Spanish Trip Kit50 Spanish phrases for your trip in Mexico, with pronunciation

Greet, thank, apologise, get attention, admit you don't understand.

1. Hola / Buenos días OH-lah / BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
   Hello / Good morning
   Say it as you walk into a shop, a waiting room, a lift or a combi (shared minibus): walking in without a word reads as cold, and a 'buenos días' to the whole room is normal. 'Buenos días' runs only until about noon, not two o'clock as in Spain, and in Mexico City you will often hear 'buen día'. 'Hola' is fine with anyone, but 'buenos días' sounds warmer to older people and officials. The 'h' is silent.
   Buenos días. – Buen día, pásele. ¿Qué va a llevar? — Good morning. – Morning, come on in. What can I get you?
2. Buenas tardes / Buenas noches BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs / BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
   Good afternoon / Good evening
   Switch to 'buenas tardes' at noon, not after a Spanish-style late lunch, and to 'buenas noches' once it is dark, around seven: it is both the evening hello and the goodnight. Plain 'buenas' works at any hour and is what you will hear most at a taco stand.
   Buenas noches, ¿tienen mesa para dos? – Buenas noches, sí, pásenle. — Good evening, do you have a table for two? – Good evening, yes, come on in.
3. Por favor por fah-BOR
   Please
   Goes at the end of the request. Mexican politeness is softer and more indirect than Spain's: a bare 'un café' can sound curt, so wrap it as a question, '¿me da un café, por favor?'. Diminutives soften everything: 'un cafecito', 'tantito' (a little), 'ahorita'. The 'v' is said like a soft 'b', hence 'fah-BOR'.
   ¿Me da un cafecito, por favor? – Claro, ahorita se lo traigo. — Could I have a coffee, please? – Sure, I'll bring it right over.
4. Gracias GRAH-syahs
   Thank you
   The trap is the sound: Mexico uses seseo, so the 'c' is an English 's', 'GRAH-syahs'; Spain's 'GRAH-thyahs' sounds foreign here. The reply is 'de nada' or 'a usted' (thank you), and staff often say 'para servirle' (at your service) or 'con gusto' (my pleasure): pure courtesy, not an invitation to ask for more.
   ¡Muchas gracias! – De nada, para servirle. — Thanks a lot! – You're welcome, at your service.
5. Disculpe / ¡Joven! dees-KOOL-peh / HOH-behn formal
   Excuse me / Excuse me! (to a waiter, lit. 'young man')
   Trap: calling staff. Mexicans call any male waiter 'joven' (young man) whatever his age and a waitress 'señorita' (an older woman 'señora'), with a raised hand, or simply say 'disculpe'. Spain's '¡oiga!' sounds brusque here, and the 'psst' hiss some locals use is not for visitors. For a real apology say 'perdón' or 'lo siento'. In Argentina you will hear 'disculpá' and 'che': neither is Mexican.
   Disculpe, joven, ¿me trae otro refresco? – Claro, con gusto. — Excuse me, could you bring me another soft drink? – Sure, my pleasure.
6. Con permiso kohn pehr-MEE-soh
   Excuse me (to get past)
   Trap: Mexico's squeeze-past phrase is 'con permiso', or just 'permiso' on a packed Metro, and it is used far more than in Spain; the reply is 'propio' or 'pásele' (go ahead). Say it too when you leave a table, enter someone's home or walk out of a meeting. At the Metro doors people ask '¿baja?' (getting off?) to sort out who moves. 'Perdón' is kept for an actual bump.
   Con permiso, ¿baja? – No, pásele. — Excuse me, getting off? – No, go ahead.
7. Sí / No / Sale see / noh / SAH-leh
   Yes / No / OK
   'No, gracias' is the polite full stop for vendors on the Metro, on beaches and in Garibaldi; the most Mexican brush-off is 'ahorita no, gracias' (not right now). That is the 'ahorita' trap: it can mean right now, in a while or never, depending on tone. For OK, Mexicans say 'sale' or 'va' ('órale' among friends); Spain's 'vale' marks you as Spain-trained, and in Argentina and Colombia you will hear 'dale'. Mind the accent: 'si' without it means 'if'.
