8 amazing famous Spanish phrases from Mexican TV in conversation examples

Actor 1
¡Oh, no! ¡No tengo sacacorchos!
(Oh, no! I don’t have a corkscrew!)

Actor 2
No te preocupes, vine preparada para este caso.
(Don’t worry, I came prepared for this situation.)

Actor 1
¡Me sorprendes, Susan!
(You surprise me, Susan!)

Actor 2
¿Por qué? ¿A caso… no contabas con mi astucia?
(Why? Did you… not count on my cunning?)

Actor 1
¡Guau! No dejas de sorprenderme. ¿Dónde aprendiste esa frase?
(Wow! You never cease to amaze me. Where did you learn that phrase?)

As you well know, at Spring Spanish we are fans of idiomatic expressions in everyday communication. In this class, you will learn some of the famous Spanish phrases from Mexican TV that are currently part of everyday speech in Mexico.

Soy Paulísima tu maestra de español en Spring Spanish. ¡Empecemos!

1. No contaban con mi astucia (You didn’t count on my cunning)

Iconic phrase from El Chapulin Colorado, a character from Chespirito. Chespirito is one of the most famous comedians in Mexico and Latin America. He’s actually responsible for coining many of the phrases we’re seeing in this lesson.

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Fun fact about El Chapulín Colorado, he’s heavily referred to in DC’s newest film, “Blue Beetle”.

How do you use this phrase? Whenever you want to bring attention to you being very helpful to the situation.

Actor 2
¿Por qué? ¿Acaso… “no contabas con mi astucia”?
(Why? Did you… “not count on my cunning”?)

Actor 1
¡Guau! No dejas de sorprenderme. ¿Dónde aprendiste esa frase?
(Wow! You never cease to amaze me. Where did you learn that phrase?)

Actor 2
Me la dijo mi maestro de español. De hecho, nos mostró varios capítulos de Chespirito.
(My Spanish teacher told me that. In fact, he showed us several episodes of Chespirito.)

2. Es que no me tienen paciencia (You just aren’t patient with me)

Actor 1
¿Y si abrimos ya la botella?
(What if we open the bottle now?)

Actor 2
Claro que sí. A ver, yo lo hago.
(Of course. Come on (lit.: let’s see), let me do it.)

Actor 1
Susan, con cuidado. A ver, dame la copa.
(Susan, be careful. Come on, give me the glass.)

Actor 2
No, así está bien. ¡Oh, no!
(No, it’s okay like this. Oh, no!)

(rompe la copa)

Actor 1
¡Ay, Susan! ¡Te dije que yo sostenía la copa!
(Oh, Susan! I told you I would hold the glass!)

Actor 2
Perdón, “fue sin querer queriendo”.
(Sorry, it was unintentional.)

Actor 1
¡Ay, mujer! ¡Mira! Estás descalza, no te muevas, te puedes cortar.
(Oh, woman! Look! You’re barefoot, don’t move, you could cut yourself.)

Actor 2
Se mueve.
She moves.

Actor 1
No te muevas, Susan. Hay muchos vidrios, es peligroso.
(Don’t move, Susan. There are many shards, it’s dangerous.)

Actor 2
Es que no me tienen paciencia.
(It’s just that you all don’t have patience with me.)

Actor 1
¡Ay, ay, ay! Veo que sí aprendiste mucho de Chespirito.
(Oh, oh, oh! I see you did learn a lot from Chespirito.)

Let’s review: Chunk alert!

Both were featured in the series: “El Chavo del Ocho”, created by Roberto Gomez Bolaños, Chespirito. The same guy that coined: ¡No contaban con mi astucia! (You weren’t counting on my cunning!)

3. Inguesu (Screw it)

Short, and PG13, for: Chingue su madre (bleep), this word was popularized by comic Adal Ramones who was the king of late night Mexican TV back in the 90’s.

We use it to express determination or awe.

Actor 1
Susan. ¡Te cortaste! ¡Estás sangrando!
(Susan. You cut yourself! You’re bleeding!)

Actor 2
¡Oh, oh!
(Uh, oh.)

(Un ratito después…)

Actor 1
A ver… te voy a tener que limpiar el área. Te va a arder. ¿Lista?
(Okay… I’m going to have to clean the area. It’s going to sting. Ready?)

Actor 2
No, pero, inguesu… ¡dale! ¡Ahhhhhhhh!
(No, but, screw it… go for it! Ahhhhhhh!)

4. Fue horrible, fue horrible (It was horrible, it was horrible)

Actor 2
Baby, ¿qué crees que me pasó en casa de Pau?
(Baby, guess what happened to me at Pau’s house?)

Actor 3
¿Qué, amor?
(What, my love?)

Actor 1
Me corté.
(I cut myself.)

Actor 3
Ay, no! ¡Pobrecita!
(Oh, no! Poor thing!)

Actor 1
Fue horrible, fue horrible.
(It was horrible, it was horrible.)

Actor Eugenio Derbez coined this phrase and its peculiar way to say it in his 90’s comedy sketch show. His character “Monje Loco” used to say it.

Fun fact: in the Latin American Spanish version of the first Shrek Movie, Eugenio Derbez, who voices Donkey, says: “fue horrible fue horrible” just like his Monje Loco character. As you can imagine, that part was a hit for all of us who knew the phrase.

5. ¡Estamos pérdidas! (We’re lost!)

So far we’ve seen examples of phrases that have been part of the Mexican lexicon for decades, but now we’re going to see some of the latest expressions that have become really popular in Mexico, thanks to both television and memes.

Actor 1
Susan, ¿sabes quién es Wendy Guevara?
(Susan, do you know who Wendy Guevara is?)

Actor 2
No sé, a ver.
(I don’t, who?)

Actor 1
Wendy Guevara recientemente se convirtió en la primera mujer trans en México y toda Latinoamérica en ganar un reality TV show: “La Casa de los Famosos”. Ella también usa muchas frases que se han vuelto muy populares en México. De hecho, se volvió famosa cuando un video de ella con su amiga se volvió viral.
(Wendy Guevara recently became the first transgender woman in Mexico and all of Latin America to win a reality TV show: “La Casa de Los Famosos.” She also uses many phrases that have become very popular in Mexico. In fact, she became famous when a video of her with her friend went viral.)

How to use the phrase? Well, it’s all about pitch and the attitude of having fun whatever the circumstances are. Next time you and your buddy are lost, instead o telling your friends: “Estamos perdidos” o “estamos perdidas”, channel your inner Wendy and make your Mexican friends laugh, saying instead:

Pau, ya vienen?
¡Estamos perdidas! ¡Perdidas! ¡Perdidas! (We’re lost! Lost! Lost!)

“Estamos perdidas” was her first catchphrase in Mexico, but certainly wouldn’t be the last.

6. No soportas, ¿verdad panzona? (You can’t stand it, can you, fatty?)

“The phrase evolved from an iconic moment when Wendy was doing her makeup, and her friend, who is a bit chubby, was giving her compliments.”

She jokingly showed off by saying: “No soportas, ¿verdad, panzona?”

The phrase could be translated as: you can’t deal with this, can’t you, big-bellied? But I promise it’s not meant to be offensive. We use it when we’re jokingly showing off to our friends. This phrase became immensely popular in Mexico and has evolved to include variations, like “y soporten panzonas” (deal with it big-bellied).

What do you think? Have you heard any of these? Would you be using them to impress your Mexican friends? Some these phrase are bit weird. But sometimes that’s the way things are in Mexico, as you can continue learning in the following lesson.