Por aquí está bien means around here is fine. In Mexico, it is one of the most useful things you can say from the back seat of a taxi, Uber, or any ride where the exact pin is less important than the nearest safe place to stop.
It is softer than barking aquí, clearer than waving vaguely at the window, and short enough to say while the car is still moving.
The drop-off phrase map
Use these when you are almost there and the car needs simple instructions.
| What you mean | Say this | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Around here is fine | Por aquí está bien | Soft, common |
| Here is fine | Aquí está bien | Clear, a bit more exact |
| I get out here | Me bajo aquí | Direct and normal |
| On the corner | En la esquina | Useful in CDMX |
| A little before | Tantito antes | Casual, Mexican |
| A little farther ahead | Tantito más adelante | Polite and clear |
| On the other side | Del otro lado | Fixes side-of-street problems |
| Here, please | Aquí, por favor | Simple |
The word aquí means here.1 In a moving car, por aquí gives the driver a little room. It means not necessarily this exact square of pavement, just around here.
Por aquí está bien vs aquí está bien
Both phrases work. They just give different amounts of precision.
| Phrase | Best when | Tiny feeling |
|---|---|---|
| Por aquí está bien | Anywhere nearby works | Flexible |
| Aquí está bien | This exact spot works | Direct |
| En la esquina está bien | The corner is best | Specific |
| Me bajo aquí | You are getting out here | Clear |
If traffic is heavy, por aquí está bien is kinder. It lets the driver stop where it is safe instead of where your map pin has chosen to be dramatic.
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Por aquí está bien, gracias.Around here is fine, thanks.
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En la esquina está bien.On the corner is fine.
The word esquina means corner, which is why it does so much work in CDMX directions.2
Tantito: the tiny Mexican adjustment
Tantito is the small, casual cousin of tanto, which points to quantity or amount.3 In real Mexican Spanish, tantito often means a tiny bit.
In the car, that becomes:
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Tantito antes, por favor.A little before, please.
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Tantito más adelante.A little farther ahead.
This is useful because CDMX has a lot of almost-there moments. Almost the right door. Almost the right side. Almost the right corner. Almost the correct relationship with the curb.
When the driver is on the wrong side
The phrase you want is del otro lado. Lado means side.4
Use it like this:
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Es del otro lado.It is on the other side.
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Me bajo del otro lado, por favor.I will get out on the other side, please.
If it is easier to cross than to make the car loop around the block, you can say:
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No pasa nada, aquí está bien.No problem, here is fine.
That sentence is tiny social oil. It says: I see the traffic, I am not mad, we can end this peacefully.
Me bajo aquí is normal
The verb bajar means to go down, get down, or get off.5 In a taxi context, me bajo aquí means I get out here.
It is not rude. It is direct.
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Me bajo aquí, gracias.I will get out here, thanks.
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Aquí me bajo.I get out here.
If you want it softer, add por favor or gracias. If the driver is already stopping, sale works too.
If the driver passes the spot
Do not panic. This happens in traffic.
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| They passed it a little | Se pasó tantito |
| It was a little behind | Era tantito atrás |
| The entrance was before the corner | Era antes de la esquina |
| You can get out anyway | No pasa nada, aquí está bien |
| They should keep going | Tantito más adelante |
The verb dejar can mean to leave or let someone off somewhere.6 You may hear drivers ask:
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¿Dónde te dejo?Where should I drop you off?
Good answer:
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En la esquina está bien, gracias.On the corner is fine, thanks.
The safe, polite version
For new learners, this is the one to memorize:
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Por aquí está bien, gracias.Around here is fine, thanks.
It gives the driver room to stop. It keeps the tone warm. It does not require you to narrate the whole block.
And in CDMX traffic, that is sometimes the highest form of Spanish fluency.
Ride-share Spanish in Mexico City is often built from tiny words around location, destination, and traffic, not big polished speeches.7
Sources
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Diccionario de la lengua española, aquí — Real Academia Española ↩
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Diccionario de la lengua española, esquina — Real Academia Española ↩
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Diccionario de la lengua española, tanto — Real Academia Española ↩
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Diccionario de la lengua española, lado — Real Academia Española ↩
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Diccionario de la lengua española, bajar — Real Academia Española ↩
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Diccionario de la lengua española, dejar — Real Academia Española ↩
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Lingobi, Spanish phrases I used taking an Uber in Mexico City — Lingobi ↩
Test yourself
tap an answer.
You are close enough to your destination and want the driver to stop around here. What do you say?
The driver should stop a little before the corner. Which phrase helps?
The place is across the street. What do you say?
