buy the thing
- Buenas. Hi.
- ¿Me da una bolsa? Can I get a bag?
- Sin bolsa, gracias. No bag, thanks.
- ¿Acepta tarjeta? Do you take card?
Back to situations 
Photo by Daniel Lerman on Unsplash 
Photo by Dick Hoogerdijk on Unsplash
food + errands
the 20-second OXXO transaction
OXXO Spanish is small talk, payment prompts, and not panicking when the cashier says three things at once.
Use This First
- Expect questions about bags, phone recharges, payment method, and tickets.
- Mande is your best friend when the cashier speaks through the plastic divider.
- Sale, va, and gracias close almost every micro-interaction.
Memorize these first
when it gets fast
- ¿Mande? Sorry, what was that?
- ¿Me repite? Can you repeat that?
- Va, gracias. Okay, thanks.
- No, así está bien. No, that is fine.
One-screen cheat sheet
🏪
OXXO cheat sheet Screenshot this before you go.
| Spanish | English | Use case | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenas. | Hi. | opening | safe |
| ¿Me da una bolsa? | Can I get a bag? | bag request | safe |
| Sin bolsa, gracias. | No bag, thanks. | bag refusal | safe |
| ¿Acepta tarjeta? | Do you take card? | payment | safe |
| ¿Mande? | Sorry, what was that? | repeat request | safe |
| ¿Me repite? | Can you repeat that? | repeat request | safe |
| Va, gracias. | Okay, thanks. | closing | local |
| No, así está bien. | No, that is fine. | refusing extras | safe |
the gringo trap
Do not say this by default
don't say this
Do not answer every cashier question with sí when you did not understand it.
say this
Say mande or ¿me repite? before accidentally buying a phone recharge.
The cashier script is fast and formulaic. Asking once is normal, guessing is chaos.
safe / local / spicy
Pick your register
safe
¿Me repite, por favor?
local
¿Mande?
spicy
Perdón, se me fue. ¿Qué dijo?
All three are usable. Mande is the most Mexican and efficient.
How it sounds
at checkout
Buenas. Hi.
¿Quiere bolsa? Do you want a bag?
Sin bolsa, gracias. No bag, thanks.
Son cuarenta y dos. It is forty-two.
missed the question
¿Redondea? Do you round up?
¿Mande? Sorry, what was that?
¿Redondea? Do you round up?
No, gracias. No, thanks.
Practice cards
three fast taps before you try it outside.
The cashier says something you miss.
You need the safest version for OXXO. What do you pick first?
Which move avoids the gringo trap?
Words you'll hear
Deep dives
FAQ
What should I memorize first for OXXO?
Start with Buenas., ¿Me da una bolsa?, Sin bolsa, gracias., ¿Acepta tarjeta?, ¿Mande?. These cover the fastest moments on the page.
Is this OXXO 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.