Spanish · At the Bar (Cantina)
Una chela
CHEH-lah · /ˈtʃe.la/
A beer
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"(slang) a cold one"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The go-to Mexican word for beer. "¿Vamos por unas chelas?" is the most natural invitation there is. Add lime, salt, and chili to your beer and it becomes a "michelada." Clean, friendly, and the fastest way to make friends at a carne asada.
Heard in the wild
Traigan las chelas, ya empezó el partido.
Bring the beers, the game already started.
Where it lands
Mexico (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "Una chela" mean?
- In Spanish, "Una chela" means "A beer". Literally it's "(slang) a cold one". The go-to Mexican word for beer. "¿Vamos por unas chelas?" is the most natural invitation there is. Add lime, salt, and chili to your beer and it becomes a "michelada." Clean, friendly, and the fastest way to make friends at a carne asada.
- Is "Una chela" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "Una chela"?
- Say it "CHEH-lah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈtʃe.la.
Related in Spanish
Estar pedo ess-TAR PEH-doh To be drunk / wasted Una caguama kah-GWAH-mah A 40-oz / big-bottle beer La peda lah PEH-dah The party / the drinking session / the bender Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro ah-RREE-bah, ah-BAH-hoh, al SEN-troh, pah DEN-troh The Mexican toast: up, down, center, and down the hatch El pisto PEES-toh Booze / the liquor La cruda lah KROO-dah The hangover
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "A rude toast".
- French Cul sec ! Bottoms up! / Down it in one!
- German Prost! Cheers!
- Greek γεια μας Cheers! — the standard toast.
- Italian Cin cin! Cheers!
- Japanese 一気 Chug! Chug! / down it in one!
- Korean 짠! Cheers! — the toast is the sound effect itself.
- Polish na zdrowie! Cheers! — the standard toast (and also 'bless you' after a sneeze).
- Portuguese Cachaça Cachaça — Brazilian sugarcane liquor; slang for booze/a drinking habit
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.