   ¿Pulseras, amigo? – Ahorita no, gracias. – Sale, que le vaya bien. — Bracelets, my friend? – Not right now, thanks. – OK, have a good day.
8. ¿Habla inglés? AH-blah een-GLEHS formal
   Do you speak English?
   Use 'habla' (usted) with strangers, staff, officials and anyone older; do not open with '¿hablas…?'. Younger Mexicans switch to tú fast ('¿de dónde eres?') and you may follow once they do. Honest note: in the Cancún hotel zone, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta English is spoken wherever tourists go; in Mexico City markets, Oaxaca, Guadalajara and on long-distance coaches it often is not, and that is where this deck pays off. Argentina and Uruguay use vos: '¿hablás inglés?'.
   Disculpe, ¿habla inglés? – Poquito. — Excuse me, do you speak English? – A little bit.
9. No entiendo noh ehn-TYEHN-doh
   I don't understand
   Pair it with 'más despacio, por favor' and people slow down. When Mexicans miss what you said they say '¿mande?' (pardon?): a courtesy word, not an order, and you can use it yourself, or '¿perdón?'. A bare '¿qué?' sounds rude here, and Spain's '¿cómo?' is understood but is not the Mexican way. '¿Me lo puede repetir?' asks for a repeat.
   ¿Gusta redondear? – ¿Mande? No entiendo. Más despacio, por favor. — Would you like to round up? – Sorry? I don't understand. More slowly, please.
10. Adiós ah-DYOHS
    Goodbye
    Fine with anyone, and said on the way out even if you bought nothing. Leaving a shop you will hear 'que le vaya bien' (have a good one) and 'hasta luego'; answer 'gracias, igualmente' (thanks, you too). In small towns 'adiós' is also said in passing to someone you do not stop to talk to. Among friends it is 'bye' or 'nos vemos'.
    Gracias, adiós. – Que le vaya bien. – Igualmente. — Thanks, goodbye. – Have a good day. – You too.

Get a table, order, pay, be polite about food.

1. Una mesa para dos, por favor OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah DOHS, por fah-BOR
   A table for two, please
   In restaurants a host seats you ('¿para cuántos?' – 'somos dos'); at a taquería, a market fonda or a street stall you take any free stool. The trap is timing: 'la comida', the main meal of the day, runs roughly 14:00 to 17:00, and dinner ('la cena') is lighter, from about 20:00; many fondas serve only at midday.
   Buenas tardes, ¿para cuántos? – Una mesa para dos, por favor. — Good afternoon, how many? – A table for two, please.
2. ¿Me da…? meh DAH frame
   Can I have…? (lit. can you give me…?)
   Frame: '¿me da…?' plus the item is how Mexico orders, from tacos to coach tickets; 'quisiera…' is the polite restaurant form and '¿me trae…?' (bring me) is said to a waiter. Spain's 'quería…' is understood. 'Con todo' means onion and cilantro, plus pineapple on pastor; the salsas sit on the counter, so taste before you pour. '¿De qué?' asks which filling: pastor, suadero, bistec, campechano. Colombians say '¿me regala…?', which in Mexico sounds like asking for it free.
   ¿Me da tres de pastor con todo? ¿Me da un agua de jamaica? — Can I have three al pastor tacos with everything? Can I have a hibiscus water?
3. El menú, por favor ehl meh-NOO, por fah-BOR
   The menu, please
   Spain's trap is reversed here: in Mexico 'el menú' is simply the menu, and 'la carta' is heard only in smarter places. The deal to look for is 'la comida corrida' at fondas: soup, rice, a main ('guisado'), agua fresca and sometimes dessert for one midday price chalked on a board (check the figure there). Menu prices include IVA, the sales tax.
   ¿Me trae el menú, por favor? – Claro. Hoy también hay comida corrida. — Could you bring me the menu, please? – Sure. There's also a set lunch today.
