Which one should you use?
While ¡guau, qué chulo! is used in Spain, a speaker in Mexico would more likely say ¡guau, qué padre! to express the same sentiment. In some Latin American countries like Colombia and Peru, you might hear the informal expression ¡Chévere! ¡Qué bacán! to mean "Wow! How cool!" In Spain, you may also hear ¡Qué guay! ¡Está de lujo! to mean "How cool! It's great!"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¡guau, qué chulo! is informal and should be used among friends or in casual settings rather than in formal professional environments.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of chulo to mean "cool" is highly characteristic of colloquial Spanish in Spain. As noted, ¡Chévere! ¡Qué bacán! is common in parts of Latin America like Colombia and Peru, while ¡Qué guay! ¡Está de lujo! is common in Spain.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡwau ˈke ˈtʃulo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, using the word chulo to mean 'cool' might actually backfire, as it can also mean 'pimp' or 'cheeky' depending on the context and region.
- In Mexico, the word padre used in ¡qué padre! literally means 'father'.
- While English speakers use 'wow' as an exclamation, the Spanish guau is an onomatopoeia that mimics the sound of a dog barking.
Examples in context
- ¡Guau! ¡Qué chulo!Wow! How cool!
- ¡No me digas! ¡Está de pelos!You don't say! It's awesome!
- ¡Qué pasada! ¡Me flipa!That's incredible! It blows my mind!
Example conversation
Javier shows Sofía his new phone.
- JavierMira mi teléfono nuevo, Sofía.Look at my new phone, Sofía.
- Sofía¡Guau, qué chulo!Wow, that's cool!
- JavierSí, tiene una cámara increíble.Yes, it has an incredible camera.
- SofíaMe encanta el color.I love the color.
