How do you answer ¿qué onda??

Answer ¿Qué onda? with a short Nada, ¿y tú? ("Not much, you?") or Todo bien, ¿y tú? ("All good, you?"), then ask back. It's a greeting, not a real question, so nobody expects news.

  • ¿Qué onda? ¿Tienes mucho sueño?Speak

    What's up? Are you really sleepy?

    Ana, your language-exchange partner in the Speak tab, uses ¿Qué onda? with you because you're friends; with an older stranger she'd start with Buenas tardes.

  • Nada, ¿y tú?

    Not much, you?

  • Todo bien, ¿y tú?

    All good, you?

  • Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?Unit 2

    Fine, thanks. And you?

    The textbook answer works too.

What does ¿qué onda con…? mean?

¿Qué onda con…? means "what's going on with…?" or "what's the deal with…?". On its own, ¿Qué onda? can also mean "what's going on?" when something seems off.

  • ¿Qué onda con Diego? No contesta.

    What's up with Diego? He's not answering.

  • ¿Qué onda con la fiesta del sábado?

    What's the plan for Saturday's party?

What do buena onda and mala onda mean?

Buena onda means nice, cool or easygoing, usually about a person: Tu hermana es muy buena onda ("Your sister is really nice"). Mala onda is the opposite, "not cool" or "mean", and ¡Qué mala onda! means "that stinks!" or "that's harsh".

  • Es muy buena onda.

    He's (she's) really nice.

  • ¡Qué buena onda!

    How nice of you! That's so cool.

  • Uy, ¡qué mala onda!Speak

    Oh, that stinks!

    Ana again, when you tell her something went wrong.

Who can you say ¿qué onda? to?

Say ¿Qué onda? to friends, people your age and relaxed coworkers: it's casual but not rude. With an older person, a stranger or anyone serving you, greet with the time of day instead, Buenos días or Buenas tardes, and ¿Cómo está? More on that in how to say hello in Spanish.

  • buenas tardesUnit 2

    good afternoon

  • ¿Cómo está usted?Unit 2

    How are you? (polite)

How can you practice Mexican Spanish out loud?

Practice it in short, real exchanges, out loud. CiaoSpeak's Spanish course is set in Mexico City: the lessons teach everyday words like ¿Qué onda? with a recording and a note on when to use them, and in the Speak tab a taco vendor, a taxi driver or your language-exchange partner Ana asks you one question at a time. You answer by voice (or typing), and the app tells you whether a person would understand you. Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today's questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like. More words like this one: the Mexican slang list.

Frequently asked questions

Is qué onda only used in Mexico?

It's most typical of Mexico, but ¿qué onda? is also common in Central America and in Argentina. Elsewhere, people understand it from Mexican TV and music.

How do you spell qué onda?

With an accent on qué, because it's a question word: ¿Qué onda? In quick texts, people often drop the accent and the opening ¿, and some write q onda.

What is the difference between qué onda and qué tal?

Both mean "how's it going?", but ¿qué tal? works with almost anyone, including people you've just met, while ¿qué onda? is for friends and people your age.