¡Órale!
slang, Mexico
Spanish speakers have many ways to say "wow". In Mexico a very common one is ¡Órale!, in Spain people often say ¡Madre mía!, and ¡Qué chido! means "how cool".
Meaning: expression of surprise or admiration (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¡Órale! | slang, Mexico |
| ¡Madre mía! | casual, Spain |
| ¡Qué chido! | slang, Mexico |
¡Órale! can show surprise, approval or encouragement depending on tone. ¡Madre mía! is used for surprise at something good or bad.
Which one should you use?
¡Qué chido! is about admiration only, while ¡Madre mía! can also show shock. The plain ¡Guau! is also understood anywhere.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Chido is typical of Mexican Spanish and is less common elsewhere.
Did you know?
- Órale is one of the best known Mexican interjections and has no single English translation.
Examples in context
- ¡Órale, qué buen carro!Wow, what a nice car!
- ¡Madre mía, qué calor hace!Wow, it is so hot!
- ¡Qué chido está tu cuarto!Your room is so cool!
Example conversation
Camila shows her friend Beto the new bike she bought in Mexico City.
- CamilaMira, me compré una bici nueva.Look, I bought a new bike.
- Beto¡Órale! Está padrísima.Wow! It looks great.
- CamilaLa pagué en cuotas.I paid for it in installments.
- Beto¡Qué chido!How cool!
