , or that something or someone is really good at something . 

El examen estuvo cañón . The test was very hard .

Matt está cañón en matemáticas. Matt is very good at math .

38. Pistear

In Mexican Spanish, pistear is a slang word that means ‘to drink ’. 

Caéle, estamos pisteando . Come over, we’re drinking .

Tip: El pisto is another Mexican slang word to say ‘drinks’. 

Órale is an informal term that you can use to show agreement or surprise and to ask someone to hurry up. So, depending on the context, ‘órale’ can be translated as ‘wow’ , ‘ oh my God’ , ‘ okay ’, or ‘come on ’. 

¡ Órale , ya me quiere dormir! Come on, I want to sleep!

Órale, entonces, ahí te veo. Okay, I’ll see you there, then.

40. Armarse

In Mexican slang, armarse is a word we use to ask or affirm that an activity is going to be done . 

¿ Se va a armar la peda? Are we going to party?

41. Chale 

Chale is a popular expression that people use to show surprise, disappointment, or annoyance. It’s close to ‘Jesus’ , ‘oh my God’ or ‘holy moly’ .

Chale , se me olvidó la cartera. Oh my God , I forgot my wallet.

Compa is a Mexican slang word for ‘friend’ , ‘homie’ , ‘pal’, ‘mate’ , or ‘buddy’ . As a result, it’s more popular among men. 

Deja le pregunto a mi compa . Let me ask my buddy .

Take Note: ‘Compa’ is the shortened form of ‘compadre’, a term Mexicans use to call their children’s godfather. 

Chin is another slang word you can use in Mexico to express surprise or annoyance. It’s close in meaning to ‘ damn ’, ‘ jeez ’, or ‘ oh my Good ’.

¡ Chin ! Se me olvidó pagar el internet. Damn! I forgot to pay for the internet.

44. ¡Aguas! 

Aguas is a slang term that people use to warn others about a potential danger, mistake, or consequence. It means ‘watch out’ or ‘be careful’ . 

¡Aguas! Te vas a lastimar. Be careful! You’re going to hurt yourself.

45. A huevo 

The Mexican slang phrase a huevo is used to celebrate good news, to express that something is mandatory, and as an informal way to say ‘yes’. So, ‘a huevo’ means ‘heck, yes’, ‘for sure’, ‘of course’, ‘by force’ or ‘mandatorily’ . 

¡A huevo , ahí te veo! For sure , I’ll see you there!

Mi mamá a huevo quiere que vaya. My mom wants me to go mandatorily .

46. Rifársela 

When someone does something cool or funny, or they do great, Mexicans use the verb rifársela to describe those actions. So, this verb can be translated as ‘to be cool’ , ‘to be amazing’ , or ‘to do great’ . 

Se la rifaron , morros, chido. You were amazing , boys. Thanks.

As a slang word, sobres means “let’s do this” or ‘okay’ . 

Sobres, ahí te marco. Okay , I’ll call you.

Carnal is a common Mexican slang word for ‘brother’ , ‘buddy’ , or ‘pal’ .

Ese morrito de allá es mi carnal . That kid over there is my brother.

Simón is a common way to say ‘yes’ in Mexican slang. You can also use this word to show disbelief. In this case, it would be close in meaning to ‘yeah, right’ .

Simón, yo le digo. Yes, I’ll let her know.

Ay, simón , no creo. Yeah, right , I don’t believe that.

In Mexico, feria is one of the most common ways to say ‘money’ . With this meaning you can also use the variation ‘ lana ’. 

La neta no tengo feria , güey. The truth is that I don’t have money , dude.

51. Caer el chahuistle 

Caer el chahuistle is used in Mexican slang to express displeasure because an unexpected or unwelcome person shows up unexpectedly. This phrase can also imply that something will be ruined because this person shows up. 

For example, if you’re having a nice family gathering and a disagreeable relative arrives, you can say “ya nos cayó el chahuistle”. In other words, things are ruined because this person showed up.

This expression doesn’t have a translation. 

Wrapping Up

Mexican slang language is its own thing. So, if you want to be able to understand and communicate with Mexican speakers, you need to learn some of their most popular terms. In this article, we covered some of the most common Mexican slang words, and you’ve learned their different meanings and variations. 

