casual📍 Mexico — general
¿Qué onda?
Literal meaning: "What wave?"
What's up / How's it going
keh OHN-dah
What does it mean?
¿Qué onda? is the most Mexican way to greet someone casually. Literally "what wave?", it works exactly like "what's up?" in English. You'll hear it dozens of times a day in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and everywhere in between.
How to use it
Use it with friends, peers, and people you know. It's casual but broadly accepted — safer than "wey/güey" with someone you just met. For formal or service situations, switch to "¿Cómo está?".
Example sentences
Hey, what's up?
¡Ey! ¿Qué onda?
What's up, dude? (close friends only)
¿Qué onda, güey?
How's it going, everything okay?
¿Qué onda? ¿Todo bien?
Related phrases
More mexico-greetings phrases
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