Spanish · The Basics
¡Órale!
OH-rah-leh · /ˈo.ɾa.le/
Alright! / Wow! / Let's go! / Get on with it!
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"(from 'ahora' — now-ish)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The Swiss Army knife of Mexican interjections. It's agreement ("órale, vamos"), astonishment ("¡órale, qué grande!"), encouragement, and mild "hurry up" all at once. Totally clean, works with anyone, and stretching the "óoooorale" adds admiration. Master this and you already sound less like a textbook.
Heard in the wild
—Yo pago los tacos. —¡Órale!
—I'll get the tacos. —Sweet!
Where it lands
Mexico (universal); the stereotype-Mexican word abroad
Quick answers
- What does "¡Órale!" mean?
- In Spanish, "¡Órale!" means "Alright! / Wow! / Let's go! / Get on with it!". Literally it's "(from 'ahora' — now-ish)". The Swiss Army knife of Mexican interjections. It's agreement ("órale, vamos"), astonishment ("¡órale, qué grande!"), encouragement, and mild "hurry up" all at once. Totally clean, works with anyone, and stretching the "óoooorale" adds admiration. Master this and you already sound less like a textbook.
- Is "¡Órale!" 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 "¡Órale!"?
- Say it "OH-rah-leh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈo.ɾa.le.
Related in Spanish
¡No mames! noh MAH-mess No way! / You've got to be kidding me! ¡No manches! noh MAHN-chess No way! / Come on! (the polite twin of no mames) ¿Neta? NEH-tah For real? / Seriously? — or as a statement, 'the honest truth' ¿Qué onda? keh OWN-dah What's up? / What's the vibe? Sale SAH-leh OK! / Deal! / Sounds good ¡Aguas! AH-gwahs Watch out! / Careful! / Heads up!
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