Mexican

A boy in Mexico is a niño. In casual Mexican talk you also hear chamaco and, for an older boy or young man, muchacho. Use niño for a young child.

Spanish splits “time” in three. In Mexico you say hora for clock time, tiempo for duration or free time, and vez for an occasion, as in una vez.

The word is energía. In Mexico people also say ponerse las pilas for “get energized” or “get moving”, which literally means putting batteries in.

Grandpa in Mexican Spanish is abuelito. Grandchildren also say abue when they want something short and familiar.

In Mexico dinner is cena, the light evening meal. The big main meal of the day is la comida, eaten in the afternoon, so comida does not mean dinner.

In Mexico a cockroach is a cucaracha. In casual talk people shorten it to cuca. Say hay una cucaracha to report one.

In Mexico you politely refuse with No, gracias. For a gentler refusal add muchas gracias or say Así estoy bien, gracias.

A “side dish” in Mexican Spanish is a guarnición or an acompañamiento. Both are understood, and acompañamiento is the more everyday word at the table.

In Mexican Spanish “pineapple” is piña. The word is feminine, so you say la piña and una piña.

In Mexican Spanish “long” is largo for masculine words and larga for feminine words. The plurals are largos and largas.