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What Is the Difference Between Mexican Spanish and Spain Spanish?
Same language, two flavors. Pick your spice level.
Ever hear Spanish and think, “Wait… did they just say that with a th?” You’re not wrong. Spanish in Mexico and Spanish in Spain are like the same song with two cool remixes. Learn the beats now, so you can chat with anyone today.
The quick answer
Mexican Spanish and Spain Spanish are the same language. They differ in how words sound, some word choices, how “you all” works, and how people talk about the recent past.
How it sounds: the “th” vs “s” twist
In much of Spain, c and z before e/i sound like a soft “th.” In Mexico, they sound like “s.”
- España: “zumo” → “thu-mo”
- México: “zumo” → “su-mo” (though in Mexico people usually say “jugo”)
“You all”: ustedes vs vosotros
In Mexico, people use ustedes for “you all” in almost every situation. In Spain, people use vosotros for friends and ustedes for formal talk.
- México: ¿Ustedes quieren tacos?
- España: ¿Vosotros queréis tapas?
Words that switch teams
Most words match. Some don’t. Here are handy swaps:
- car: carro (MX) / coche (ES)
- cell phone: celular (MX) / móvil (ES)
- juice: jugo (MX) / zumo (ES)
- pen: pluma (MX) / bolígrafo (ES)
- computer: computadora (MX) / ordenador (ES)
- bus: camión (MX) / autobús (ES) — note: camión in Spain means “truck.”
Past tense vibe: “I did” vs “I have done”
To talk about things that happened today or very recently, Spain often uses the present perfect. Mexico often uses the simple past.
- España: Hoy he comido temprano. (“I have eaten.”)
- México: Hoy comí temprano. (“I ate.”)
Slang, fillers, and friendly tone
Both places have fun words:
- España: vale (okay), tío/tía (buddy), guay (cool)
- México: sale (okay), órale (wow/let’s go), ¿mande? (pardon?), chido/padre (cool)
Warm and tiny: the -ito, -ita love
In Mexico, people use -ito/-ita a lot to be sweet or friendly: cafecito, abuelita. Spain uses it too, but Mexico leans on it more in daily talk.
Can they understand each other?
Yes. It’s like U.S. English and U.K. English. Same language, small twists. After a day or two, your ear adjusts.
Cheat sheet to sound local
- Sound: Spain often has a soft “th” for c/z; Mexico uses “s.”
- “You all”: Mexico → ustedes. Spain → vosotros (friends) / ustedes (formal).
- Recent past: Spain → he visto. Mexico → vi.
- Swap a few key words: celular/móvil, carro/coche, jugo/zumo.
Try it now: tiny dialogues
México
— ¿Ustedes quieren tacos?
— ¡Sí, órale! Ya comí, pero uno más.
España
— ¿Vosotros queréis tapas?
— ¡Vale! Yo ya he comido, pero una más entra.
Final tip
Match the local tune: pick a few words, notice the sound, smile, and go. Same song, new remix. You’ve got this.
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