Can I bargain at Mexican mercados?

Lightly, on bigger purchases or at the end of the day. For everyday produce, prices are pretty fixed. Asking for a 'pilón' is more common than haggling the price.

What's the difference between kilo, cuarto and pieza?

Kilo = 1 kg, medio kilo = 500g, cuarto = 250g, pieza = one unit. Produce is usually per kilo; eggs, avocados and limes are often sold por pieza.

Expat & remote-worker guide

Spanish for Mexico

The Spanish you actually need to live and work in Mexico.

Mexican Spanish is the most widely understood dialect in the Americas — and it's the one you'll hear in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Tulum and Playa del Carmen. If you're moving to or living in Mexico, this is your most practical starting point.

What trips up most expats isn't grammar — it's the cultural rhythm: indirect politeness, heavy use of the diminutive (-ito, -ita), and a slang vocabulary that locals switch to the moment they like you. The dialogues below mirror real conversations from renting a place in Roma Norte to dealing with the bank, the landlord, and the doctor.

Practice each scenario out loud, then take it into a live roleplay with TutorIA to sand off the rough edges before you actually need it.

Real situations you'll hit

Each guide has dialogues, vocab, local tips and practice prompts.

Renting an apartment in Mexico

Apartment-hunting Spanish for Mexico City, Guadalajara and beyond.

Open guide

Opening a bank account in Mexico

What to actually say at BBVA, Santander or Banorte.

Open guide

Going to the doctor in Mexico

Describe symptoms and get the right meds — without a translator.

Open guide

Taking Uber and taxis in Mexico

Confirm pickup, change the route, and survive the chat.

Open guide

Visa and immigration appointments in Mexico

Get through your INM appointment without freezing up.

Open guide

Grocery shopping and the mercado in Mexico

Order at the carnicería, bargain at the mercado, survive the cashier line.

Open guide

City guides

Neighborhoods, slang and pronunciation for the cities you'll actually live in.

Spanish in Mexico City

Chilango Spanish, neighborhood by neighborhood.

Open city guide

Spanish in Guadalajara

Tapatío Spanish — warm, musical, and full of inventive slang.

Open city guide

Spanish in Playa del Carmen

Beach Spanish for the Riviera Maya digital-nomad crowd.

Open city guide

Mexico Spanish: what's different

The dialect quirks that trip up expats in the first week.

Diminutives everywhere

Mexicans soften almost everything: un momentito, ahorita, un cafecito. It's not childish — it's polite. Mirror it back and you'll instantly sound less foreign.

Ahorita ≠ right now

Ahorita can mean 'in a minute', 'in an hour', 'today maybe', or 'never'. Read tone, not the dictionary. If you need a real time, ask: '¿como en cuánto tiempo?'

Usted at first contact

With landlords, doctors, immigration officers, older neighbors — start with 'usted'. They'll invite you to switch to 'tú' when ready ('me puedes hablar de tú').

Mande, not ¿qué?

When you didn't catch what someone said, 'mande' is the polite Mexican response — '¿qué?' can sound abrupt.

Starter slang

The ten words you'll hear in your first week.

Phrase	Meaning	Example / note
¿Qué onda?	What's up?	¿Qué onda, güey? — informal, between friends.
Órale	Wow / OK / let's go	Catch-all reaction word. Use sparingly until you hear how natives use it.
Chido	Cool / awesome	Está chido el lugar.
Padre / padrísimo	Cool / really cool	Qué padre tu depa.
Sale	Sounds good / OK	—¿Nos vemos a las 8? —Sale.
No manches	No way / come on	Mild surprise. Slightly stronger version starts with 'm'.
Chamba	Work / job	Tengo mucha chamba esta semana.
Depa	Apartment (short for departamento)	Estoy buscando depa en la Roma.
Lana / varo	Money	No traigo lana. / Cuesta mucho varo.
Crudo	Hungover	Ando bien crudo hoy.