4. Un café, por favor oon kah-FEH, por fah-BOR
   A coffee, please
   Trap: 'un café' usually gets 'café americano', a long filter coffee, often refilled at diner chains; ask for 'un expreso' for an espresso. In fondas and roadside places 'café con leche' can mean a cup of hot milk plus a jar of instant coffee to stir in, so ask '¿es de grano?' (is it fresh-brewed?). The local one is 'café de olla', brewed with cinnamon and piloncillo (raw cane sugar); in Veracruz the milky coffee is 'un lechero'.
   Un café, por favor. – ¿Americano o de olla? – De olla. — A coffee, please. – Americano or spiced café de olla? – Café de olla.
5. ¿Natural o mineral? nah-too-RAHL oh mee-neh-RAHL
   Still or sparkling?
   The Mexican water question: 'agua natural' is still bottled water and 'agua mineral' is sparkling (Topo Chico, Peñafiel); 'con gas / sin gas' is understood but not what you will hear. Careful: next to 'fría', 'natural' means unchilled, so '¿fría o natural?', like '¿fría o al tiempo?', asks cold or room temperature. Nobody, Mexicans included, drinks 'agua de la llave' (tap water): restaurants serve 'agua purificada', homes and rentals use 20-litre 'garrafones'. 'Agua fresca' is not water but the fruit drink from big jars (jamaica, horchata, tamarindo). Ice in established restaurants is normally purified; at street stalls ask, or skip it.
   Un agua, por favor. – ¿Natural o mineral? – Natural. – ¿Fría o al tiempo? – Fría. — A water, please. – Still or sparkling? – Still. – Cold or room temperature? – Cold.
6. La cuenta, por favor lah KWEHN-tah, por fah-BOR
   The bill, please
   Trap: the bill never comes unasked; ask, or mime signing in the air across the room, which every waiter understands. 'Ahorita se la traigo' means in a few minutes, not instantly. Paying by card, the waiter brings the terminal ('la terminal') to the table, so your card never leaves your sight, and the screen asks for the tip (see 'Propina'). '¿Junto o separado?' asks whether to split.
   Joven, la cuenta, por favor. – Ahorita se la traigo. ¿Junto o separado? — Excuse me, the bill, please. – I'll bring it in a moment. Together or separately?
7. ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? PWEH-doh pah-GAR kohn tar-HEH-tah
   Can I pay by card?
   Cards and contactless work in city restaurants, chains, OXXO and supermarkets; taquerías, markets, street stalls, peseros and many small shops are 'solo efectivo' (cash only). Some small shops still ask a few per cent extra for cards ('comisión'), although Profeco, the consumer agency, says a card surcharge has been illegal since 2024: ask before you pay, or use cash. If asked '¿a meses?' (instalments on Mexican cards), say 'no, en una sola exhibición' (one payment). Trap: when a terminal or ATM offers to charge in your home currency, choose pesos; use ATMs inside banks or malls. The 'j' is a soft English 'h'.
   ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? – Sí, ahorita le traigo la terminal. ¿Débito o crédito? — Can I pay by card? – Yes, I'll bring the card machine. Debit or credit?
8. ¡Salud! sah-LOO(d)
   Cheers!
   Clink and keep eye contact; '¡salud!' is also what Mexicans say after a sneeze. The final 'd' is barely sounded. Tequila and mezcal are sipped, not shot, in places that care about them; in Oaxaca mezcal comes with orange slices and 'sal de gusano'. Drinking in the street is banned in Mexico City and most cities, with a fine or a short detention: check the current rule.
   ¡Salud! – ¡Salud! Arriba, abajo, al centro y pa' dentro. — Cheers! – Cheers! Up, down, to the middle and down the hatch.
9. ¡Provecho! proh-BEH-choh
   Enjoy your meal!
   Mexico's strongest table custom: say '¡provecho!' (or 'buen provecho') to anyone eating as you pass their table, sit down next to them at a counter or leave a fonda, strangers included; the answer is 'gracias'. Waiters say it as the plates land. Spain's 'que aproveche' is understood but sounds foreign here.
   Con permiso, provecho. – Gracias, pásele. — Excuse me, enjoy your meal. – Thanks, go ahead.
