Let take a look at 5 interesting Mexican Slang Words. You’ll also listen to them used in a sentence at the very end of this article! You’ll hear a native Mexican speaker who appears in Our incredible Gritty Spanish Stories read each Mexican slang in an example sentence.

1. Cámara

Literal translation:

Camera.

Actual Meaning:

Yes, OK. Sure. Right. You got it.

Also as a way to say “OK”, but ALWAYS before something like “goodbye”, “see you”, “see you later”

O my God! (Used when some wants to express astonishment)

Used a threatening way to say: “Ok”, or “I see” …but I will remember this… and you will suffer”; Ok/ I see… but I will look for revenge; Ok/I see… but you will regret this).

Examples:

1 . “Cámara, me gustaría ir al cine contigo esta noche”

“Sure, I would love to go with you to the movies tonight”

2 “Cámara, te veo después en la casa”

“Okay, I’ll see you later in the house”

3 “Cáaaaamara, la mato cuando estaba duchando”

“Wooooow, he killed her when she was taking a shower”

4- “Embaracé a tu hermana, lo siento amigo”

“I got your sister pregnant, I am sorry man”

Cámara -I see (“you will regret this”) is implied.

Origin:

When used as “OK. Sure. Right. You got it”. This expression originates from the filming industry, from the well-known phrase “Luces, Cámara, Acción” (“Lights, Camera, Action”), After the director said this phrase, he/she would start filming, so everybody would need to be ready (leaving no room for anybody to say “no”).

The idea is that after the “Camera” comes the “Action” (doing something, going somewhere, etc.), and you “have to” say yes.

When used as a way to express astonishment: This comes from the idea that something is so shocking, that it should be immortalized with a picture (by using a camera), so other people would believe it.

When used in a threatening way to say: “Ok”: Evolution/ different use that came with time of number 2 in colloquial language.

2. Güey, huey, wey…

This is a very popular word in colloquial Mexican language and you are going to hear it pretty much anywhere if you go to Mexico; some people even say this word 3-6 times (or more) in one single phrase. (Fortunately, not everybody does that).

Literal translation:

“ox”, tame bull

Meaning and origin:

This word comes from the word “buey” (castrated bull). Originally, it was used as an insult, to refer to someone who was slow, stupid, and/or with lack of character. With time, it became a soft insult or a “loving” way to say that someone was foolish, just like when you call someone “dummy”. Over time, the word was incorporated in everyday language and changed its spelling to “güey”, “wey”, and even just “wé”. Nowadays it has the following meanings:

Used to refer to just about anybody without using his/her name, like “guy”, “girl”, “you” “hey, you”

Among friends, it has the same meaning as “pal”, ”buddy”, “mate”, “bud”

When calling someone an idiot or stupid person

As an expression of surprise

While this word is not really considered an insult anymore (unless it is used in aggressive contexts), it is considered distasteful to use it when you are talking with someone that you should treat with respect, for example, your father in law or your teacher, or when a kid is talking to an adult.

3. Le hizo lo que el viento a Juárez

Literal translation:

It did to him/her the same that the wind did to Juarez

Actual Meaning:

So what did the wind did to Juarez? Absolutely nothing. This phrase is used when something (usually a problem or an unpleasant situation) has no negative effect, or not effect at all over someone.

Example:

“Me enfermé y me tomé una pastilla. Me hizo lo que el viento a Juárez”

“I got sick and I took a pill. It did to me the same that the wind did to Juarez (absolutely nothing; meaning that the pill didn’t work at all”

Origin:

The exact origin is not clear, but there are several theories. The following is one of the most popular:

Benito Juarez was born in 1806, he was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin (an indigenous people of Mexico). He served as the president of Mexico several times (when reelection was allowed in this country).

A famous mural was painted after Juarez died; in here, you can see the former president with the same impeccable hairstyle (with not a single hair out of place) while a strong wind has notorious effects over everything else that is happening around him. So the wind did “absolutely nothing” to Juarez.

4. Chiflando Y Aplaudiendo

Literal translation

Whistling and clapping.

Actual Meaning:

This slang phrase is used when you want to tell a couple in a very polite way to stop “manifesting their love” in public; or when you know that a couple is going to do something that has the potential of becoming romantic (for example a date) and you want to warn them not to do engage in “amorous activities”.

Examples:

-(La hija dice) Papá, voy a ver una película con mi amigo en mi cuarto

-(Daughter says) Daddy, I am going to watch a movie with my (male) friend in my room

-(Dad says) Leave the door open and I want to see you both whistling and clapping the whole time

Origin

This phrase comes from the old way of making pulque (alcoholic and traditional Mexican beverage made from the fermented sap of the agave plant), where the “tlachiqueros” (workers who prepared the beverage) were in charge of constantly moving tanks with honey water in order to accelerate the fermentation process. These workers were supposed to be whistling and clapping the whole time (clapping only if they did not have the hands on the tanks) so they wouldn’t feel tempted to take a sip while they were working.

Later on, “chiflando y aplaudiendo” became a popular phrase among anyone with teenagers, where (especially grandmothers and mothers) used to say that they wanted to see them “Whistling and clapping” the whole time since that way, their mouth and hands would be busy the whole time and would not feel temped to do anything else.

5. Chela

Actual Meaning:

Beer.

Example:

“Te invito una chela manana en la noche el bar Flamingo”

“I’ll treat you to a buy tomorrow night at the flamingo bar”.

Variations:

This word also evolved to a verb (cheleando)

Example:

“Estoy cheleando con mis amigos”

“I am drinking some beer with friends”

And to an adjective (chelero/chelera):

Example:

“Pedro es bien chelero”

“Pedro is really “chelero” (Pedro is someone who loves beer/drinks a lot of beer”

And to another slang phrase: “panza chelera” (“chelera belly”). When someone is not necessarily fat, but has a big belly; it is assumed the reason is because that person drinks a lot of beer.

Example:

“No estoy gordo, solo tengo panza chelera”

“I am not fat, I just have a “chelera belly”

Origin:

Some people believe that the word “chela” comes from the Mayan word “Chel”, which means “Blue”. When the Spanish came to Mexico for the conquest, and colonization of new territory, the natives noticed that some of them had blue eyes, which was something that they had never seen before, and started calling them “chel”, overtime this term was used to refer to anyone with blond hair or white skin. Later on, people started calling the light beer “rubia” (blonde) due to its characteristic color. Since “chel” and “rubia” where synonyms, the word evolved to “chela”.

And here is a video of all phrases used by a Mexican native who appears in our amazing and super useful Gritty Spanish Audios!