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Greetings, politeness, and the warnings locals give — how not to come across as rude.

Manners

32 stories

Manners Señora, Señorita, Joven: What a Stranger Just Guessed About Your Age

Señora, señorita and joven work as an age readout, and Mexico City data shows how the guess gets made. Plus what mijo from a stranger is actually doing. Sep 26, 2026

Slang & swears Words That Are Perfectly Innocent in Spain and Filthy in Mexico

Half the warnings travelers get about Spanish in Mexico are overstated, and the Mexican dictionary is the thing that proves it. Which words actually land wrong, and how to tell. Sep 25, 2026

Manners You Said Tú to His Mother and Nobody Flinched. Here Is What Happened

Mexico City speakers split almost evenly between tú and usted, so there is no safe default. Here is who expects which one, and how to fix a slip after it lands. Sep 23, 2026

Manners They Keep Calling You Güera and Your Hair Is Brown: What Is Going On

Güero and güerita get called at people whose hair is nowhere near blond. Here is what the word is really marking, and where it stops being harmless. Sep 21, 2026

Manners Someone Called You Gorda in Mexico: Three Things Decide What It Meant

Gorda and gordita run from pet name to insult with nothing in the word to tell you which. Here is what Mexicans read instead, and how to answer either one. Sep 19, 2026

Slang & swears Is Desmadre a Bad Word in Mexican Spanish?

Is desmadre a bad word? It is common Mexican slang for chaos, but the madre root gives it a crude edge. Here is when to use it. Sep 17, 2026

Seasonal El Grito: The One Word to Shout at Midnight on Sept 15

El Grito is the call-and-response shout that opens Mexican Independence night on Sept 15. Here is what each viva means and the exact moment to yell so you fit right in. Sep 15, 2026

Seasonal Survive a Mexican September: 8 Words You'll Actually Hear

Fiestas Patrias is Mexico's September run-up to Independence. Here are the 8 food, party, and flag words you'll hear all month - and how to use each one right. Sep 9, 2026

Slang & swears Is Híjole a Bad Word in Mexican Spanish?

Is híjole a bad word? No. It is a safe Mexican reaction word for geez, yikes, wow, or oh no, with a polite tone. Sep 1, 2026

Going out Drunk, Loud, or Pushy: Mexican Spanish for Boundaries and Emergencies

Use clear Mexican Spanish when someone is drunk, loud, or doing too much: neutral descriptions, boundaries, de-escalation, rides, help, and 911 phrases. Aug 10, 2026

Everyday phrases Me Dio Pena vs Qué Pena: Mexican Spanish for That Cringe Feeling

Pena in Mexican Spanish can mean embarrassment, shame, pity, or awkwardness. Learn me dio pena, qué pena, and polite recovery phrases. Aug 8, 2026

Manners How to Leave a Mexican Party Without Making a Whole Thing of It

Learn warm Mexican Spanish party exits: ya me voy, me lanzo, gracias por todo, ride texts, host goodbyes, and how to leave without a 20-minute speech. Aug 7, 2026

Manners Correct Spanish That Sounds Weird in Mexico: What to Say Instead

Some Spanish is grammatically correct but odd in Mexico. Learn what to say instead of vosotros, vale, quisiera, camarero, and other mismatch phrases. Aug 6, 2026

Guides Six Spanish Words US Learners Overuse in Mexico, and Tiny Swaps That Help

Hola, adiós, quiero, muy bien, amigo, and muchas gracias are correct. Learn when different Mexican Spanish choices sound warmer and less rehearsed. Jul 31, 2026

Going out How to Make a Language Exchange Feel Fair, and Actually Useful

Make a Mexican Spanish language exchange fair and useful with balanced practice, better corrections, reciprocal answers, topic changes, and warm exits. Jul 26, 2026

Manners Cariño, Corazón, Güey: When Mexican Spanish Sounds Too Close

Learn which Mexican Spanish nicknames signal warmth, intimacy, friendship, or overfamiliarity, and what to say before the relationship is there. Jul 25, 2026

Everyday phrases Qué Oso: Mexican Spanish for Cringe, Awkward Moments, and Tiny Recoveries

Qué oso means how embarrassing in Mexican Spanish. Learn qué oso, me dio pena, qué pena, and what to say after awkward moments in Mexico. Jul 14, 2026

Manners Con Permiso in Mexico: How to Move Through Crowds Without Freezing

Learn con permiso, perdón, me paso, se baja, and aguas for moving through Mexico's Metro cars, markets, bars, and tight sidewalks. Jul 12, 2026

About Manners

Greetings, politeness, and the warnings locals give each other. Mostly, this is about how not to come across as rude while saying nothing rude at all.

Mexican politeness runs on indirectness, and English speakers tend to be blunter than they realise. The soft no, the warm brush-off, the invitation that isn't one — these are the things that make foreigners think Mexicans are unreliable and make Mexicans think foreigners are abrupt. Both are wrong, and this is where that gets untangled.