What Does ‘No Mames’ Mean in Mexican Slang?

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Plus, where the phrase comes from and when it’s appropriate to say

Co-authored by Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: November 27, 2024 Fact Checked

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‘No Mames’ Meaning

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When to Say It

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Where does ‘no mames’ come from?

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Who uses ‘no mames’?

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Is ‘no mames’ disrespectful?

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More Mexican Slang

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¡No mames, guëy! If you’ve spent time in Mexico, around speakers of Mexican Spanish, or even watching Latinx programs and telenovelas, then you may have heard the phrase no mames thrown around. This phrase is a crude way to say “no way” in Spanish, but there’s a lot more behind this slangy mexicano term. Keep reading to learn todo lo que hay que saber about the meaning of no mames.

‘No Mames’ Quick Definition

No mames (no MAH-mays) means “no way” or “you’re kidding me” in Mexican slang, but with a crude connotation, similar to "no f—ing way" in English. For instance, you might say “no mames, wey” (“no way, bro”) to a close friend after being told something surprising.

Section 1 of 6:

‘No Mames’ Meaning in Spanish

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”No mames” is a crude exclamation meaning “no way” or “you’re kidding.” The slang term is typically used to express confusion, excitement, or disbelief—similar to English phrases like “you can’t be serious,” “stop joking around,” and “stop messing with me.”^{[1]
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Research source} However, no mames (no MAH-mays) is considered to be a somewhat rude phrase since it comes from the Spanish verb mamar (mah-MAHR), which means to “suck” or “nurse.” So, a more accurate English translation of no mames might be “no f—ing way” or “don’t f—k with me.”^{[2]
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- The slang phrase is often combined with guëy or wey, both of which are pronounced like the English “whey” and mean “dude” or “bro,” although wey also implies that someone is lacking intelligence.^{[3]
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- The resulting phrase is no mames güey or no mames wey, which both roughly mean “no way, dude” or “don’t f—k with me, bro.”
- As an alternative, you can say no manches (no MAHN-chays), which also means “you’re kidding me” or “no way” but without the vulgar connotations. No manches literally means “don’t stain it.”

Section 2 of 6:

When & How to Use ‘No Mames’

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Say “no mames” to express disbelief: ¡No mames! ¿En serio? The most common use of the phrase no mames is to express surprise, shock, or excitement—whether positive or negative. For example, if someone tells you that they won the lottery or lost their job, you might say no mames or no mames, wey. Here are some real-world examples of how no mames might be used in conversation:^{[4]
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- Speaker A: Me rompí la pierna durante el partido.
  Speaker B: ¡No mames güey! ¿Qué pasó?
  - Speaker A: I broke my leg during the match.
    Speaker B: You’re kidding, bro! What happened?
- Speaker A: Le regalé una pulsera de diamantes para su cumple.
  Speaker B: Hombre, no mames. ¡Qué lujo!
  - Speaker A: I gave her a diamond bracelet for her birthday.
    Speaker B: Dude, no way. That’s so fancy!
- Speaker A: Sabrina está embarazada.
  Speaker B: ¡No mames! ¡Felicidades!
  - Speaker A: Sabrina’s pregnant.
    Speaker B: No way! Congrats!
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Say “no mames” to warn someone to cut it out: No mames, estoy harta. Alternatively, no mames can be used in a more serious context to tell someone to stop kidding around. For example, if someone’s trying to pull something over on you or is messing around with you to the point of annoyance, you could say no mames, guëy in a grave or threatening tone. Here are some examples of how to use no mames in this context:^{[5]
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- Speaker A: Tu hermana está buenísima.
  Speaker B: No mames, wey. No estoy de buen humor.
  - Speaker A: Your sister’s so good-looking.
    Speaker B: Stop kidding around, dude. I’m not in the mood.
- Speaker A: ¿Buscas una pelea?
  Speaker B: No mames, güey.
  - Speaker A:You looking for a fight?
    Speaker B: Don’t mess with me, dude.
- Speaker A: Ya no voy al cole, no quiero ir más.
  Speaker B: No mames, claro que vas a seguir en el colegio.
  - Speaker A: I’m not going to school anymore, I don’t want to.
    Speaker B: You can’t be serious, of course you’re going to stay in school.
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Real life examples No mames is a super common phrase among native Spanish speakers, especially in Mexico. Here are just a few real life examples of how people use no mames in daily speech and on social media:
- Twitter user @KingJamesBallin responded to a baseball-related question by saying, “No mames guey you’re mexican asking this silly a** question…”
- Instagram video creator @_erickronaldo_ posted a video where he asked someone on the street where they were from. When the interviewee says Mexico, he responds with “No mames, wey.”
- Skrillex posted a video on Twitter of him hyping up a crowd by saying “No mames, guëy.”

Section 3 of 6:

Where does ‘no mames’ come from?

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”No mames” is a Mexican slang term from the Spanish verb mamar. Mamar literally means “to suck,” often applying contextually to infants nursing on their mother or the act of oral sex (mamazo).^{[6]
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Research source} No mames (literally, “don’t suck”) as a slang term likely originated in Mexico, where it is most commonly used. However, the phrase has become popular among the Latinx community throughout the Spanish-speaking world.^{[7]
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- One of the first known appearances of no mames online was in a Spanish-language forum post on July 27th, 1992.^{[8]
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- The term became especially well-known among English speakers when actor Diego Luna taught it to comedian Conan O’Brien on his talk show in 2013.

Section 4 of 6:

Who uses ‘no mames’?

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“No mames” is mostly used by Mexican and Mexican-American youth. No mames is a colloquial Spanish term that’s become increasingly popular among the Spanish-speaking Latinx community. While the term has spread to mainstream culture, it’s still considered to be very vulgar by some people and is sometimes even associated with gang language.^{[9]
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- While no mames is generally acceptable to use among other youth and close friends or family, it's generally considered rude or inappropriate to say in front of elders, professional contacts, or authority figures.

Section 5 of 6:

Is ‘no mames’ disrespectful?

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Yes, no mames is thought to be a rude slang phrase in most situations. No mames is technically considered a swear or bad word due to the sexual connotations of the literal phrase. So, it would be considered disrespectful by most to use the phrase around children and older adults or at the workplace and school. However, this phrase is typically okay to use around close friends, significant others, and close family members.^{[10]
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- The more family-friendly version of no mames is no manches (no MAHN-chays), which colloquially means “you’re kidding me” or “unbelievable” and literally translates to “don’t stain it” or “don’t get (it) dirty.”

Section 6 of 6:

More Common Mexican Slang

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Other popular Mexican slang words include ¡Órale! and fresa. The Mexican dialect of Spanish features a host of playful, fun, and essential slang words that every aspiring speaker should know. Here are just a few of the most common Mexican slang words and phrases:^{[11]
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- Fresa: (FRAY-sah). A wealthy and superficial young person.
- Guëy / Wey: (way). Translates to dude, buddy, or bro. Wey may imply stupidity.^{[12]
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- Hyna: (HI-nah). Refers to a good-looking girl or “chick.”
- ¡Órale!: (OH-rah-lay). Exclamation used to express approval or enthusiasm.
- ¡Qué onda!: (kay OHN-dah). Means “What’s up?” Often paired with güey.
- ¡Vámonos!: (VAH-moh-nohs). Means “Let’s go!”