Mexican Spanish vocabulary
The following table lists some Mexican Spanish words with their Peninsular equivalents. Many of the Peninsular words are also synonymous in Mexico. Those words marked with an asterisk (*) are generally not used in Mexico (at least with the same meaning as in Spain). Mexican Spanish | Peninsular Spanish | English translation |
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abajo de | debajo de | under | acá | aquí | here | afuera | fuera | outside | arete | pendiente | earring | atrás de | detrás | behind | aviso | anuncio | announcement, advertisement | bañarse | ducharse | to have a shower | baño, taza | wáter* | toilet | baño, regadera | ducha | shower | bocinas | bafles, parlantes*, altavoces | speakers, loudspeakers | boleto | billete* | ticket | bolsa | bolso | bag, handbag | botanas | =tapas | snacks, nibbles | ¡bueno! | ¡hola! | hello! (when answering phone) | burro | tabla de planchar | ironing board | café | marrón | brown, dark brown | calabacita | calabacín* | courgette | camarón | gamba* | prawn | camión | autobús | coach, tour bus | carretera de cuota | carretera de peaje | toll road | carro1 | coche, auto | car | chabacano | albaricoque* | apricot | chamba (Infml) | trabajo | work | chambear (Infml) | trabajar | to work | celular | móvil* | mobile, cell phone | chango | mono | monkey | checar | verificar, chequear | to check | chupar (Slang) | beber, tomar alcohol | to booze | clóset | ropero | closet, wardrobe | guardarropa | ropero* | cloakroom | corte | tribunal | (law) court | costo | coste* | cost | departamento | piso* | flat, apartment | dulce | caramelo | sweet, candy | durazno | melocotón2 | peach | falla | defecto | fault | (diá) feriado | fiesta nacional | public holiday | flojera | pereza | laziness | flojo | perezoso | lazy, idle | foco | bombilla | light bulb | gancho | percha | clothes hanger | güevón (Slang) | perezoso | lazy, bone-idle | hablar | llamar | to phone, call | hongos | champiñones1 | (edible) mushrooms | jugo | zumo* | (fruit) juice | lagarto | aligátor, caimán1 | alligator | manejar | conducir | to drive (a vehicle) | ¿qué onda? (Informal) | ¿qué tal? | how's it going? | buena onda (Informal) | amigable | friendly, easy-going | ostión | - | (type of large) oyster | padre | estupendo | amazing | pay, pie | tarta | pie | pesero | autobús3 | bus, town-centre minibus | planeación | planificación | planning | platillo4 (fuerte) | plato (fuerte) | (main) course, dish | pluma | bolígrafo | pen | prestar5 | pedir prestado | borrow | seguido | a menudo | often | ustedes | vosotros* | you (familiar, pl) | voltear(se) | volver(se) | to turn round |
1. As well as being a general word for car, the word carro can imply taxi. Outside of this meaning, the word coche is also common in Mexico. 2. In Spain, caimán, champiñones and melocotón are used as generic words; in Mexico, they refer to specific types of alligator, mushroom and peach respectively. 3. In Mexico, autobús is still used as a synonyum of camión to refer to a larger bus or coach, especially used to travel between cities. 4. The word platillo refers to the food or a course of a meal; the word plato is still used to refer to the actual plate or dish eaten off. 5. prestar is still used in Mexico to mean to lend (out).
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