Essential Greetings & Mexican Politeness
Master these and doors open everywhere
Listen - perfect grammar means NOTHING if you're rude. Mexicans value politeness above everything. Say "por favor" and "gracias" constantly. Use "disculpe" before asking anything. And here's the key: say "¿Mande?" not "¿Qué?" when you don't understand!
Daily Greetings by Time
Buenos días
Good morning
↻
Until noon
Always plural!
Buenas tardes
Good afternoon
↻
Noon to sunset
~12pm-7pm
Buenas noches
Good evening/night
↻
After dark
Hello AND goodbye
¿Qué onda?
What's up?
↻
Super Mexican!
Casual greeting
¿Cómo estás?
How are you? (informal)
↻
Friends, peers
Tú form
¿Cómo está usted?
How are you? (formal)
↻
Elders, strangers
Shows respect
Mexican Politeness Essentials
Por favor
Please
↻
Use constantly!
Never optional
Gracias
Thank you
↻
For everything
Even tiny favors
Con permiso
Excuse me (to pass)
↻
Moving through crowds
Physical space
Disculpe
Excuse me (attention)
↻
Getting attention
Before questions
¿Mande?
Pardon? What?
↻
Didn't hear/understand
Polite, not "¿Qué?"
"¿Qué?" sounds rude!
Mucho gusto
Nice to meet you
↻
First meetings
"Igualmente" = likewise
Mateo's Golden Rule:
When in doubt, be MORE polite. Add "por favor" to everything. Say "gracias" twice. Use "usted" with anyone older. Politeness opens doors that perfect Spanish can't!
Survival Spanish - Emergency Phrases
Your panic button phrases when things go wrong
These are NON-NEGOTIABLE. Memorize them NOW. When you're lost, sick, or in trouble, these phrases are your lifeline. Practice until they're automatic - your brain won't work when you panic!
Critical Emergency Phrases
¡Ayuda!
Help!
↻
Yell loudly!
Gets attention
Necesito un doctor
I need a doctor
↻
Medical emergency
"Médico" also works
Estoy perdido/a
I'm lost
↻
-o for men, -a for women
Show map on phone
No entiendo
I don't understand
↻
Use often!
No shame
¿Dónde está el baño?
Where's the bathroom?
↻
Most needed phrase!
"Sanitario" also works
¿Me lo puede repetir?
Can you repeat that?
↻
More polite form
Better than "¿Puede repetir?"
Tech & Money Emergencies
Mi tarjeta no funciona
My card doesn't work
↻
ATM/payment issues
Common problem!
Perdí mi pasaporte
I lost my passport
↻
Embassy time!
Need copies
Mi teléfono está muerto
My phone is dead
↻
Need charger!
"Cargador" = charger
¿Cuál es la contraseña?
What's the WiFi password?
↻
Essential everywhere
"Del WiFi"
Numbers, Money & Time
You literally can't function without these
Numbers are EVERYTHING! You can't buy anything, tell time, or navigate without them. Focus on 1-100 first. Here's what things really cost: street tacos 15-25 pesos, metro 5 pesos (card costs 15), coffee 30-50 pesos, Uber across Roma 80-150 pesos!
Critical Numbers for Mexico City Life
uno
1
↻
Un taco
Changes to "un" before noun
cinco
5
↻
Metro fare!
Since 2013
diez
10
↻
Tip amount
10% minimum
quince
15
↻
Metro card cost
NOT "diez y cinco"
veinte
20
↻
Cheap taco price
Street vendor
veinticinco
25
↻
ONE WORD!
21-29 all one word
treinta
30
↻
treinta y uno = 31
Use "y" after 30
cuarenta
40
↻
Coffee price range
Local café
cincuenta
50
↻
Common bill
Pink bill color
sesenta
60
↻
Sounds like 70!
SESenta vs SETenta
setenta
70
↻
Comida corrida price
SET not SES!
ochenta
80
↻
Uber in Roma
Short distance
noventa
90
↻
Restaurant meal
Before tip
cien
100
↻
100 pesos exactly
Becomes "ciento" for 101+
doscientos
200
↻
ATM minimum
About $10 USD
quinientos
500
↻
Big bill - hard to break!
Red bill color
Money & Prices
¿Cuánto cuesta?
How much?
↻
Essential phrase!
Use everywhere
doscientos pesos
200 pesos
↻
Common ATM amount
~$10 USD
quinientos
500
↻
Big bill!
