Spice level
fine with coworkers and new acquaintances.
Quick Answer
¿Qué pex? means 'what's up' in Mexican Spanish — it's a casual greeting between friends, mostly used by teens and young adults in CDMX.
- It's a playful phonetic respelling of ¿qué pedo?, softening the vulgarity while keeping the same informal energy.
- Safe to use with close friends your age, but it sounds young and can confuse people over 30 or in any formal setting.
What it means
¿Qué pex? is a casual greeting — the kind you throw at a friend when you walk in the door, pick up the phone, or show up to the corner where everyone's hanging out. It means 'what's up' or 'how's it going,' and most of the time that's all it is.
Depending on tone and context it can also mean 'what's the deal here' or even 'what's your problem' — the same range ¿qué pedo? covers, just wrapped in a slightly gentler package.
Literal meaning
Pex is a phonetic respelling of pedo — the p and ex sound like the end of 'pedo' said quickly, with the vulgar sting taken off. It's the same creative spelling logic as güey becoming wey in texts: sound the same, look friendlier.
This kind of respelling is common in CDMX youth slang, especially in messaging culture where the written word needs to signal tone. ¿Qué pex? reads as lighter and more playful than the original even when it means the same thing.
How Mexicans use it
You'll hear it most from people in their late teens and twenties — at school gates, outside oxxos, arriving at a friend's apartment. It's a quick social ping: 'I see you, what's happening.' Nobody stops to analyze it; it's just how the conversation starts.
In WhatsApp and group chats, ¿qué pex? shows up constantly as a one-line check-in or a way to wake up a quiet thread. 'Q pex todos' or just 'pex??' with no context — that's enough. The group knows what it means.
Outside CDMX it's less common, but Mexican social media has spread it further. You'll encounter it in comments and DMs from younger Mexican users everywhere, even in the US.
Examples
- ¿Qué pex, güey? ¿Ya comiste?What's up, dude? Have you eaten yet?
- ¿Qué pex contigo? Llevas todo el día callado.What's going on with you? You've been quiet all day.
- Llegó al depa sin avisar — nada más entró y dijo '¿qué pex?'He showed up at the apartment unannounced — just walked in and said 'what's up?'
- Q pex todos, ¿van a llegar o no?Hey everyone, are you actually coming or not?
Mini dialogue
Common mistake
The most common mistake is treating ¿qué pex? as interchangeable with ¿qué onda? — using it with people you just met, in professional settings, or with people who are noticeably older. The words are similar, but the social range is narrower.
The other mistake is thinking it sounds rude because of the pedo root. It doesn't — the respelling softens the feel. The issue isn't vulgarity, it's register: it signals closeness and youth, and if neither of those applies, the greeting just feels a bit off.
Don't sound gringo
the milder, younger sibling of ¿qué pedo? same meaning, less edge.
If you are nervous about ¿qué pedo? landing wrong, ¿qué pex? is often safer.
Just make sure you are actually close with the person - age and friendship both matter. Dropped on somebody you barely know, even a young one, it still reads a little off.
Where you'll hear it
- two guys bumping into each other at the schoolyard gate in Doctores — chest bump, backpacks half-falling off, one just says '¿qué pex?'
- walking into your friend's Roma apartment without knocking to find him on the couch in pajamas at 3pm — you raise both eyebrows and say '¿qué pex, güey?'
- group chat goes quiet for three days, then someone pings '¿qué pex todos?' — the silence is over
- you're at the taquería and your friend finally rolls in 40 minutes late — you lean back and say '¿qué pex contigo?'
- you use it with your friend's dad trying to sound natural — he just stares back and says '¿qué qué?'
FAQ
What does ¿qué pex? mean?
¿Qué pex? means 'what's up' or 'what's going on' in Mexican Spanish. It's a casual greeting between close friends, mostly used by teens and young adults in CDMX.
Is ¿qué pex? rude?
Not really — it's informal and youth-coded, but not vulgar in the way ¿qué pedo? can be. The issue is register: it signals a level of closeness and youthfulness that can feel out of place with strangers or in formal settings.
What's the difference between ¿qué pex? and ¿qué pedo?
¿Qué pedo? is the original — blunter, more adult, and more widely recognized. ¿Qué pex? is a phonetic respelling that softens the vulgarity and reads as younger and more playful. Same meaning, different vibe.
What's the difference between ¿qué pex? and ¿qué onda?
¿Qué onda? is the safe, all-ages casual greeting — works with almost anyone in an informal setting. ¿Qué pex? is narrower: it's specifically a youth and close-friend expression. If in doubt, use ¿qué onda?
How do you use ¿qué pex? in a text?
Exactly how you'd use it out loud — 'q pex' or '¿qué pex?' at the start of a message or as a one-line check-in. It's low-effort and signals casual closeness. Works well in group chats to restart a quiet thread.
Who says ¿qué pex? in Mexico?
Mostly teens and young adults, especially in CDMX. It's a youth-register expression that's spread through social media and messaging apps. Older generations typically use ¿qué onda?, ¿qué pedo?, or ¿qué transa? instead.
Is ¿qué pex? used outside Mexico City?
It originated in CDMX youth culture but has spread through Mexican social media and TikTok. You'll see it in DMs and comments from young Mexicans across the country and in the US, though it still reads as distinctly chilango.
Don't confuse with
- ¿qué pedo?¿Qué pedo? is the original — blunter and more adult. ¿Qué pex? is a softened phonetic respelling that reads as younger and slightly less vulgar. Same meaning, different vibe and age signal.
- ¿qué onda?¿Qué onda? is universal and safe for almost any casual context, regardless of age. ¿Qué pex? is more specifically a young-CDMX thing — narrower audience, narrower social range.
- ¿qué transa?¿Qué transa? is the old-school CDMX 'what's up' — your tíos and older friends might use it. ¿Qué pex? is the opposite end of the generational dial.
Related words
Test yourself
tap an answer.
What does ¿qué pex? mean?
You're at a work happy hour and run into a colleague you barely know. Is ¿qué pex? the right greeting?
Your friend texts: '¿qué pex, ya llegaste?' What are they asking?
The one thing
¿qué pex? is ¿qué pedo? with the volume turned down — same greeting, younger crowd, less edge.
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