¿Qué onda?
slang, Mexico
In Mexican slang the most popular greeting is ¿Qué onda?, which literally says "what wave?" and means "what's up?" Friends also say ¿Quihubo? or ¿Qué pasó?
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué onda? | slang, Mexico |
| ¿Qué pasó? | casual |
| ¿Quihubo? | slang, Mexico |
These work between friends and people your age. With elders or in formal moments, use Buenos días or Buenas tardes instead.
Which one should you use?
¿Quihubo? is a quick, spoken form of ¿Qué hubo? and has a street feel. ¿Qué onda? is easier to use with almost any friendly person.
How do you pronounce it?
Say ¿Qué onda? as "keh OHN-dah". The expression is often followed by ¿cómo andas?
Did you know?
- Onda means "wave", and in Mexican Spanish it came to be used for atmosphere or vibe, which is how ¿Qué onda? got its meaning.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué onda, cómo estás?What's up, how are you?
- ¿Quihubo, wey?What's up, dude?
- ¿Qué pasó, todo bien?What's up, all good?
Example conversation
Alan runs into his old classmate Sara at a taco stand in Puebla.
- Alan¿Qué onda, Sara? ¡Tanto tiempo!What's up, Sara? It has been a while!
- Sara¿Quihubo, Alan? ¿Cómo has estado?What's up, Alan? How have you been?
- AlanBien, trabajando mucho.Good, working a lot.
- SaraQué bueno, ya nos tenemos que ver.Great, we have to meet up soon.
