---
title: "¿qué onda?"
translation: "What's up. What's the wave."
type: "word"
category: "greeting"
url: "https://consalsa.app/words/que-onda"
canonical: "https://consalsa.app/words/que-onda"
published: "2026-05-06"
updated: "2026-06-05"
author: "Andrey the Nomad"
site: "ConSalsa.App"
license: "https://consalsa.app/about"
---

# ¿qué onda?
URL: https://consalsa.app/words/que-onda
Translation: What's up. What's the wave.
Pronunciation: /ke ˈon.da/
Category: greeting
Region: Mexico
Register: casual
Variants: que onda, qué onda
Literal meaning: What wave?
Tone & safety: Qué onda is casual and safe with friends, peers, and relaxed settings. Use qué tal or cómo está in formal situations.
Published: 2026-05-06
Updated: 2026-06-05

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.

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?

Mini dialogue:
A: ¡Qué onda, hace siglos!
B: ¡Aquí, en la chamba como siempre!
A: Eso no es una respuesta, es una sentencia.
B: Pues sí, pero con café y nómina.

FAQ:
Q: What does ¿qué onda? mean?
A: ¿Qué onda? means what's up. what's the wave in Mexican Spanish.

Q: Is ¿qué onda? rude?
A: Qué onda is casual and safe with friends, peers, and relaxed settings. Use qué tal or cómo está in formal situations.

Q: Where is ¿qué onda? used?
A: ¿Qué onda? is used in Mexico and recognized across Latin America and US Spanish-speaking communities as a distinctly Mexican greeting.

Q: What is the difference between qué onda and qué tal?
A: 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.

Q: How do Mexicans use qué onda in a text message?
A: 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.

Q: Is qué onda used outside Mexico?
A: 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.

Q: What is a natural example of ¿qué onda??
A: A natural example is: ¡Qué onda, carnal! ¿Cómo andas? That means: "What is up, bro! How you doing?"

Q: What is a similar word to ¿qué onda??
A: A similar word is ¿qué onda, perro?. Check the related words below for more nearby Mexican Spanish expressions.

Related words: chido, guey, sale, neta