10. Propina proh-PEE-nah sign
    Tip (on the card machine or the bill)
    No cover charge in Mexico, but tipping is expected: 10 to 15% at sit-down restaurants (10% is the floor, 15% for good service; waiters depend on it). The card terminal shows 'Propina 10% 15% 20% Otro', or the waiter asks '¿cuánto le pongo de propina?' before keying it in. Check the bill for a 'servicio' or 'propina' line, common in tourist zones, so you do not tip twice: Profeco, the consumer agency, says a tip is voluntary and cannot be added without your consent (check the current rule). Coins at taco stands, a few pesos to supermarket baggers and gas-station attendants; resort staff often expect dollars.
    Propina: 10% 15% 20% Otro. – ¿Cuánto le pongo de propina? — Tip: 10% 15% 20% Other. – How much tip shall I add?

Ask prices, pay, browse without buying, read the two signs that matter.

1. ¿Cuánto cuesta…? KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah frame
   How much is…?
   Frame: 'cuánto cuesta' plus the item, or on its own while pointing; 'cuánto cuestan' for several. Trap: '$' in Mexico is the peso sign, so '$150' on a menu is 150 pesos, not dollars; resort areas sometimes price in dollars, marked 'USD' or 'dls', and paying in pesos is usually cheaper. '¿Cuánto es?' asks for the total, and '¿cuánto le debo?' (what do I owe you?) is the Mexican way at a stall. 'Boleto' is a transport or event ticket, 'entrada' admission.
   ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? ¿Cuánto cuesta la entrada a Teotihuacán? — How much is this? How much is admission to Teotihuacán?
2. Está muy caro ehs-TAH mwee KAH-roh
   That's (too) expensive
   'Está muy caro' is the natural Mexican comment; 'es demasiado caro' sounds like a textbook. Prices are fixed in shops, supermarkets and restaurants, but at craft and souvenir markets a gentle haggle is normal: '¿me hace un descuentito?' or '¿cuánto es lo menos?' (what's your lowest?), and buying two helps. Do not grind an artisan down over a few pesos. Among friends you will hear '¡no manches!' (no way!) and 'güey' (dude) all day: leave both to them; from a visitor they sound overfamiliar or rude.
   Está muy caro. ¿Me hace un descuentito? – Si se lleva dos, se los dejo más baratos. — It's very expensive. Could you give me a little discount? – If you take two, I'll let you have them cheaper.
3. ¿Efectivo o tarjeta? eh-fehk-TEE-boh oh tar-HEH-tah
   Cash or card?
   The question at every till. Carry small notes and coins: taxis, stalls and small shops often cannot break a 500-peso note and will ask '¿no trae más chico?' (nothing smaller?). At OXXO and supermarket tills you will also hear '¿gusta redondear?' (round up?): the change goes to a charity, and 'no, gracias' is fine. Bring a bag: single-use plastic bags have been banned in Mexico City since 2020 (check the rule elsewhere).
   ¿Efectivo o tarjeta? – Efectivo, pero traigo de quinientos. – ¿No trae más chico? — Cash or card? – Cash, but I've only got a 500. – Don't you have anything smaller?
4. ¿Con factura? / El recibo, por favor kohn fahk-TOO-rah / ehl reh-SEE-boh, por fah-BOR
   With a tax invoice? / The receipt, please
   Trap: many tills ask '¿con factura?' or '¿va a querer factura?'. A factura is an electronic tax invoice issued to a Mexican tax ID (RFC) for business costs, so answer 'no, gracias'. What you want is the receipt: 'el recibo' is always understood, though cashiers themselves say '¿quiere su ticket?', a small shop writes 'una nota' and the card slip you sign is 'el voucher'. Keep receipts for exchanges ('cambios').
   ¿Va a querer factura? – No, gracias. Nada más el recibo, por favor. — Will you want a tax invoice? – No, thanks. Just the receipt, please.
5. Solo estoy viendo, gracias SOH-loh ehs-TOY BYEHN-doh, GRAH-syahs
   I'm just looking, thanks
   Mexico 'sees' rather than 'looks' here, and 'nada más estoy viendo' is just as common. It answers '¿le ayudo en algo?', '¿qué le damos?' or the market chant 'pásele, pásele' (come in, come in). Vendors may call you 'güero / güera' (fair one), 'amigo' or 'joven': friendly, not an insult.
