--- title: "metiche" translation: "Nosy. A busybody." type: "word" category: "slang" url: "https://consalsa.app/words/metiche" canonical: "https://consalsa.app/words/metiche" published: "2026-09-04" updated: "2026-09-04" author: "Andrey the Nomad" site: "ConSalsa.App" license: "https://consalsa.app/about" --- # metiche URL: https://consalsa.app/words/metiche Translation: Nosy. A busybody. Pronunciation: /meˈti.tʃe/ Category: slang Region: Mexico Register: casual, mild, teasing more often than not Variants: metichona, metichón, no seas metiche, metiches, metichita, es bien metido Literal meaning: From meterse, to get into something. A metiche is somebody who se mete where nobody called them. Tone & safety: Mild enough to say to a friend's face. Said to a mother-in-law or a boss it stops being mild very quickly. Published: 2026-09-04 Quick answer: - 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. 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. 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. 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: A: ¿Y por qué no ha venido tu novio a comer? B: Está trabajando, abue. A: ¿Y trabaja los domingos? ¿En qué trabaja? B: Ay, abue, no sea metiche. A: Yo nada más pregunto. Sírvete más arroz. FAQ: Q: What does metiche mean? A: Nosy, meddling. It describes somebody who gets into business that is not theirs - not just curious about it, but involved in it. Q: What is the difference between metiche and chismoso? A: 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. Q: Is metiche masculine or feminine? A: 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. Q: Is metiche rude? A: 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. Q: How do you tell someone to mind their own business in Mexican Spanish? A: 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. Q: Where does metiche come from? A: 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. Q: How do you answer when someone calls you metiche? A: No soy metiche, soy curioso. It is the standard comeback and it keeps the exchange playful, which is usually what you want. Q: What is the difference between metiche, chismoso and argüendero? A: 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. Q: What is a metichón? A: The same thing, laid on thicker. Metichón and metichona are intensified forms of metiche and carry a bit more exasperation. Related words: chismoso, naco, baboso, fresa, ruco