Spice level
Fine with coworkers and new acquaintances.
Quick Answer
Metiche means nosy or meddling in Mexican Spanish. It comes from meterse, to get into something, and describes somebody who inserts themselves into business that is not theirs. The word does not change for gender, and it is distinct from chismoso, who spreads gossip rather than interfering.
- A metiche is somebody who gets into business that is not theirs - nosy, but with interference included.
- It comes from meterse, to get into something, and the word does not change for gender: el metiche, la metiche.
- A chismoso spreads gossip; a metiche gets involved. Mexicans keep the two apart.
What it means
Somebody is in your business. Not curious about it, in it - asking questions they have no standing to ask, offering opinions nobody wanted, quietly rearranging something that was already fine.
It is mild as accusations go. Between friends it is a joke, and the usual response is to keep asking anyway. Aimed at a relative or a neighbor it is a real complaint, and it is usually one the whole family has already agreed on.
Literal meaning
Metiche is built straight out of meterse, to get into something. The ending is a one-off - Mexican Spanish normally turns a habit into a person with -ón (preguntón, mirón, hocicón) or -oso (chismoso, envidioso), and metiche just went its own way. The proverb people quote when they mean it is no te metas donde no te llaman, and for what happens next, el que se mete a redentor sale crucificado.
The form does not agree with gender, which surprises people. La metiche and el metiche are both correct, and the plural is metiches. If somebody wants to lay it on thicker there is metichón and metichona, which adds size rather than changing the meaning.
Who says metiche to whom
- friendfriendA joke, and it rarely stops the questions. Somebody asks for detail they have not earned and gets metiche back.
- anyonela suegra or la vecinaThe two classic targets in Mexico, well-worn enough to be jokes on their own. Behind their back, constantly. To their face is a decision.
- a child or grandchildan older relativeSurvivable with usted attached - no sea metiche, abue - and it usually gets laughed off rather than answered.
- anyonea boss or a clientDo not. There is no version of a subordinate calling somebody metiche that reads as playful.
Is metiche rude, or affectionate?
Warm
- Between friends, about a question that went one step too far
- About yourself - perdón por metiche, pero...
- With usted attached, at a relative who is enjoying the attention
Rude
- At a suegra, out loud, at the table
- At a colleague who was actually trying to help
- Anywhere the person had a legitimate reason to ask
The line is whether they had standing to ask. If they did, calling them metiche is just a way of refusing to answer.
The forms of metiche you'll hear
- metichenosy person (any gender)Does not change for gender. El metiche, la metiche, both standard.
- metichesnosy peopleRegular plural, and the only inflection the word takes.
- metichón / metichonaseriously nosyLaid on thicker. More exasperation, same accusation.
- no seas metichedon't be nosyThe imperative, and the most common form of all. A shove, not a slap.
- ya salió lo metichethere goes your nosy sideThe salió lo frame, used for any trait that just showed itself.
- metichitaa bit of a busybodyThe diminutive turns it affectionate. Usually about somebody you are fond of.
- es bien metichehe or she is such a busybodyThe behind-the-back label. Bien is the usual intensifier, muy works too.
Can you say metiche to their face?
About someone
Es bien metiche. Said behind their back, it is a settled label, and in a family it is usually one everybody has already agreed on.
To their face
No seas metiche. Said to their face, it is a nudge to back off, and the conversation almost always continues anyway.
The face version is much lighter than the behind-the-back one, which is the opposite of how most insults work.
How Mexicans use it
The most common shape is the imperative: no seas metiche, said to somebody's face when they have asked one question too many. It is a shove rather than a slap, and the conversation usually survives it.
The second most common is behind the back: es bien metiche, said about a neighbor, a colleague, or the relative everybody has in mind. That version is a label and it sticks.
The classic targets are la suegra and la vecina, and both are well-worn enough to be jokes in their own right. Aiming it at either is entirely normal; aiming it at a suegra to her face is a different decision.
In chat it works as a one-word reply to somebody asking for detail they have no right to - metiche, with or without an emoji. It is not a real rebuke and it rarely ends the conversation.
There is a standard comeback and it is worth having ready. No soy metiche, soy curioso keeps the whole thing playful, which is almost always the right move - the accusation was not serious and neither should the answer be.
Examples
- Es bien metiche.He's such a busybody.
- No seas metiche, ¿a ti qué te importa?Don't be nosy, what's it to you?
- Mi vecina es bien metiche, se sabe la vida de todo el edificio.My neighbor is such a busybody, she knows everyone in the building's business.
- Perdón por metiche, pero ¿todo bien?Sorry for prying, but is everything okay?
- Ya salió lo metiche.There goes the nosy side of you.
Mini dialogue
Common mistake
Translating it as nosy and stopping there. Nosy is wanting to know. Metiche includes acting on it, and that extra step is why the word carries more irritation in Spanish than nosy does in English.
