How to Say What's Up in Spanish (Qué Onda)

What’s up in Spanish is ¿qué onda? in Mexico — one of the most iconic pieces of Mexican slang there is. Literally “what wave?”, it’s the casual, friendly greeting you throw at friends the way English uses “what’s up” or “what’s good.” Elsewhere (and in slightly more neutral settings) you’ll use ¿qué tal? or ¿qué pasó?. Knowing which register you’re in is the whole game: qué onda with your buddies, qué tal with almost anyone.

The main way to say it

¿Qué onda? — pronounced keh OHN-dah.

The pronunciation details that matter:

• Qué is “keh” — silent u, short “eh.”
• Onda stresses the first syllable: OHN-dah. The o is a clean, rounded “oh.”
• Said quick and bright: keh-OHN-dah, like one bouncy word.

Onda literally means “wave” (as in a radio or ocean wave), so ¿qué onda? is roughly “what’s the vibe?” It’s warm, informal, and unmistakably Mexican.

The register ladder for “what’s up”:

• ¿Qué onda? — very casual, Mexican, for friends. Can also mean “what’s going on?” with a raised eyebrow.
• ¿Qué tal? — casual but neutral, safe with almost anyone: “how’s it going?”
• ¿Qué pasó? — literally “what happened?”, used as a friendly “what’s up?” greeting in Mexico (not a real question).
• ¿Qué hubo? (often slurred to quiúbo) — “what’s up?”, classic Mexican.

Variations

Phrase	Meaning	Register
¿Qué onda?	What’s up? / what’s the vibe?	Very casual, Mexican
¿Qué tal?	How’s it going?	Casual, neutral, universal
¿Qué pasó?	What’s up? (greeting)	Casual, Mexican
¿Qué hubo? / ¿Quiúbo?	What’s up?	Casual, Mexican
¿Cómo estás?	How are you?	Neutral, universal
¿Cómo andas?	How are you doing?	Casual, friendly
¿Qué me cuentas?	What’s new with you?	Warm, conversational
¿Todo bien?	All good?	Casual check-in
¿Qué onda contigo?	What’s up with you?	Very casual

The everyday Mexican reply to ¿qué onda? is easy: aquí nomás (“just here / same as always”), todo bien (“all good”), or bouncing it back with ¿qué onda, cómo estás?. You don’t need a real status update — it’s a greeting, not an interrogation.

Careful with tone: ¿qué onda? said flatly or sharply can also mean “what’s your problem?” / “what’s going on here?” Context and delivery decide.

Hear it in context

Two friends running into each other (very Mexican):

— ¡Ey, qué onda! ¿Cómo has estado? — ¡Quiúbo! Todo bien, aquí nomás. ¿Y tú? — Bien, bien. ¿Qué me cuentas? — Nada nuevo, la misma rutina.

Hey, what’s up! How have you been? — What’s up! All good, same as always. And you? — Good, good. What’s new with you? — Nothing new, same routine.

Neutral, slightly more polite greeting:

— Hola, ¿qué tal? ¿Todo bien? — Sí, todo tranquilo. ¿Y tú cómo andas? — Bien, con algo de trabajo, pero bien. — Me da gusto.

Hi, how’s it going? All good? — Yeah, all calm. And how are you doing? — Good, a bit of work, but good. — Glad to hear it.

Common mistakes

• Using “¿qué onda?” in formal settings. It’s slang. In a job interview or with someone you should address as usted, use ¿cómo está? or ¿qué tal?, not ¿qué onda?.
• Answering it like a literal question. ¿Qué pasó? as a greeting doesn’t mean something happened. Reply with aquí nomás or todo bien, not a confused “nothing happened?”
• Translating “what’s up” as “¿qué está arriba?” That’s a literal, nonsensical calque. “Up” here is idiomatic; use ¿qué onda? or ¿qué tal?.
• Missing the tone shift. A hard-edged ¿qué onda? can read as “what’s your deal?” Keep it light and smiley when it’s a greeting.

Mexico vs Spain notes

This is one of the most regionally split greetings in the language.

• ¿Qué onda? is quintessentially Mexican (and used around Latin America). In Spain it’s not native — Spaniards say ¿qué pasa?, ¿qué tal?, or the very Spanish ¿qué hay?.
• ¿Qué hubo? / quiúbo is Mexican/Latin American; a Spaniard wouldn’t typically say it.
• ¿Qué tal? is the true universal — safe and natural in both Mexico and Spain.
• Pronunciation is regionally neutral; nothing lisps in these phrases.

Related phrases

Greetings run in little scripts — get the openers and follow-ups:

• How to say how are you in Spanish — the ¿cómo estás? that pairs with or replaces ¿qué onda?.
• How to say good morning in Spanish — the time-of-day greeting for more neutral moments.
• Stock up on openers with our guide to common Spanish phrases.

FAQ

What does “qué onda” literally mean? Literally “what wave?” — from onda (“wave”), as in a radio or ocean wave. Idiomatically it’s “what’s up?” or “what’s the vibe?” and it’s classic Mexican slang.

Is “qué onda” rude? Not as a friendly greeting — it’s casual and warm among friends. But said with a hard, flat tone it can mean “what’s your problem?”, so keep it light when greeting someone.

How do I answer “¿qué onda?” With something easy: aquí nomás (“just here”), todo bien (“all good”), or bounce it back — ¿qué onda, cómo estás?. It’s a greeting, not a real question.

What’s the difference between “qué onda” and “qué tal”? ¿Qué onda? is very casual, Mexican slang for friends. ¿Qué tal? is neutral and safe with almost anyone. When in doubt about formality, use ¿qué tal?.

Do people in Spain say “qué onda”? No — it’s Mexican/Latin American. In Spain you’d hear ¿qué pasa? or ¿qué tal? instead.