You probably noticed that many of the examples included for each slang word or expression used other terms from this list. So, the more slang you learn, the more you can combine the terms in your sentences.

Cheat sheet: If you need help memorizing these terms, you can download it below.

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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What does ‘no cap’ mean?

Does your teen love using slang you don’t understand? Yes, and that’s “No cap.”

The phrase “No cap” basically means, “No lie,” says Urban Dictionar y, with “cap” meaning “lie.”

“This meal is the best. No cap!” or “You weren’t online last night — you’re capping!” are two ways to use the phrase. Alternatively, if someone says, “That’s cap” they’re calling you out for a lie.

“Cap or capping has referenced bragging, exaggerating, or lying since the early 1900’s,” Kelly Elizabeth Wright , an assistant professor language sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells TODAY.com .

Wright points to definitions from Green’s Dictionary of Slang : “to lie,” “to brag” and “to surpass, to outdo” with the latter, says Wright, coming from Black communities in the 1940s.

“Capping as a behavior was and is often used by African Americans while playing The Dozens, which is a social game involving insulting others with exquisite wordplay for fun,” says Wright. “Think ‘Yo Momma’ jokes, although that is a grossly blunt description of the practice.”

Catch up on more teen slang!

Should you worry if your teen is a ‘stan’, ‘skibidi toilet’ could get made into a movie: what does it mean, what does the slang term ‘menty b’ mean (and what if your teen says they're having one).

Wright adds, “This play-related sense of ‘capping’ infuses today’s ‘no cap,’ which derived through The Dozens, into Southern hip-hop, diffused into other regional Black communities, and was recently (in the last decade) borrowed into mainstream informal usage. Some sources claim that ‘no cap’ stems from a comparison of solid gold versus gold-capped teeth; if one has a solid gold tooth, which cannot be removed when entering polite society ... I find this origin somewhat dubious, likely a folk etymology.”

According to Wright, “no cap” could replace “for real,” a phrase used by millennials and Gen Xers.

“Something to be on the lookout for, is that ‘for real’ is often represented as ‘FR’ online,” says Wright. “As no cap becomes more mainstream, we may see ‘NC’ appearing in more group texts, vlog transcripts, and advertisements ... Language is always changing all around us, but the direction it will take is often difficult to predict. Time will tell if ‘no cap’ becomes a stable pillar in our everyday usage such that it warrants abbreviation.”

Elise Solé is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles and covers parenting for TODAY Parents. She was previously a news editor at Yahoo and has also worked at Marie Claire and Women's Health. Her bylines have appeared in Shondaland, SheKnows, Happify and more.

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Izuku Midoriya, a U.A. High School student who aspires to be the best hero he can be, confronts the villain who imitates the hero he once admired. Izuku Midoriya, a U.A. High School student who aspires to be the best hero he can be, confronts the villain who imitates the hero he once admired. Izuku Midoriya, a U.A. High School student who aspires to be the best hero he can be, confronts the villain who imitates the hero he once admired.

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Joy Is Not a Strategy

By Patrick Healy

Deputy Opinion Editor, reporting from Chicago

If the Republican convention’s message for America last month had to fit on a bumper sticker, it would read, “Trump is God.” Delegates deified him relentlessly as the risen Trump after the assassination attempt. They told me over and over that he was spared to save the country with his re-election. Only on the final night did Donald Trump come crashing down to earth with his nomination speech. Divine it was not.

What a mistake. The most divisive man in America was suddenly getting a measure of good will from skeptical voters after he was nearly killed. People were tuning in to see if he’d talk like a changed man. And then he threw it away with the same old rant. All Trump had going for him was President Biden’s weakness.

Flash-forward to this week. If the Democratic convention’s message for America had to fit on a bumper sticker, it would read, “Harris is joy.” The word has gone from being a nice descriptor of Democratic energy to being a rhetorical two-by-four thumped on voters’ heads. Don’t get me wrong — there are many worse things than joy — but I cringed a little in the convention hall Tuesday night when Bill Clinton said Kamala Harris would be “the president of joy.” “Joy” is the new “fetch” from “Mean Girls”: Democrats are bent on making the word happen.

But joy is not a political strategy. And God is not a political strategy. The good news for Democrats is that Harris seems to understand this. Americans want her to lower their household costs and make it easier to find housing. Being our joyful Momala is not going to win the election.

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