Common Mistakes English Speakers Make in Mexican Spanish
Avoid embarrassing yourself in Mexico. Learn the false cognates and slang traps that trip up English speakers: embarazada, caliente, coger, excitado, and more.
You've been studying Spanish for years. You can order food, ask for directions, and maybe even crack a joke or two. Then you land in Mexico, open your mouth, and suddenly everyone around you is staring with a mix of shock, confusion, and barely suppressed laughter. Welcome to the world of false cognates and cultural landmines, where a single word can take you from friendly tourist to uncomfortable conversation starter in zero seconds.
Mexican Spanish is full of words that look or sound like English words but mean something completely different. Some are just mildly confusing. Others will get you into real trouble at a dinner table or, worse, in front of your host family. Here's everything you need to know before your first trip.
The Word That Will Make You Sound Pregnant
Let's start with the most famous one: embarazada. If you're feeling red-faced after making a social mistake and you want to say "I'm embarrassed," do not say "estoy embarazada." That means you are pregnant. Not figuratively. Literally expecting a baby.
Sounds like "em-ba-RA-dah" (em as in "empty", ba as in "banana", RA is the stressed syllable, dah as in "dah").
If you're a man saying this, the confusion doubles instantly. The word you actually want is "avergonzado" or "apenado." Memorize those and save yourself a very long explanation.
Caliente: Not Just About Your Coffee
Caliente literally translates as "hot," so English speakers naturally use it to describe weather or food. The problem is that in Mexico, calling someone caliente doesn't mean they're physically warm. It means they're sexually aroused. There's a reason locals smile when a tourist enthusiastically describes their soup as "muy caliente, muy caliente" while patting their chest.
Sounds like "ka-LYEN-teh" (ka as in "calm", LYEN is the stressed syllable, teh as in "tech" but cut short).
For hot weather, use "hace mucho calor." For food that's warm, "calientito" works in casual conversation. Just be mindful of context when you reach for caliente.
Coger: The Word That Rewrote Spanish History
No single word has caused more cross-cultural confusion than coger. In Spain, it's a completely normal verb meaning "to grab" or "to take." You would say "coge el autobús" (take the bus) without anyone blinking. But in Mexico and most of Latin America, coger is unambiguously sexual slang. Using it the way a Spaniard would in Mexico City will stop a conversation cold and leave everyone staring at the floor.
Sounds like "KO-hehr" (KO as in "okay", hehr rhymes with "air" with a soft Spanish "j" sound).
The fix is simple: swap it for "agarrar" (to grab) or "tomar" (to take). You'll communicate exactly what you mean without the raised eyebrows. This one isn't just a small misunderstanding. It's the kind of slip that becomes a story your Mexican friends tell about you for years.
Excitado: When Enthusiasm Goes Wrong
You just landed in Mexico City and you want to tell your new friends how excitado you are about the trip. Stop right there. In Mexican Spanish, excitado doesn't carry the wholesome, cheerful meaning of "excited" in English. It has a strong sexual connotation, similar to caliente. You'd essentially be announcing your arousal to strangers at the airport, which is not the impression you want to make at customs.
Sounds like "ex-see-TAH-do" (ex as in English "ex", see, TAH is the stressed syllable, do as in "doctor").
The word you want is "emocionado" (thrilled, happy about something) or "entusiasmado" (pumped up, enthusiastic). Either one will get you smiles instead of startled looks.
Constipado: The Cold You Didn't Expect
Here's a quieter false friend that catches people off guard: constipado. In English, being constipated means having digestive trouble. In Spanish, "estoy constipado" means you have a cold. A stuffy nose, a sore throat, that general miserable feeling of a head cold. The digestive situation you're thinking of is called "estreñido."
Sounds like "kon-stee-PAH-do" (kon, stee, PAH is the stressed syllable, do as in "doctor").
This one is less embarrassing than most on this list, but telling your Mexican coworker "I'm constipado" will get you sympathy and maybe a cup of tea, not the reaction you'd expect back home.
Crudo: Not Just Your Steak Order
If someone in Mexico tells you they're crudo on a Sunday morning, they are not talking about food preparation. They're telling you they're deeply hungover. The word for raw and the word for a devastating hangover share the same root, and in context, a Sunday morning crudo is almost always the hungover kind.
Sounds like "KROO-do" (KROO is the stressed syllable, do as in "doctor").
You'll understand this one even better after you read about la cruda, which Mexicans have elevated to something close to a cultural institution.
Padre: Not Your Dad
This one surprises a lot of people. Padre literally means "father," but in Mexican slang it means "cool" or "great." "Qué padre" is one of the most common expressions you'll hear, and it means something like "how cool" or "that's awesome." It has nothing to do with anyone's actual father, which confuses Spanish learners every single time.
Sounds like "PAH-dreh" (PAH is the stressed syllable, dreh rhymes loosely with "dread" without the final "d").
Tortilla: Two Countries, Two Very Different Dishes
Depending on where you are, tortilla describes something completely different. In Mexico, it's a thin round disk of corn or flour masa, the foundation of every taco, quesadilla, and sincronizada. In Spain, a tortilla is a thick egg-and-potato omelette. Both are delicious, but ordering one while expecting the other will make for a genuinely confusing breakfast.
Sounds like "tor-TEE-ya" (tor, TEE is the stressed syllable, ya as in "yard").
Wey, Pedo, Chido: The Slang You Won't Find in a Textbook
Mexican Spanish is also full of words that have no equivalent in formal Spanish at all. Wey (also written güey) is the Mexican equivalent of "dude" or "man," used constantly between friends in almost every sentence. Pedo doesn't just mean flatulence. In Mexico it means drunk, or a problem, or the general situation: "¿Cuál es el pedo?" translates roughly as "what's going on?"
Sounds like "WEY" (rhymes with "way") and "PEH-do" (PEH is the stressed syllable, do as in "doctor").
And chido is the Mexican way of saying something is cool, good, or great. "Está chido" is high praise. Then there's no mames, the all-purpose expression of shock, disbelief, and lighthearted outrage that you will hear constantly once you arrive. It's the phrase that means everything from "no way" to "are you serious right now?"
Sounds like "NO MAH-mess" (NO, MAH is the stressed syllable in "mames", mess).
Naco: Use With Care
Naco is one of those words that gets used casually but carries real weight. It describes someone considered tacky, low-class, or without refinement. Between close friends it can be affectionate or ironic, but calling someone you just met naco is a genuine insult. Know your audience before you use it.
Sounds like "NA-co" (NA as in "nacho", co as in "cocoa").
You Will Get It Wrong. That's Fine.
Mexican Spanish rewards curiosity and punishes assumptions. The vocabulary that looks like English often means something completely different, and the slang that has no English equivalent is where the real personality of the language lives. The best approach is to ask, listen, and learn to laugh at the moments when you get it wrong. Those are the stories you'll tell forever.
If you're heading to Mexico and want to keep learning the language as it's actually spoken, check out our guide to ordering street food in Mexico like a local, where knowing the right vocabulary can make the difference between a great meal and a very confusing one. Explore thousands more real Mexican slang words on Hablaaa.