Spice level
fine with coworkers and new acquaintances.
Quick Answer
- Qué onda, perro means sup, homie or what is good, dawg.
- It is a very casual greeting with street-familiar energy.
- Use it with friends, not in polite or formal situations.
What it means
Qué onda, perro is a more familiar, street-casual version of qué onda. It means sup, homie, what is good, or what is up, dawg.
It signals closeness, attitude, or playful neighborhood energy.
Literal meaning
Literally, it is what wave, dog? Onda means wave or vibe, and perro can function like dawg or homie.
The literal phrase sounds odd in English, but the social meaning is easy to feel.
How Mexicans use it
People use it as a greeting among friends, especially when the tone is joking, relaxed, or intentionally informal.
It shows up constantly in voice notes and group chats — a quick qué onda perro to open a message before getting to the point.
It also crosses into Chicano and border speech where perro sits near homie, bro, and carnal.
Tone and safety
The phrase is not obscene, but it is very informal. It can sound overly familiar with older speakers, strangers, or mixed company.
Use it when the relationship can handle it. Otherwise, qué onda alone is safer.
Common mistake
The common mistake is using it as a neutral hello. It is not neutral; it carries style.
Another mistake is using perro with people who might hear it literally or as too familiar.
Don't sound gringo
Perro here is affectionate, not an insult — it works like 'dawg' or 'homie,' not 'dog' the put-down. But the warmth only lands if you've already got that easygoing rapport. Drop it on someone you barely know and it reads as trying too hard. Earn the perro first.
Examples
- ¡Qué onda, perro! ¿Cómo estás?What is good, homie! How you doing?
- ¿Qué onda, perro? Hace rato que no te veo.Sup, dawg. Have not seen you in a while.
- Qué onda, perro, ¿sí caes al partido?What is good, homie, are you coming to the game?
Where you'll hear it
- showing up to the cascarita on a Sunday morning when your buddy spots you across the field and yells '¡qué onda, perro!'
- walking into a friend's carne asada in the backyard and getting greeted with '¿qué onda, perro? ya llegaste, cabrón'
- opening a voice note from your compa that starts with '¿qué onda, perro?' before he forgets why he called you
- logging into the group call for game night and three voices overlap with 'qué onda perro' the second your mic turns on
- at a backyard party in East LA where the cousins switch between English and 'qué onda, perro' without missing a beat
Mini dialogue
FAQ
What does ¿qué onda, perro? mean?
¿Qué onda, perro? means sup, homie. what's good, dawg in Mexican Spanish.
Is ¿qué onda, perro? rude?
Qué onda, perro is not vulgar, but it is very informal and familiar. Use it only with people who share that kind of relaxed register.
Where is ¿qué onda, perro? used?
¿Qué onda, perro? is used in Mexico City youth speech, northern barrio culture, border and Chicano contexts.
What is a natural example of ¿qué onda, perro??
A natural example is: ¡Qué onda, perro! ¿Cómo estás? That means: "What is good, homie! How you doing?"
What is a similar word to ¿qué onda, perro??
A similar word is ¿qué onda?. Check the related words below for more nearby Mexican Spanish expressions.
Don't confuse with
- ¿qué onda?¿Qué onda? is the neutral, goes-anywhere greeting. Adding perro turns up the street swagger and narrows it to close friends — same root, more attitude.
- carnalCarnal means 'bro' with real brotherhood behind it. Perro is looser and more playful — closer to 'dawg' than to a blood-tight bond.
- ¿qué pedo?¿Qué pedo? is blunter and vulgar (pedo means fart). ¿Qué onda, perro? carries the same casual energy without the edge — safer in mixed company, though both are friend territory.
Related words
Test yourself
tap an answer.
What does '¿qué onda, perro?' mean in casual Mexican Spanish?
You just met your novia's uncle for the first time at a family lunch. He asks how you're doing. Do you hit him with '¿qué onda, perro?'
Your compa sends a voice note: '¡Qué onda, perro! ¿Sí caes al partido el domingo?' What's the vibe?
The one thing
¿qué onda, perro? is qué onda with the swagger turned up — a 'sup, homie' that only works once you've got the friendship to back it.
