neutral📍 Mexico — general
Ni modo
Oh well / Nothing to be done
nee MOH-doh
What does it mean?
"Ni modo" is the quintessential Mexican shrug — "oh well", "it is what it is", "nothing we can do". It expresses acceptance of something you can't change, from a cancelled plan to a sold-out show. One of the most useful two-word phrases in Mexican Spanish.
How to use it
Universally used, with anyone, in any register. Resigned but not rude. Pair it with a sigh: "ni modo, será para la próxima" (oh well, next time).
Example sentences
It's sold out? Oh well.
¿Ya se agotó? Ni modo.
Oh well, next time.
Ni modo, será para la próxima.
Nothing we can do, it's raining.
Ni modo, está lloviendo.
Related phrases
More mexico-everyday phrases
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