daily work
- Tengo mucha chamba. I have a lot of work.
- Estoy en junta. I am in a meeting.
- Lo tengo pendiente. I have it pending.
- ¿Para cuándo lo necesitas? When do you need it by?
Back to situations 
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expat life
office and chamba Spanish that does not sound stiff
Work Spanish is not only trabajar. Learn chamba, pendientes, junta, entrega, and how to sound competent without sounding cold.
Use This First
- Learn chamba, junta, pendiente, entrega, and ¿para cuándo?
- Use chamba casually. Use trabajo in formal contexts.
- Ahorita in office settings can be dangerous if deadlines matter.
Memorize these first
soft pressure
- Ahorita lo reviso. I will review it shortly.
- Te lo mando al rato. I will send it later.
- Va, lo checo. Okay, I will check it.
- Ando en chinga. I am slammed.
One-screen cheat sheet
💼
office / chamba cheat sheet Screenshot this before you go.
| Spanish | English | Use case | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tengo mucha chamba. | I have a lot of work. | casual work talk | local |
| Estoy en junta. | I am in a meeting. | status | safe |
| Lo tengo pendiente. | I have it pending. | task status | safe |
| ¿Para cuándo lo necesitas? | When do you need it by? | deadline | safe |
| Ahorita lo reviso. | I will review it shortly. | soft timing | safe |
| Te lo mando al rato. | I will send it later. | delivery timing | local |
| Va, lo checo. | Okay, I will check it. | confirmation | local |
| Ando en chinga. | I am slammed. | busy status | friend/coworker only |
the gringo trap
Do not say this by default
don't say this
Do not use ahorita when someone needs a real deadline.
say this
Say a concrete time: te lo mando a las cuatro.
In work contexts, Mexican softness still needs operational clarity.
safe / local / spicy
Pick your register
safe
Tengo mucho trabajo.
local
Tengo mucha chamba.
spicy
Ando en chinga con la chamba.
The spicy version is casual and a little vulgar. Coworkers only.
How it sounds
deadline
¿Para cuándo lo necesitas? When do you need it by?
Para hoy en la tarde. For this afternoon.
Va, lo checo después de la junta. Okay, I will check it after the meeting.
Gracias. Thanks.
busy day
¿Vamos por café? Want to get coffee?
Ahorita no puedo, tengo mucha chamba. I cannot right now, I have a lot of work.
Va, al rato. Okay, later.
Sale. Okay.
Practice cards
three fast taps before you try it outside.
A coworker asks when you can send the file.
You need the safest version for office / chamba. What do you pick first?
Which move avoids the gringo trap?
Words you'll hear
Deep dives
FAQ
What should I memorize first for office / chamba?
Start with Tengo mucha chamba., Estoy en junta., Lo tengo pendiente., ¿Para cuándo lo necesitas?, Ahorita lo reviso.. These cover the fastest moments on the page.
Is this office / chamba Spanish safe to use as a foreigner?
Yes. Start with the safe phrases, then use the local phrases with friends or people your age. Treat spicy phrases as context-dependent, not universal.
How should I practice this situation?
Read the cheat sheet out loud, run the mini-dialogues once in Spanish and once in English, then answer the practice card before you go out in CDMX.