Spice level
fine with coworkers and new acquaintances.
Quick Answer
- Qué onda means what is up or what is going on in Mexican Spanish.
- It can be a friendly greeting or a question about a situation.
- It is casual and safe, but not formal.
What it means
Qué onda is one of the most common Mexican greetings. It means what is up, what is going on, or what is the deal.
It can greet a person or ask about a situation: qué onda con la fiesta means what is going on with the party.
Literal meaning
Literally, it means what wave? Onda can mean wave, vibe, energy, or frequency.
That is why the phrase feels like asking what vibe is happening.
How Mexicans use it
Mexicans use qué onda with friends, coworkers they know well, and people in relaxed settings.
Add contigo and it can become more pointed: qué onda contigo means what is up with you.
In texts and group chats, qué onda is the default opener. It is shorter than ¿cómo estás? and warmer than hola, so WhatsApp threads start with qué onda the way English ones start with hey or yo.
Outside Mexico the phrase travels with the diaspora but stays clearly Mexican. Colombians, Argentines, and Spaniards recognize it as a Mexican greeting; it is not something they reach for in their own everyday speech.
Tone and safety
Qué onda is safe and common. It is casual, not vulgar.
For formal greetings, use buenos días, cómo está, or qué tal.
Qué tal works across registers and feels neutral. Qué onda is warmer but distinctly informal, closer to what is up than to how are you. With your boss in a formal email, qué onda lands wrong. With your boss after work over beers, it is normal.
Common mistake
The common mistake is using qué onda in formal settings where it sounds too relaxed.
Another mistake is missing the second use. It is not only hello; it can ask what is going on with something.
A subtler mistake is forcing a literal answer. Like what's up in English, qué onda is often phatic — the real reply is usually another qué onda or a short greeting, not a status report.
Don't sound gringo
This is the one greeting you can copy on day one without worrying about offending anyone. It's casual, not vulgar — the only place it lands wrong is a formal email or meeting a stranger's parents, where qué tal is the safer swap. Master ¿qué onda? before you touch ¿qué pedo?.
Examples
- ¡Qué onda, carnal! ¿Cómo andas?What is up, bro! How you doing?
- ¿Qué onda con la fiesta del sábado?What is the deal with Saturday’s party?
- Qué onda, ¿sí vienes?What is up, are you coming?
Where you'll hear it
- walking up to the taquería where your usual guy already knows you — '¡qué onda! ¿lo de siempre?'
- opening a WhatsApp thread with a friend you haven't texted in weeks — just 'qué onda, ¿cómo vas?'
- in the Roma Norte office kitchen at 9am, a coworker you actually like leans in with 'qué onda, ¿descansaste?'
- running into someone at a party and stalling for their name while you say '¡qué onda, hace siglos!'
- a friend texts 'qué onda contigo' after you went quiet for two days, and you realize it's not just a hello
Mini dialogue
FAQ
What does ¿qué onda? mean?
¿Qué onda? means what's up. what's the wave in Mexican Spanish.
Is ¿qué onda? rude?
Qué onda is casual and safe with friends, peers, and relaxed settings. Use qué tal or cómo está in formal situations.
Where is ¿qué onda? used?
¿Qué onda? is used in Mexico and recognized across Latin America and US Spanish-speaking communities as a distinctly Mexican greeting.
What is the difference between qué onda and qué tal?
Qué tal is neutral and works across registers, including semi-formal contexts. Qué onda is warmer and distinctly informal, closer to what is up than how are you. Both ask the same thing, but qué onda signals real casualness.
How do Mexicans use qué onda in a text message?
Qué onda is the default WhatsApp and group-chat opener in Mexico. It is shorter than ¿cómo estás? and warmer than hola, so it works the way hey or yo does in English texts. Replies are usually just another qué onda or a quick update.
Is qué onda used outside Mexico?
Qué onda is understood across Latin America and among Spanish speakers in the US, but it is distinctly Mexican. Colombians, Argentines, and Spaniards recognize it but rarely use it in their own everyday speech.
What is a natural example of ¿qué onda??
A natural example is: ¡Qué onda, carnal! ¿Cómo andas? That means: "What is up, bro! How you doing?"
What is a similar word to ¿qué onda??
A similar word is ¿qué onda, perro?. Check the related words below for more nearby Mexican Spanish expressions.
Don't confuse with
- ¿qué pedo?Same idea, but ¿qué pedo? is vulgar — pedo literally means fart. ¿Qué onda? is the version you can say to almost anyone. When unsure, reach for ¿qué onda?.
- ¿qué transa?Another 'what's up' variant, slightly more old-school CDMX. Same friend energy as ¿qué onda?, just a touch more street.
- ¿qué onda contigo?Adding contigo changes the aim. Plain ¿qué onda? is a friendly hello; ¿qué onda contigo? can mean 'what's your deal?' depending on tone.
Related words
Test yourself
tap an answer.
What does '¿qué onda?' usually mean in casual Mexican Spanish?
You're sending a first email to a new boss in Mexico. How do you open?
A friend texts you just '¿qué onda?' at 3pm with nothing else. What's the read?
The one thing
qué onda is the everyday mexican 'what's up' — warm, casual, safe with almost anyone, and the first greeting worth copying.
Mentioned in
longer reads where this word shows up.