   Pásele, pásele, ¿qué le damos? – Solo estoy viendo, gracias. — Come in, come in, what can we get you? – I'm just looking, thanks.
6. Es todo, gracias ehs TOH-doh, GRAH-syahs
   That's all, thanks
   The answer to '¿algo más?', '¿qué más le damos?' or the waiter's '¿sería todo?'; 'nada más' works too. Mexicans queue ('hacer fila'), and at a market stall the vendor asks '¿quién sigue?' (who's next?), with no Spain-style '¿quién es el último?'. You buy by weight: 'un cuarto' (250 g), 'medio kilo', and tortillas by the kilo at the tortillería. Supermarket baggers ('cerillos') work for tips.
   ¿Algo más? – Es todo, gracias. ¿Cuánto le debo? — Anything else? – That's all, thanks. What do I owe you?
7. Uno de estos, por favor OO-noh deh EHS-tohs, por fah-BOR
   One of these, please
   Point and say it at any stall or panadería. The counter question is '¿para aquí o para llevar?', not Spain's 'para tomar aquí'. In a panadería you serve yourself with a tray and tongs ('charola y pinzas'), then pay at the counter. For a feminine item, 'una de estas'. You will hear 'este…' constantly: it is the Mexican 'um'.
   Uno de estos, por favor. – ¿Para aquí o para llevar? – Para llevar. — One of these, please. – For here or to go? – To go.
8. ¿Tiene…? / ¿Tienen…? TYEH-neh / TYEH-nehn frame
   Do you have…? (to a person / to the shop)
   Frame: 'tiene' to the person in front of you, 'tienen' to the shop as a whole. That is 'ustedes', the only plural 'you' in Mexico, polite and casual alike: 'vosotros' does not exist in Latin America. '¿Tendrá…?' is a softer Mexican way to ask. Clothes are labelled CH, M, G, EG (chica, mediana, grande, extra grande), shoes go by centimetres ('del 26'), and wifi is 'WAI-fai'.
   ¿Tiene una talla más grande? ¿Tienen cargador para celular? — Do you have a bigger size? Do you have a phone charger?
9. Abierto / Cerrado ah-BYEHR-toh / seh-RRAH-doh sign
   Open / Closed
   No Spain-style lunch closing in the cities: shops open roughly 10:00 to 20:00 or later, OXXO and many pharmacies 24 hours, and markets from early morning to mid-afternoon; small towns may close at midday. Most big Mexico City museums, the Museo Nacional de Antropología included, are closed on Mondays. 'Horario' is the opening hours.
   Museo: abierto de martes a domingo. Lunes cerrado. — Museum: open Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on Mondays.
10. Ofertas / Caja oh-FEHR-tahs / KAH-hah sign
    Offers / Checkout
    'Oferta' is on shelf tags and '2x1' (two for one) is everywhere; 'liquidación' is a clearance sale, and 'rebajas' is seen too. The national sale weekend is 'El Buen Fin', every November (check the dates). 'Pase a caja' means pay at the till. At taco stands and fondas you pay at the end and say what you had, or they ask '¿qué fue?' or '¿cuántos fueron?' (what did you have, how many?).
    Ofertas: 2x1 en jugos. Pase a caja. — Offers: two for one on juices. Please pay at the till.

Find things, buy a ticket, read the signs you walk past.

1. ¿Dónde está…? DOHN-deh ehs-TAH frame
   Where is…?
   Frame: 'dónde está' plus the place with its article; '¿dónde queda…?' is the common Mexican alternative. Answers use 'derecho' (straight on) and 'cuadra' (block): 'a dos cuadras'. A Mexican would rather help than say 'no sé', so a confident wrong answer happens: ask a second person.
   Disculpe, ¿dónde está el metro? ¿Dónde está el baño? — Excuse me, where's the metro? Where's the bathroom?
2. ¿Dónde está el baño? DOHN-deh ehs-TAH ehl BAH-nyoh
   Where is the bathroom?
