Quick Answer
Varo means money in Mexican Spanish, and un varo is one peso. It counts, so cien varos is a hundred pesos and puro varo means cash only. It comes from Caló baró, big. Lana is the twin that skews older, and dinero is the plain word official contexts require.
- Varo means money, and un varo means one peso.
- It counts: cien varos is a hundred pesos, and puro varo means cash only.
- Lana means the same thing and skews older, though both are completely current. Dinero is what official contexts want.
What it means
Money, in the everyday sense - what you are carrying, what you are short of, what something costs. It skews younger than lana, but both are fully current and plenty of people well past forty say varo.
It also counts, and that is the part that surprises people. Un varo is a peso. Veinte varos is twenty pesos. That makes it both a mass noun and a countable one, and Mexicans switch between the two without noticing.
The origin usually given is Caló, the language of the Roma in Spain, where baró means big - which is also why you will see it spelled baro. It is the account everyone repeats and it is not settled, so take it as the leading story rather than a closed case.
In slang it means nothing but money, which is unusual in this set. Lana is also wool and feria is also a fair, and both of those double meanings turn up in jokes; varo does not do that.
At a door that only takes cash
ThemSon ciento cincuenta, y es puro varo.
It's a hundred and fifty, and it's cash only.Puro varo is the phrase to recognize fast. No cards, no transfer.
You¿No hay cajero cerca?
Is there an ATM nearby?There usually is, and asking is completely normal.
ThemSí, en la esquina. Aquí te esperamos.
Yeah, on the corner. We'll wait for you.YouAhorita vengo. ¿Me guardan el lugar?
Back in a second. Can you hold my spot?Ahorita here means what it says, more or less, because somebody is waiting.
How Mexicans use it
Most often in the negative. No traigo varo is the everyday way to say you are carrying nothing, and it is softer than announcing that you are broke.
It is the word for borrowing. ¿Me prestas un varo? is not literally asking for one peso - it is the standard opening, and the amount arrives in the next sentence.
The diminutive has its own job. Hacer un varito means to make a bit of money on the side, and ando haciendo un varito is what somebody says about a side gig. Nothing to do with one peso.
Puro varo means cash only, and you will meet it at doors, at stalls and in the back of taxis. It is worth recognizing quickly, because it changes what you have to do next.
It stays out of anything official. A landlord, a bank, a contract or an invoice all want dinero, and varo in that context reads flippant rather than casual.
Examples
- No traigo varo, la neta.I've got no money on me, honestly.
- ¿Me prestas un varo hasta la quincena?Can you lend me some money until payday?
- Son cien varos por persona.It's a hundred pesos each.
- Es puro varo, no aceptan tarjeta.It's cash only, they don't take cards.
Mini dialogue
Common mistake
Treating it as uncountable. Un varo is one peso, and me faltan veinte varos means you are twenty short. Using it only as a mass noun means missing half of what people are saying about amounts.
Assuming it is interchangeable with feria. Feria leans toward coins and small change; varo is money in general. No traigo feria is a problem at a taco stand, and no traigo varo is a problem for the evening.
Don't sound gringo
varo and lana both mean money and both are current. varo skews younger, lana older, and that is most of the difference.
The story everyone tells about varo is that it comes from Caló baró, meaning big. It is the leading account rather than a settled one, and it is more than most Mexican money slang gets.
The thing that trips learners is that it counts. Un varo is one peso, cien varos is a hundred pesos, and puro varo means cash only. So no traigo varo is I have no money, while me faltan veinte varos means you are twenty pesos short.
It stays out of anything official. A bank, a landlord and an invoice all want dinero.
Where you'll hear it
- A table splitting a bill in coins and small bills, one person short by a few pesos
- A message at the end of the month that begins oye, ¿me prestas
- A doorman explaining that the entrance is cash only, and nobody being surprised
- Somebody putting one item back at the register because the total went over what they were carrying
Spice level
Works with anyone, anywhere.
FAQ
What does varo mean?
Money - and un varo means one peso. It works both as money in general and as a countable unit.
What is the difference between varo and lana?
Almost nothing. Both mean money and both are completely current - varo skews younger and lana skews older, and that is the whole of it.
What does puro varo mean?
Cash only. You will meet it at doors, at market stalls and in taxis, and it means the card in your pocket is not going to help.
How do you ask to borrow money in Mexican Spanish?
¿Me prestas un varo? It is not asking for one peso - it is the standard opening, and the actual amount comes in the next sentence.
Is varo the same as feria?
No. Feria leans toward coins and small change; varo is money in general. No traigo feria is a taco-stand problem, no traigo varo is an evening-sized one.
Can I use varo at a bank?
Better not. Anything official - a bank, a landlord, a contract, an invoice - wants dinero. Varo there reads flippant rather than casual.
Is it spelled varo or baro?
Both are correct and neither gets corrected, since b and v sound identical. Baro is the spelling closer to the Caló form the word is usually traced to; varo is what you will see most online.
Where does varo come from?
From Caló, the language of the Roma in Spain, where baró means big. It attached to the largest bills first and spread to money in general.
What does hacer un varito mean?
To make a bit of money on the side. Ando haciendo un varito is extremely common and it is not about one peso - it means a small extra income.
Is varo a bad word?
Safe among friends and completely normal in chat. It is street register, so a bank or an invoice wants dinero.
varo vs lana, feria and dinero
varovslana
The same meaning, half a generation older. Both are universally understood; the choice mostly dates the speaker. Lana is also literally wool, which varo is not - varo means nothing else at all.varovsferia
Feria leans toward small change and coins, while varo is money in general. No traigo feria is usually about coins; no traigo varo is about your whole situation.Page coming soonvarovsdinero
The plain word, and the one every official context wants. A bank, a landlord, a contract and an invoice all say dinero, and varo would read as flippant.Page coming soonvarovsbaro
The same word, spelled closer to the Caló form it is usually traced to. Both are correct and neither gets corrected, since b and v sound identical - baro turns up in the dictionaries, varo is what you will see most online.Page coming soonvarovsbillete
Traigo billete means I am carrying cash, and by extension I am flush. Narrower than varo - it points at bills specifically - and it is what somebody says when they are the one paying.Page coming soon
Related words
Test yourself
Tap an answer.
Your friend says 'me faltan veinte varos.' What do they mean?
A doorman says 'puro varo.' What do you do?
The one thing
varo is money, and un varo is one peso - so it counts. puro varo means cash only. from caló baró, meaning big. lana is the twin that skews older; dinero is what a bank wants.
Sources
- PressCuál es el origen de la palabra varoInfobae MéxicoThe Caló baró, big, applied first to the largest bills - which is the documented part.
- ResearchLana, feria y varoFlores de Nieve, CEPE-UNAMWhere varo sits against lana and feria, and the age split between them.
- ContextBrevísimo diccionario de mexicanismos económicosRankia MéxicoThe money words as a working set, including the ones that count and the ones that do not.
- Press¿Por qué varo al peso en México?DiaoniaOn the counting use - un varo as one peso - which is the part that catches learners.
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