¿Qué onda?
casual, Mexico
The casual way to say "hi" in Spanish depends on where you are. ¿Qué onda? is common in Mexico, ¿Qué pasa? in Spain, and Buenas works almost anywhere. It is also called Ey.
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué onda? | casual, Mexico |
| Buenas | casual |
| ¿Qué pasa? | casual, Spain |
| Ey | casual, friends |
Use these only with friends or people your age. ¿Qué onda? means "what's up", and in Spain ¿Qué pasa? is used in the same friendly way.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Venezuelans and Colombians also use ¿Qué hubo?, often shortened to ¿Quiubo? in speech.
Did you know?
- Quiubo is a spoken contraction of ¿qué hubo? and is heard in Colombia and Chile.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué onda, cómo andas?What's up, how are you doing?
- Ey, ¿qué pasa?Hey, what's up?
- Buenas, chicos.Hi, guys.
Example conversation
Ana meets her friends Pablo and Marta at a plaza in Madrid.
- AnaEy, ¿qué pasa, chicos?Hey, what's up, guys?
- PabloNada, aquí, esperándote.Nothing, just here waiting for you.
- MartaBuenas, Ana. Ya era hora.Hi, Ana. About time.