Hard to break
No hay cambio
No change
↻
Mexico's motto!
Carry small bills
efectivo
cash
↻
King in Mexico
Many places only
con tarjeta
with card
↻
Ask first!
"¿Aceptan tarjeta?"
Money Reality:
Always carry small bills! "No hay cambio" (no change) is Mexico's motto. Break big bills at Oxxo or 7-Eleven. Many street vendors and small shops are cash-only. ATMs usually dispense 200s and 500s - nightmare for buying tacos!
Café & Restaurant Mastery
Order like a local, not a tourist
Five years serving coffee taught me everything! Pro tip: "¿Me da un café?" is WAY more polite than "Quiero un café." Also, always have cash - half the places don't take cards! And when they ask "¿Con todo?" at taco stands, they mean onions and cilantro.
Polite Ordering
¿Me da...?
Can you give me...?
↻
Polite ordering
Better than "Quiero"
un café
a coffee
↻
Black by default
"Americano" = watered
café con leche
coffee with milk
↻
Most popular!
Half and half
para aquí
for here
↻
Staying to drink
Ceramic cup
para llevar
to go
↻
Taking away
Paper cup
¿Con todo?
With everything?
↻
They ask YOU
Onions/cilantro
la cuenta
the bill
↻
Ask for it!
Won't come automatically
con azúcar
with sugar
↻
Specify sweetness
"Sin" = without
pan dulce
Mexican pastry
↻
Concha, cuernito
~15-25 pesos
Mexican Slang & Daily Expressions
Stop sounding like a textbook - talk like you live here!
This is the REAL Spanish! But here's what nobody tells you: "güey" is ONLY for friends your age - never say it to elders or your boss! "Órale" is safer - works everywhere. And "ahorita"? Can mean 30 seconds or 2 hours. Context is everything!
Essential Mexican Slang
Órale
Wow/Let's go/OK
↻
Context is everything!
Most Mexican word
Güey
Dude/buddy
↻
Friends YOUR AGE only!
Never elders/boss!
Can offend if misused!
No manches
No way!
↻
Clean version
OK at work
Está padre
It's cool
↻
Very Mexican!
All ages OK
Ahorita
"Right now"...ish
↻
30 seconds to never!
Context dependent
"Ahorita vengo" = grab coffee
Al rato
In a while
↻
Even more vague!
Could be hours
¿Neta?
Really?
↻
Casual disbelief
"La neta" = the truth
Chido
Cool/nice
↻
¡Qué chido!
Young people
Sale
OK/Alright
↻
Mexican "OK"
"Vale" = Spain version
Daily Expressions
Claro que sí
Of course!
↻
Strong agreement
Enthusiastic yes
No importa
Doesn't matter
↻
It's fine
Let it go
¿A poco?
Really?/No way
↻
Surprise/doubt
Very Mexican
Híjole
Oh boy/Yikes
↻
Mild concern
Polite surprise
Time Reality Check:
"Ahorita" can mean: right now (30 seconds), in a minute (5 minutes), in a bit (30 minutes), later (2 hours), or never. Context and tone tell everything! When someone says "ahorita vengo," grab coffee - they're not coming back soon.
Metro & Transport Reality
Updated for 2024-2025 - not outdated info!
Big changes in 2024! No more paper tickets - you MUST buy the rechargeable card (15 pesos). Metro still 5 pesos per trip. Line 12 fully reopened. And respect the women's cars (pink signs) or face angry stares!
Metro Essentials 2024
Tarjeta de movilidad
Metro card
↻
Costs 15 pesos
Required since Feb 2024
¿Dónde me bajo?
Where do I get off?
↻
Essential question!
Ask early
Transbordo
Transfer
↻
Change lines
Follow arrows
Dirección
Direction
↻
End station name
Know both ways
Vagones exclusivos
Women's cars
↻
Pink floor signs
Men NOT allowed
Metrobús
6 pesos
↻
Same card works
Dedicated lanes
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 5am-midnight | Sat: 6am-midnight | Sun: 7am-midnight. Rush hours 7:30-9:30am and 5:30-8pm are PACKED!
Ready to Sound Like You Live Here?
"You've got everything you need to survive and thrive in Mexico City. Now let's practice until it's automatic. Remember - communication beats perfection every time!" - Mateo 🇲🇽