Definition – Morro and its feminine form morra are one of the most robust Mexican slang words. We use it to call a girl or a boy, but we can also use it to express how young they are. Depending on the context, it could mean ‘kid’, ‘young’, ‘dude’, ‘guy’, ‘boy’ and ‘girl’.
What Does ‘Morro’ Mean?
- Translation #1: It’s used as a synonym of ‘dude’ or ‘buddy’.
- Translation #2: If used to express someone’s youth, it means ‘young’.
- Translation #3: In informal conversations, we use this word to refer to a man or women, as a result, it will be translated as ‘guy’ or ‘girl’.
- Translation #4: It’s also an informal synonym of ‘boy’ or ‘kid’.
- Translation #5: Depending on the context, it could also be used to say ‘boyfriend’. ‘Morra’ is also a synonym of ‘girlfriend’.
- Translation #6: In standard Spanish, ‘morro’ could either mean ‘front’ or ‘snout’.
How and When to Use ‘Morro’?
- As a synonym of ‘buddy’ or ‘dude’. This Mexican slang word is used among friends. As a result, it’s translated as ‘dude’ or ‘buddy’. Be aware that this meaning of ‘morro’ and ‘morra’ is only applied among young people.
- To express that someone is young. In many contexts, ‘morro’ and ‘morra’ are used as a synonym of ‘young’. In these cases, you need to combine these Mexican slang words with the verb estar. Depending on the context, this expression could also be used to express that a person’s youth implies certain innocence. We also use ‘morro’ and ‘morra’ with the verb ser to express that someone is ‘the youngest’.
- As a synonym of ‘guy’ or ‘girl’. In informal contexts, we use this slang word as a way to refer to a young man or woman whose name we don’t know. Therefore, in this situation, ‘morro’ or ‘morra’ are translated as ‘guy’ or ‘girl’.
- As a synonym of ‘boy’, ‘girl’ or ‘kid’. Another way to use these words is as a synonym of ‘kid’, ‘boy’ or ‘girl’. This meaning is very popular when talking about your own kids or someone else’s. However, we can also use ‘morra’ and ‘morro’ to refer to a ‘boy’ or ‘girl’.
- To say ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’. Among young people, one of the most common ways to use ‘morro’ and ‘morra’ is a synonym of ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’.
- As a synonym of ‘nose’ or ‘front’. In standard Spanish, ‘morro’ is a word that we use to talk about the front part of some vehicles and an animal’s mouth and nose. As a result, this word will be translated as ‘snout’, ‘nose’ or ‘front’. When using this meaning keep in mind that ‘morro’ doesn’t have a feminine form.
Examples on How to Use Morro
The following examples will help you understand how to use ‘morro’ and ‘morra’ correctly.
As a synonym of ‘buddy’ or ‘dude’
Using these words as a way to call your friends is very common in Mexican Spanish. However, keep in mind that this meaning of morro and morra is only used by young people.
Morro, ¿vamos a ir al cine mañana? Dude, are we going to the movies tomorrow?
Oye, morra, ¿a qué hora llegas a tu casa? Hey, buddy, what time do you get home?
To express that someone is young
When combining ‘morro’ and ‘estar’, we can express that a person is young. However, remember that depending on the context these phrases can imply that someone is too innocent.
Karla está muy morra para vestirse así Karla is too young to dress like that
¿No entendiste? Es que estás bien morro I don’t think Ismael can go in, he’s too young
Héctor me dijo que no puede venir porque va a ayudar a su jefe You didn’t understand? It’s because you’re too innocent
As you may know, the meaning of a sentence can be affected if we use ‘ser’ instead of ‘estar’. This is the case with ‘morro’: while with ‘estar’ this word talks about someone’s youth, with ‘ser’ morro is used to say ‘youngest’.
Adrián es el más morro de mis hermanos Adrian is my youngest brother
Laura es la más morrita de mi clase Laura is the youngest of my class
As you may have noticed, ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ are not interchangeable and you need to learn when and how to use these verbs. Since this can be a very challenging topic, in this article, I’ll focus on teaching you how to use ser in Spanish.
As a synonym of ‘guy’ or ‘girl’
One thing you need to keep in mind when using ‘morra’ or ‘morro’ with this meaning is that we only use these words to refer to young men and women.