   'Baño' everywhere; signs say 'Sanitarios' or 'Baños', doors 'Damas / Caballeros' or 'Mujeres / Hombres'. Trap: on doors 'M' is Mujeres (women) and 'H' is Hombres (men). Public and bus-terminal toilets often charge a few pesos, with paper handed out at the entrance, and 'favor de no tirar papel en el excusado' means the paper goes in the bin.
   Disculpe, ¿dónde está el baño? – Al fondo a la derecha. Ahí le dan el papel. — Excuse me, where's the bathroom? – At the back on the right. They give you the paper there.
3. ¿Dónde está la terminal de autobuses? DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah tehr-mee-NAHL deh ow-toh-BOO-sehs
   Where is the coach station?
   Mexico travels by long-distance coach: intercity passenger trains barely exist (the exceptions include the Tren Maya in the Yucatán and the Suburbano around Mexico City; check current routes). 'Terminal' or 'Central de Autobuses' is the sign, people say 'la central' or 'la terminal', and the vehicle itself is 'el camión'. Mexico City has four terminals by direction, Norte, Sur, Poniente and TAPO (east): check which one your company uses. The underground is 'el metro'.
   Disculpe, ¿dónde está la terminal de autobuses? – ¿La del ADO? Sobre esta calle, todo derecho. — Excuse me, where's the coach station? – The ADO one? On this street, straight ahead.
4. Un boleto para Oaxaca, por favor oon boh-LEH-toh PAH-rah wah-HAH-kah, por fah-BOR
   A ticket to Oaxaca, please
   'Boleto' is every ticket; in Mexico 'billete' is a banknote. Coach companies (ADO in the south and the Yucatán, ETN, Primera Plus) sell by app, website or at the desk, with a named passenger and a seat ('¿qué asiento?'). 'Sencillo' is one way and 'redondo' (round trip) is the Mexican word for return, where Spain says 'ida y vuelta'. Coaches are air-conditioned to cold, so bring a layer.
   Un boleto para Oaxaca, por favor. – ¿Sencillo o redondo? – Sencillo. – ¿Qué asiento le doy? — A ticket to Oaxaca, please. – One way or return? – One way. – Which seat would you like?
5. ¿De qué andén sale? deh KEH ahn-DEHN SAH-leh
   Which bay does it leave from?
   Coach terminals call their departure bays 'andenes', and some big Mexico City terminals group them into numbered 'salas' (waiting halls); your ticket or the screen shows both, and boarding is called shortly before departure. On the Metro you choose the platform by line number and colour and by 'dirección', the last station of the line ('dirección Indios Verdes').
   ¿De qué andén sale el de las ocho? – Del andén doce, sala tres. — Which bay does the eight o'clock one leave from? – Bay twelve, hall three.
6. A la izquierda / a la derecha / derecho ah lah ees-KYEHR-dah / ah lah deh-REH-chah / deh-REH-choh
   Left / right / straight on
   Mexicans say 'derecho' or 'todo derecho' for straight on; Spain's 'todo recto' is understood but foreign. Trap: 'derecho' (straight) and 'derecha' (right) differ by one vowel, so listen for it. 'Cuadra' is a block ('a dos cuadras'), 'la esquina' the corner and 'aquí a la vuelta' round the corner; 'ahí nomás' (just there) can stretch a long way.
   Siga derecho dos cuadras y en la esquina, a la izquierda. — Go straight on for two blocks and at the corner, turn left.
7. Entrada / Salida ehn-TRAH-dah / sah-LEE-dah sign
   Entrance / Exit
   Metro and Metrobús exits list the street names. On highways 'salida' is the exit, and signs split 'cuota' (toll road, faster and safer; take it if you rent a 'carro') from 'libre' (the free road). 'Entrada libre' is free admission and 'no hay paso' means no way through.
   Salida a Av. Juárez. Entrada libre. — Exit to Juárez Avenue. Free admission.
8. Empuje / Jale ehm-POO-heh / HAH-leh sign
   Push / Pull
   Mexican doors say 'Empuje' (push) and 'Jale' (pull, from 'jalar'). Trap: in Mexico 'tirar' means to throw away ('no tire basura', no littering), so Spain's door word 'tirar' will not be on a Mexican door. The 'j' is a soft English 'h'.