Using it for somebody who gossips. That is chismoso, and the two get run together by learners constantly. If the person spreads what they learn, chismoso. If they insert themselves into the situation, metiche. Plenty of people are both, but the words are not.
Don't sound gringo
metiche is not quite nosy. nosy is about wanting to know; metiche is about getting involved.
Asking, advising, rearranging, showing up. Somebody who only wants to know and then tells everyone is a chismoso, and somebody who stirs the whole thing up is an argüendero - Mexicans hold all three apart.
The form does not change for gender: la metiche and el metiche, same word.
A warning about who it gets aimed at. The two classic targets are la suegra and la vecina, so the joke has a well-worn track and everybody knows where it goes. If it lands on you, the answer is no soy metiche, soy curioso.
Where you'll hear it
- A neighbor leaning far enough over a Santa María la Ribera balcony to hear a conversation on the sidewalk
- Somebody at the next table in a Roma café whose whole body has tilted toward your conversation
- A family lunch and a question about your salary that arrives between the soup and the main
- The colleague who wants to know what HR said, framed as concern
FAQ
What does metiche mean?
Nosy, meddling. It describes somebody who gets into business that is not theirs - not just curious about it, but involved in it.
What is the difference between metiche and chismoso?
A chismoso collects gossip and spreads it. A metiche inserts themselves - asks, advises, interferes. You can be one without being the other, and Mexicans keep the two apart.
Is metiche masculine or feminine?
Both. The word does not change - el metiche and la metiche are equally correct, and the plural is metiches. Metichón and metichona exist as intensified forms.
Is metiche rude?
It is mild. Between friends it is a joke and the conversation carries on. Said to a mother-in-law or a boss it lands as a genuine accusation.
How do you tell someone to mind their own business in Mexican Spanish?
No seas metiche is the everyday one. Harder versions are métete en tus asuntos and no te metas. Softer, if you just want to move on, is nada más entre nosotros.
Where does metiche come from?
From meterse, to get into something. The proverb Mexicans quote is no te metas donde no te llaman, and for the consequences, el que se mete a redentor sale crucificado.
How do you answer when someone calls you metiche?
No soy metiche, soy curioso. It is the standard comeback and it keeps the exchange playful, which is usually what you want.
What is the difference between metiche, chismoso and argüendero?
A chismoso spreads the story, a metiche joins it, and an argüendero stirs it up. Mexicans hold all three apart, and the argüendero is the one nobody wants at the table.
What is a metichón?
The same thing, laid on thicker. Metichón and metichona are intensified forms of metiche and carry a bit more exasperation.
Is metiche a bad word?
Mild enough to say to a friend's face. Said to a mother-in-law or a boss it stops being mild very quickly.
metiche vs chismoso, metido and argüendero
metichevschismoso
The distinction Mexicans actually make. A chismoso collects and spreads - they want the story so they can tell it. A metiche gets involved - they ask, advise, and interfere. You can be one without being the other, and the metiche is usually the more exhausting of the two.Page coming soonmetichevsmetido
The same accusation with less color - es bien metido, anda metida en todo. Spoken and common, just flatter than metiche.Page coming soonmetichevsargüendero
The third one in the set, and a chilango will name it in the same breath. A chismoso spreads the story, a metiche joins it, an argüendero stirs it up. Chismolero and hocicón sit nearby.Page coming soonmetichevsentrometido
The standard-Spanish version, understood everywhere and used in Mexico too. It sounds a shade more formal, the way meddlesome does next to nosy.Page coming soonmetichevsmetiche vs preguntón
A preguntón just asks a lot of questions, which can be curiosity or enthusiasm. Metiche adds the part where they act on the answer.Page coming soon
Related words
Test yourself
Tap an answer.
Your colleague spreads everything they hear but never gets involved. What are they?
Which is true about the word metiche?
The one thing
a metiche gets into business that isn't theirs - not just curious, involved. it doesn't change for gender. a chismoso spreads the story, a metiche joins it, an argüendero stirs it up.
Sources
- DictionarymeticheDiccionario de americanismos, Asociación de Academias de la Lengua EspañolaDefines metiche as somebody who intervenes indiscreetly in matters that are not theirs - the intervening, not merely the curiosity.
- DictionarymetichearDiccionario de americanismos, Asociación de Academias de la Lengua EspañolaRecords a Mexico-only verb on the same root, glossed as getting into what does not concern you - evidence the family comes from meterse.
- Dictionarychismoso, chismosaDiccionario de americanismos, Asociación de Academias de la Lengua EspañolaDefines chismoso separately as a tattletale, which is the distinction learners collapse into metiche.
- InstitutionNadie se meta donde no le llamenCentro Virtual Cervantes, Refranero multilingüeThe proverb behind the standard rebuke, glossed as advice against meddling in other people's business.
- DictionaryredentorDiccionario breve de mexicanismos, Academia Mexicana de la LenguaRecords the second proverb the page quotes, el que se mete a redentor sale crucificado, and glosses it as the peacemaker taking the worst of it.
Share
From the blog
