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¿qué onda?

phraseInformal

A Mexican Spanish slang term. Browse all Mexican slang.

What it means

  1. What's up? The standard casual greeting between friends.

  2. What's the deal with…? Used with con to ask about a situation: ¿qué onda con el proyecto?

Literally: What wave?

Examples with translations

  • ¡Qué onda, güey! ¿Cómo has estado?

    Hey man! How've you been?

  • ¿Qué onda con la fiesta del sábado?

    What's happening with Saturday's party?

Where it comes from

Onda, 'wave', carries the sense of a prevailing mood or vibration — la onda was the name of a 1960s Mexican counterculture movement, and the word kept that flavour. Buena onda ('good vibes') and mala onda come from the same image.

Other forms

Similar terms:
¿qué pedo?, ¿qué tal?