Spanish · The Basics
¿Qué onda?
keh OWN-dah · /ke ˈon.da/
What's up? / What's the vibe?
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"What wave?"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The default Mexican greeting between friends — "onda" is your wave, your vibe, your energy. It's also how you ask what's going on with a situation ("¿qué onda con el proyecto?"). "Buena onda" = good vibes/nice person; "mala onda" = a jerk or a bummer. Totally clean.
Heard in the wild
¡Quihúbole! ¿Qué onda, cómo estás?
Hey! What's up, how are you?
Where it lands
Mexico (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "¿Qué onda?" mean?
- In Spanish, "¿Qué onda?" means "What's up? / What's the vibe?". Literally it's "What wave?". The default Mexican greeting between friends — "onda" is your wave, your vibe, your energy. It's also how you ask what's going on with a situation ("¿qué onda con el proyecto?"). "Buena onda" = good vibes/nice person; "mala onda" = a jerk or a bummer. Totally clean.
- Is "¿Qué onda?" 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 "¿Qué onda?"?
- Say it "keh OWN-dah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ke ˈon.da.
Related in Spanish
¡Órale! OH-rah-leh Alright! / Wow! / Let's go! / Get on with it! Sale SAH-leh OK! / Deal! / Sounds good No hay bronca noh eye BRONE-kah No problem / no worries ¡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) Güey GWEY (rhymes with 'way') Dude / man (filler); also 'idiot' when aimed
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