La morra de la tienda es muy grosera The girl from the store is very rude
Esa morra está muy guapa, pero dicen que es muy mala onda That girl is very pretty, but they say she’s not nice
Si necesitas practicar tu español, esos morros son mexicanos If you need to practice your Spanish, those guys are Mexican
As a synonym of ‘boy’, ‘girl’ or ‘kid’.
When using these Mexican slang words to talk about someone’s kids, it’s common to find them in their diminutive forms ‘morrito’ and ‘morrita’. We do this as a way to express that those kids are still very young. We can also use this word, to talk to a boy that we don’t know.
Oye, morro, ¿dónde puedo tomar un autobús? Hey, kiddo, where can I take a bus?
¿Sabías que Marcela tiene dos morritos y una morrita? Did you know that Marcela has two boys and one girl?
¿Cómo están tus morros? Los míos ya van a entrar a la universidad How are your kids? Mine are about to start college
To say ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’
Unlike other meanings, this context is more common among young people. Be aware that as long as you’re in an informal conversation, you can use ‘morro’ and ‘morra’ to talk about your or someone else’s partner.
Noemí es la morra de Adam Noemí is Adam’s girlfriend
La nueva morra de mi tío está muy guapa My uncle’s new girlfriend is very pretty
Dile a tu morro que no se le olviden los boletos Tell your boyfriend not to forget the tickets
As a synonym of ‘nose’ or ‘front’
Although ‘morro’ is the direct translation of ‘nose’ and ‘front’ we only use it when talking about an animal’s mouth or the front part of a vehicle. In this case, ‘morro’ doesn’t have a feminine form.
Creo que mi perro está enfermo, tiene el morro seco I think my dog is sick, his snout is dry
David tuvo un accidente, el morro de su coche quedó destrozado David had an accident, the front part of his car was destroyed
Who Can You Use ‘Morro’ With?
In its standard form, it’s very common to find ‘morro’ in formal writing samples such as books and news. Don’t forget that in this context, this word is only used to talk about vehicles and animals.
The rest of the meanings of ‘morro’ and ‘morra’ are used in informal situations. Even though these Mexican slang words are very common among all people, as mentioned before, when using it as a way to say ‘buddy’, ‘dude’, ‘girlfriend’ or boyfriend, it will be more popular among young people.
When using it as a synonym of ‘kids’, adult women don’t use it as much as men do. However, when morro or morra mean ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ you may hear people from all ages using this slang word.
Other Ways to Say ‘Morro’
Here are other synonyms that you can use to replace ‘morro’ when needed.
- Compa → This is another Mexican slang word that we can use to say ‘buddy’ or ‘dude’. However, keep in mind that this word is more used among men. Here, you can learn more about the different meanings and uses of compa.
- Chico → ‘Chico’, as well as the femenine form ‘chica’, is one of the direct translations of ‘boy’ or ‘girl’. Just as morro and morra, we can use these words with ‘ser’ to say that someone is the youngest. Additionally, when combined with ‘estar’, we’ll express that a person is young.
- Chavo → ‘Chavo’ and ‘chava’ are Mexican slang words that mean ‘kid’, ‘boy’ or ‘girl’. We also use them to say boyfriend and girlfriend. Chava can also be used as a nickname. In this list, you’ll find the most common mexican nicknames.
- Niño → ‘Niño’ and ‘niña’ are the direct translation of ‘boy’ and ‘girl’. Niños is used as a synonym of ‘kids’.
- Hijos → This word can be translated either as ‘children’ or ‘kids’.
- Novio → This is the standard word to say ‘boyfriend’. As a result, ‘novia’ is the direct translation of ‘girlfriend’.
- Tipo → The direct translation of this Spanish word is ‘guy’.
- Joven → In Spanish, ‘young’ is translated as ‘joven’. You can use this word with ‘ser’ or ‘estar’. However, be aware that using one or the other will affect the meaning of your sentence.
- Hocico → ‘Hocico’ is the standard translation of ‘snout’.
- Parte delantera → When talking about objects and vehicles, in Spanish, ‘front’ is translated as ‘parte delantera’.