   Empuje. – Jale. — Push. – Pull.
9. Recarga tu tarjeta reh-KAR-gah too tar-HEH-tah sign
   Top up your card
   Mexico City's rechargeable card, the 'Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada' (MI), covers the Metro, Metrobús, Tren Ligero, Cablebús, trolleybuses, RTP buses and Ecobici; buy it and top it up ('recarga') at station machines and booths. Trap: the Metrobús takes no cash at all. You pay at the station turnstile before the bus comes, so load the card first, or tap a contactless bank card or phone, which Metro and Metrobús turnstiles have accepted since late 2024. Fares are low; check the current figure. The first carriages of every Metro train and the front of the Metrobús are reserved for women and children under 12 ('exclusivo mujeres y niños'). Machines use the informal 'tu'; other cities have their own cards.
   Recarga tu tarjeta aquí. – Una tarjeta y una recarga, por favor. — Top up your card here. – A card and a top-up, please.
10. Parada / Próxima estación pah-RAH-dah / PROHK-see-mah ehs-tah-SYOHN sign
    Stop / Next station
    'Parada' is the sign at bus stops; 'próxima estación' is the recorded announcement on the Metrobús and on newer Metro trains, while older Metro trains often announce nothing, so watch the station signs and icons. The city bus is 'el camión'; in the capital the small ones are 'peseros' or 'micros', elsewhere 'combis', and in the Yucatán and Oaxaca shared vans are 'colectivos'. They stop where you wave: to get off call '¡bajan!' or 'en la esquina, por favor', and pay the driver in coins. Never 'coger el camión' as in Spain: 'coger' is vulgar (sex) in Mexico, so say 'tomar el camión' or 'tomar el metro'.
    Próxima estación: Insurgentes. — Next station: Insurgentes.

Check in, get online, and get help when something goes wrong.

1. Tengo una reservación TEHN-goh OO-nah reh-sehr-bah-SYOHN
   I have a reservation
   Mexico says 'reservación'; 'reserva' is understood. Give 'a nombre de' plus your surname. Hotels ask for your passport and often a card for a deposit. Keep proof of your entry (the passport stamp or the digital tourist record, FMM; check the current process) for departure. Quintana Roo (Cancún, Tulum) charges visitors a state fee called Visitax, and states add a hotel tax: check the current figures.
   Buenas tardes, tengo una reservación a nombre de Smith. – ¿Me permite su pasaporte? — Good afternoon, I have a reservation under Smith. – May I see your passport?
2. La llave, por favor lah YAH-beh, por fah-BOR
   The key, please
   The 'll' is the English 'y': 'YAH-beh'. In Mexican speech the room is 'el cuarto' ('habitación' on hotel signs). Most hotels use a key card ('la tarjeta'), all-inclusives add a wristband ('la pulsera'), and rentals use lockbox codes.
   La llave, por favor. Cuarto doce. – Aquí tiene, y esta es su pulsera. — The key, please. Room twelve. – Here you are, and this is your wristband.
3. ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? kwahl ehs lah kohn-trah-SEH-nyah dehl WAI-fai
   What's the Wi-Fi password?
   Mexico says 'WAI-fai', not Spain's 'WEE-fee'; the password is 'la contraseña' or 'la clave'. For data, a local SIM is 'un chip' (Telcel has the widest coverage), topped up with 'recargas' at OXXO; check the current registration rules for new lines. The phone is 'el celular' and a computer 'la computadora', never Spain's 'móvil' or 'ordenador'.
   ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? – Viene atrás de su tarjeta. — What's the Wi-Fi password? – It's on the back of your key card.
4. ¿A qué hora es el desayuno? ah KEH OH-rah ehs ehl deh-sah-YOO-noh
   What time is breakfast?
   A Mexican breakfast is a real meal: chilaquiles, huevos rancheros or molletes, with 'jugo' (juice; Spain's 'zumo' is not used). 'Almuerzo' in Mexico is a late, big breakfast, not lunch; lunch is 'la comida'. For check-out ask '¿a qué hora es la salida?': usually around midday.
