A Father's Miracle: Spanish study pack

Show 7 more expressions

no mamesno way / you're kidding / oh come on

vulgar

Mild-to-moderate vulgarity in Mexico, used constantly among friends to express disbelief, annoyance, or amazement. The shock value is low in casual speech between peers.

No mames, ¿ya se te olvidó traer las llaves otra vez?No way, you forgot to bring the keys again?

ni madresabsolutely not / no way in hell / not a chance

vulgar

A strong emphatic negation. Stronger and more final than a plain 'no'. Very common in informal Mexican speech among adults.

¿Que le preste dinero después de lo que hizo? Ni madres.Lend him money after what he did? Absolutely not.

chingónawesome / badass / excellent

vulgar

Derived from 'chingar'. Used as a strong positive compliment. Can describe a person, object, or situation. Tone is enthusiastic and informal.

Tu hermano es bien chingón cocinando.Your brother is awesome at cooking.

ya estuvothat's enough / it's done / okay that's it

colloquial

Used to signal that something is finished, settled, or must stop. Can de-escalate a tense situation or simply mark that an action is complete.

Ya estuvo, no se diga más, mañana lo resolvemos.That's enough, nothing more to say, we'll sort it out tomorrow.

ponerse truchato stay sharp / to be alert / to pay close attention

colloquial

Vivid Mexican colloquialism. 'Trucha' literally means 'trout' but functions as an adjective meaning sharp or alert. Telling someone to 'ponerse trucha' means they should focus and be ready.

Ponte trucha en el examen, que hay preguntas de trampa.Stay sharp on the exam, there are trick questions.

de lejitosfrom a little distance / just from afar

colloquial

The diminutive suffix '-ito' added to the adverb 'lejos' via its form 'lejos→lejitos'. Diminutives in Mexican Spanish frequently soften or minimize something, here downplaying how close the speaker actually was.

Solo lo vi de lejitos, no llegué a saludarlo.I only saw him from a little distance, I didn't get to say hello.

en chingafast / right away / urgently

vulgar

Derived from 'chingar'. Used to demand or describe doing something very quickly. Exclusively informal and carries urgency.

Llama a los paramédicos en chinga, es una emergencia.Call the paramedics fast, it's an emergency.

A Father's Miracle

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