pickup
- Estoy afuera. I am outside.
- Estoy en la esquina. I am on the corner.
- Voy bajando. I am coming down.
- Traigo playera negra. I am wearing a black shirt.
Back to situations 
Photo by Kaden Taylor on Unsplash 
Photo by Jimmy Woo on Unsplash
getting around
Uber and DiDi pickup Spanish for CDMX gates and corners
Most ride-app Spanish is not fancy. It is estoy afuera, por aquí está bien, and explaining which impossible corner you are on.
Use This First
- Memorize estoy afuera, estoy en la esquina, voy bajando, and por aquí está bien.
- Use ya voy or voy bajando when the driver arrives before you do.
- Aguas is useful for warnings: wrong gate, traffic, or a hard-to-see entrance.
Memorize these first
ride and drop-off
- Por aquí está bien. Here is fine.
- Me puede dejar en la esquina. Can you leave me on the corner?
- Aguas, es la otra entrada. Careful, it is the other entrance.
- Sale, muchas gracias. Okay, thanks a lot.
One-screen cheat sheet
🚗
Uber / DiDi cheat sheet Screenshot this before you go.
| Spanish | English | Use case | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estoy afuera. | I am outside. | pickup status | safe |
| Estoy en la esquina. | I am on the corner. | pickup location | safe |
| Voy bajando. | I am coming down. | driver waiting | local |
| Traigo playera negra. | I am wearing a black shirt. | identifying yourself | safe |
| Por aquí está bien. | Here is fine. | drop-off | safe |
| Me puede dejar en la esquina. | Can you leave me on the corner? | drop-off | safe |
| Aguas, es la otra entrada. | Careful, it is the other entrance. | correction | local |
| Sale, muchas gracias. | Okay, thanks a lot. | closing | local |
the gringo trap
Do not say this by default
don't say this
Do not write I am here when the app pin is wrong and expect the driver to solve it.
say this
Give a concrete landmark: estoy en la esquina, frente al OXXO, en la entrada de Insurgentes.
CDMX pickup problems are usually map problems, not grammar problems.
safe / local / spicy
Pick your register
safe
Estoy afuera, frente al OXXO.
local
Voy bajando, deme dos minutos.
spicy
Ya casi, no se me vaya.
The spicy one is playful pressure. Use it only if the driver seems relaxed.
How it sounds
driver arrived early
Hola, voy bajando. Hi, I am coming down.
Sale, estoy afuera. Okay, I am outside.
Traigo chamarra verde. I am wearing a green jacket.
Va. Okay.
drop-off
Por aquí está bien. Here is fine.
¿En la esquina? On the corner?
Sí, en la esquina. Gracias. Yes, on the corner. Thanks.
Que le vaya bien. Have a good one.
Practice cards
three fast taps before you try it outside.
The driver is outside, but you are still coming down from your apartment.
You need the safest version for Uber / DiDi. What do you pick first?
Which move avoids the gringo trap?
Words you'll hear
Deep dives
FAQ
What should I memorize first for Uber / DiDi?
Start with Estoy afuera., Estoy en la esquina., Voy bajando., Traigo playera negra., Por aquí está bien.. These cover the fastest moments on the page.
Is this Uber / DiDi 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.