   ¿A qué hora es el desayuno? – De siete a once. Hay chilaquiles y jugo de naranja. — What time is breakfast? – From seven to eleven. There's chilaquiles and orange juice.
5. ¡Auxilio! / ¡Ayuda! owk-SEE-lyoh / ah-YOO-dah
   Help!
   Mexicans shout '¡auxilio!' or '¡ayuda!'; 'socorro' is understood but bookish here. 911 is the national emergency number (police, ambulance, fire), free from any phone; do not count on English on the line. '¡Me robaron!' is I've been robbed, '¡ratero!' thief. 078 is the national tourist assistance line (check the current service).
   ¡Auxilio! ¡Me robaron! – ¡Llamen al 911! — Help! I've been robbed! – Call 911!
6. Necesito un doctor neh-seh-SEE-toh oon dohk-TOR
   I need a doctor
   Mexicans say 'doctor' more than 'médico'. Call 911 in an emergency; visitors normally use private hospitals, which ask for payment or an insurance guarantee up front. For minor problems the 'consultorio' next to many pharmacy chains sees you in minutes for a small fee (check the current figure). 'Me siento mal' is I feel ill; 'algo me cayó mal' something disagreed with me.
   Necesito un doctor. Algo me cayó mal. – Aquí junto a la farmacia hay consultorio. — I need a doctor. Something disagreed with me. – There's a clinic right here next to the pharmacy.
7. ¿Dónde está la farmacia? DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah far-MAH-syah
   Where is the pharmacy?
   No standard sign colour: look for the chains (Farmacias Similares with the Dr. Simi mascot, Farmacias Guadalajara, Benavides, Del Ahorro), many open 24 hours. Most medicines are sold over the counter, but antibiotics have needed a prescription ('receta') since 2010. '¿Tiene algo para…?' asks for something for a symptom: 'para la diarrea', 'para el dolor de cabeza'.
   ¿Dónde está la farmacia? – Hay una en la esquina, abre las 24 horas. — Where's the pharmacy? – There's one on the corner, open 24 hours.
8. Llame a la policía, por favor YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah, por fah-BOR formal
   Call the police, please
   Formal 'llame'; 911 reaches the police. Mexico City has a tourist police in the Centro Histórico and along Reforma. A theft report is 'levantar una denuncia' at the Ministerio Público (Fiscalía): slow, but insurers need it. Grammar: Mexico uses the simple past for what just happened, 'me robaron el celular', where Spain says 'me han robado el móvil'.
   Llame a la policía, por favor. Me robaron el celular. — Call the police, please. My phone's been stolen.
9. Estoy perdido / perdida ehs-TOY pehr-DEE-doh / pehr-DEE-dah
   I'm lost (man / woman)
   A man says 'perdido', a woman 'perdida'. 'Me perdí' (I got lost) is the other everyday form; Spain's 'me he perdido' sounds foreign here. Follow with '¿me puede ayudar?' and the address on your phone; '¿queda lejos?' asks if it is far.
   Disculpe, estoy perdida. ¿Me puede ayudar? ¿Queda lejos el Zócalo? — Excuse me, I'm lost. Can you help me? Is the Zócalo far?
10. ¿Me puede llamar un taxi, por favor? meh PWEH-deh yah-MAR oon TAHK-see, por fah-BOR formal
    Could you call me a taxi, please?
    Uber and DiDi are normal and the usual choice in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Mérida, with fare and car logged. A 'taxi de sitio' comes from a rank or by phone and is safer than a street hail, which locals avoid at night in the capital; when you phone, they answer '¿bueno?', the Mexican phone hello. At Mexico City airport pay for a fixed-price 'taxi autorizado' at a booth inside the terminal. In Cancún and Los Cabos app rides have been contested by taxi unions (check the current status) and many taxis have no meter: agree the fare before you get in.
    ¿Me puede llamar un taxi, por favor? – Claro, le pido uno de sitio. — Could you call me a taxi, please? – Sure, I'll order one from the taxi rank.