A tight Mexican-Spanish phrasebook for English-speaking fans visiting CDMX. The single highest-leverage phrase is "sin hielo, por favor" (no ice, please) — it cuts traveller's-diarrhoea risk dramatically. The single most-Mexican social cue is "¿Mande?" instead of "¿Qué?" when you didn't catch something. And when you walk past someone eating, say "¡Provecho!" — a small social signal that you're paying attention to local norms.
Pronunciation Primer
Reading Spanish
Spanish has 5 stable vowels: a = "ah," e = "eh," i = "ee," o = "oh," u = "oo." Unlike English, they don't drift. Stress: words ending in vowel/n/s stress the second-to-last syllable; everything else stresses the last; written tilde overrides ("café" = ka-FEH).
rr
Rolled (trill); single r between vowels is a tap (similar to American "tt" in "butter").
ñ
"ny" as in "canyon" — señor = SEH-nyor.
ll
In Mexican Spanish = "y" — calle = KAH-yeh.
x quirks
Mexican x is irregular: "México" = MEH-hee-koh (soft "h"), "Oaxaca" = wah-HAH-kah, "Tlaxcala" = tlas-KAH-lah, "Xochimilco" = so-chee-MIL-koh. Don't say "MEX-i-co" out loud.
Greetings & Politeness
Daily Essentials
Hola
Hi.
Buenos días / tardes / noches
Good morning / afternoon / evening.
¿Cómo estás? / ¿Cómo está?
How are you? Informal / formal.
Mucho gusto
Pleased to meet you.
Por favor / Gracias / De nada
Please / thanks / you're welcome.
Disculpe
"Excuse me" — to get attention or apologise for a small thing.
Con permiso
"With your permission" — used to pass through a crowd, leave a table, or enter a small space. Heavily used; copy locals.
Lo siento
I'm sorry (sincere).
¿Mande?
Mexican-specific. Use this instead of "¿Qué?" when you didn't catch something. "Qué" alone reads as blunt; "Mande" is the default polite reflex.
¡Provecho!
Mexican-specific. Said when entering a restaurant or passing diners; said by waiters when delivering food. Reciprocate with "gracias, igualmente."
Football
Stadium Vocabulary
Gol
Goal. Mexican commentators draw it out: "¡goooooooool!"
Tarjeta amarilla / roja
Yellow / red card.
Fuera de lugar
Offside (literally "out of place").
Penal / penalti
Penalty kick.
Tiempo extra / de reposición
Extra time / stoppage time.
Falta · árbitro · portero
Foul · referee · goalkeeper.
Delantero · mediocampo · defensa
Forward · midfield · defender.
Afición
Supporters / fanbase.
"¡Sí se puede!" / "¡Vámonos!"
"Yes we can!" / "Let's go!" — standard chants.
"¡México, México, México!"
National-anthem and goal-celebration chant. La ola (the wave) was famously popularised at the 1986 World Cup at this stadium.
The goal-kick chant — DON'T join in. When an opposing keeper takes a goal kick, sections of the crowd chant a homophobic slur (often spelt "p**o"). FIFA has fined the FMF roughly 15 times since 2014 (~CHF 100,000 for Qatar 2022 incidents per Yahoo Sports / ESPN). For 2026 the FMF has rolled out QR-code ticketing + stadium-ban threats and partnered with LGBTQ+ activists asking fans to drop it. FIFA's three-step protocol (warning → match suspension → match abandonment) applies at WC 2026 matches. Visiting fans should not join in; visible disapproval has been encouraged by activists.
Restaurant Ordering
Food & Drinks
La cuenta, por favor
The bill, please.
¿Tienen menú en inglés?
Do you have an English menu?
Sin picante / no muy picante
No spice / not very spicy. Mexican spice tolerance is much higher than US default — ask twice if you're sensitive.
Sin hielo, por favor
No ice, please. The single highest-leverage Spanish phrase for cutting traveller's-diarrhoea risk. Reputable restaurants use filtered ice (often donut-shaped — a hole means filtered) but cafés/street vendors are mixed.
CDMX foods to know:tacos al pastor (marinated pork on a vertical spit, taco al pastor was invented in Mexico City), tlacoyos (oval blue-corn pockets), tamales, quesadillas (in CDMX often without cheese unless you say "con queso" — local quirk), mole poblano, pambazos, esquites / elotes (street corn). Drinks: agua de jamaica (hibiscus), agua de horchata (rice), mezcal, pulque (fermented agave — a historic CDMX drink).
Transit & Getting Around
Cabs & Metro
¿Cuánto cuesta?
How much?
¿Acepta tarjeta? / Sólo efectivo
Do you take cards? / Cash only.
¿A qué hora sale?
What time does it leave?
¿Dónde está…? / ¿Cómo llego a…?
Where is…? / How do I get to…?
Llévame a [destination], por favor
Take me to [destination], please. Useful in Uber when the driver wants confirmation.
Déjeme aquí, por favor
Drop me here, please. The exit phrase if you want to be let off short of the destination (traffic, safety preference).
Stadium / Match Day
Inside the Bowl
¿Dónde está mi asiento?
Where's my seat?
Soy aficionado/a de [team]
I'm a fan of [team]. (Aficionado, not "fanático.")
¿Hay revisión de bolso?
Is there a bag check?
Agua sellada
Sealed water. FIFA's bag/water policy typically requires sealed factory bottles or bottles purchased inside.
Fila · sección · asiento
Row · section · seat.
Reventa
Resale (touts, often illegal — use only official FIFA channels).
Boleto / entrada
Ticket.
Money & Scam-Defence
Cash & Refusals
Efectivo · cambio · billete · moneda
Cash · change · banknote · coin.
¿Está incluido el IVA?
Is tax included? (IVA = value-added tax, currently 16% nationally.)
Propina
Tip. Restaurants 10-15%; Uber drivers occasional small round-up; hotel staff 10-20 MXN.
"No, gracias, ya tengo Uber"
No thanks, I already have an Uber. Standard line for declining a libre taxi at the airport / Zócalo / tourist zones.
Emergency
When You Need Help
911
Yes, Mexico has used 911 nationally since 2017. Works for police, fire, medical.
Necesito ayuda
I need help.
Llame a la policía / Ambulancia
Call the police / ambulance.
Embajada de EE.UU.
US Embassy. CDMX address: Reforma 305.
Soy ciudadano/a americano/a
I'm a US citizen. ("Estadounidense" is more accurate but "americano" is universally understood.)
Chilango Slang
CDMX Locals
A "chilango" is someone from Mexico City. The accent is fast, the slang dense; you don't need to use these but recognising them helps.
"No way!" / "you're kidding!" Safe in mixed company. (The vulgar version "no mames" is common but not for tourists.)
Wey / güey
Dude / bro. Used constantly between friends; a stranger using it can read as familiar or aggressive. Don't use with people you don't know well, and never with elders or service staff.