mae
slang, Costa Rica
In Costa Rican slang the word for "hey" is mae, which also means "dude" or "pal". It is used among friends, and hola is the neutral option. It is also called diay.
Meaning: casual attention-getter or greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| mae | slang, Costa Rica |
| hola | casual |
| diay | slang |
You can start a sentence with Mae, … to get a friend's attention, for example Mae, mirá esto for "Hey, look at this". It is mostly used between young people and friends.
Which one should you use?
Diay is another very Costa Rican word, used like "well" or "so" to open a thought. It is not a greeting by itself.
Did you know?
- Mae is used by people in Costa Rica of all genders among friends today, though it started as a word for a male friend.
Examples in context
- Mae, mirá esto.Hey, look at this.
- Hola, ¿qué hacés?Hey, what are you up to?
- Diay, ¿y ahora qué?Well, now what?
Example conversation
Two friends, Kevin and Fabián, meet outside a cinema.
- KevinMae, ¿qué hacés?Hey dude, what are you up to?
- FabiánNada, aquí esperando.Nothing, just waiting here.
- KevinDiay, entremos ya.Well, let us go in.
