qué onda

¿Qué onda? is Mexican Spanish for “what’s up?” It’s a casual greeting, and it can also mean “what’s going on with…?”

What qué onda means

Wiktionary lists it as a greeting in Mexico, Central America and the Southern Cone, meaning what’s up, and also as “what’s wrong?” or “what’s up with…?” So “¿Qué onda?” on its own is hello, while “¿Qué onda con el tráfico?” is “what’s the deal with the traffic?” Literally it’s qué (what) plus onda (wave), in the sense of mood or vibe: “what’s the vibe?”

Other ways to say it

Wiktionary lists plenty of regional cousins: “qué ondas” in Mexico and Central America, “quiúbole” in Mexico and El Salvador, “qué más” in Colombia and “qué bola” in Cuba. A simple answer to any of them is “Nada, ¿y tú?” (Nothing, you?).

Examples

• “¡Qué onda! Long time no see.”
• “¿Qué onda con Ana? She’s not answering.”
• “¿Qué onda?” “Nada, aquí. ¿Y tú?”

Related terms

• Chido: cool.
• Howzit: hello, South African style.
• WYD: what you doing?
• Kia ora: hello, in New Zealand.

More words from other languages are in our world slang guide.