The weather outside might be frightful (well, some days in some places, anyway). But luckily for us, Mexican humor stays 100% delightful at any time of the year!
If you’re here for your dose of Mexican memes, you’ve come to the right place! No matter where you are in your Spanish-learning (or your Mexican culture-learning) journey, a little humor will always help new words and phrases to stick in your mind. Enjoy these joyas (gems)!
Meme translation: “To a year full of lust!…Or whatever it’s called when you have a lot of luxuries?”
What does it meme? This clever format’s been making its way around social media since the new year, and the joke turns on the proximity, language-wise, to its description.
In this case, “lujuría” means “lust” (as in, the deadly sin); “lujos,” which has the same root, is “luxury.” So the author here is confusing the common phrase “To a year full of luxury” with the phrase “to a year full of lust.”
Meme translation: “January 8…January 9…January 10…January 11”
What does it meme? This joya is pretty self-explanatory, and incredibly relatable as we start to grow weary of our New Year’s resolutions.
I also included this one just to point out the way of writing dates in Spanish: the number goes first, then “de.” If you were wondering if not capitalizing “enero” is a mistake, it’s not: names of months are not capitalized in Spanish, even in official documents. (Days of the week, countries, and honorifics aren’t capitalized, either).
Meme translation: “It’s just me and my 30 pesos against January.”
What does it meme? In December, when everybody receives their aguinaldos (legally mandated Christmas bonuses), Mexicans are flush with extra cash and good cheer. Come January, most of that extra — and then some — is sadly gone, much to the disappointment of those poor souls whose birthdays fall in this month.
Rice, beans and tortillas are the staple dishes of January.
Meme translation: “Hey girl, your movie’s out.” “Dumb in Love”
What does it meme? “Hey,” in this case, is exactly what you think; it’s one of those English alternatives to “oye” that plenty of people in Mexico use these days.
“Menso” (or in this case, “mensa”), is a word that means, basically, “dummy.” While you don’t want to use this word with just anyone, it’s common for close friends to good-naturedly accuse each other of not being too bright in certain situations.
And love is for sure an area in which many of us are plenty menso, don’t you think?
Meme translation: “Me, going out to buy bread.” “A tourist soon after.”
What does it meme? I laughed much too long at this meme: the trope of the pretty white tourist snapping a picture with “the natives” when she’s traveling hits right at that corner of uncomfortably familiar and hilarious in its obliviousness.
I don’t know what the original circumstances of the photograph are, of course, but the idea that one person’s day of running normal errands might count as a “cultural experience” to someone else cracked me up, especially given the little girl’s stiff arms and confused expression.
Meme translation: “I don’t believe people who say ‘I’ll let you know,’ because I’m one of them.”
What does it meme? See the guy in the meme? He’s got the right idea: “Yo te aviso” – “I’ll let you know” – is pretty much a lie 100% of the time. Don’t fall for it!
Remember: no one who says they will let you know, will ever let you know anything at any point in the future, so you definitely should not be waiting on them to give you any kind of information or make any kind of plan.
Meme translation: “I know you’re out there, single, faithful, thoughtful man, and I’m going to find you.” “Here I am.” “(Me:) I don’t like you.”
What does it meme? Though this meme falls a bit into the danger zone of “nice guys” complaining that women aren’t attracted to them when it’s definitely possible that they are not actually nice guys at all, I will admit that I know quite a few women who are simply not attracted to the men they claim to want on paper.
Well, all of us are allowed our traumas and dysfunctional relationship patterns, are we not?
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
I love these as a fun way to understand more about the culture and to practice my Spanish.
But my experience living in Mexico for approx. twelve years is that at least adults are never addressing each other using the familiar “tu”. So it would be “Yo le aviso”, right? Only the kids used “tu” and never when addressing an adult stranger. Thus, on the Mexican street, it’s always best to stay formal. Something I did appreciate very much, having been brought up with this formality in Sweden where I grew up. Then suddenly they changed over to the informal and on my subsequent visits, I could never get used to it and still find it painful. What I just loved about Mexico was the courtesy and respect. Even in a relationship with your “muchacha” it offers a comfortable space for both parties. To become too familiar in that setting would simply be unwise and complicate life. And heaven only knows the Mexicans don’t like problems! Now years later, I am having a native Mexicana helping me in California. I just love and appreciate her but prefer to address her as Senora and Usted, and she appears to be fine with that. And I don’t like being “tu’ed” by the young kids here or by anyone I don’t know. The older workers in the garden would never… They are the real Mexicanos and to me always very proper and elegant… Cultured as their people would tell you. I hope that will never change because I so prefer the Mexican way in many respects and still having a hard time adjusting. Too late now, but I would be much happier in Mexico were it not for my family in California.
Well, I’d assume the person saying that would be talking to a friend. 😉