neutral📍 Mexico — general
¡Híjole!
Oh boy / Wow / Yikes
EE-hoh-leh
What does it mean?
"¡Híjole!" is the all-purpose Mexican exclamation for mild surprise, frustration, or "oh no". Softer than "no manches", less casual than "¡órale!". When something goes slightly wrong, or you hear surprising news, or you can't quite remember a detail — "híjole" is the natural response.
How to use it
Universally polite. Use freely in any context — with strangers, in service, in conversation. It's soft enough to be safe everywhere.
Example sentences
Oh boy, that's tough.
Híjole, qué difícil.
Wow, I had no idea.
¡Híjole, no tenía idea!
Yikes, this is going to take a while.
Híjole, esto va a tardar.
Related phrases
More mexico-everyday phrases
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