Fiesta is the direct translation of ‘party’, but like any other Spanish speaking country, Mexican speakers have their own terms and vocabulary. As a result, many Spanish learners struggle to know other popular Mexican words to say ‘party’.
So what are some Mexican words for party? These are some of the most common words that Mexican speakers use as a synonym for ‘party’:
Even though all of these words mean ‘party’, we use them in different contexts. In the following sections, we’ll provide you with examples of how to use these words in Spanish sentences as well as the most common situations where you can apply them.
Make sure to read the descriptions carefully because some of these words may be also useful in other Spanish speaking countries. By the end of this, you will be able to say party as a Mexican speaker.
1. Fiesta
As mentioned before, fiesta is the standard and direct translation of ‘party’. For that reason, ‘fiesta’ is quite common in both formal and informal situations in all Spanish speaking countries. When using ‘fiesta’, Mexican Spanish speakers could be referring to any type of party.
El sábado es la fiesta de mi hermanita
My little sister’s party is on Saturday
Nuestra fiesta de graduación estuvo muy aburrida
Our graduation party was very boring
¿Nos vamos a ir de fiesta el fin de semana o cuál es el plan?
Are we going to party on the weekend or what’s the plan?
Take Note: Fiesta is a Spanish noun. If you want to say the verb ‘to party’, you need to conjugate the expression ‘irse de fiesta’.
2. Peda
Peda is one of the most popular Mexican slang words that mean ‘party’. Using this word implies that there will be a lot of drinking at the party. In other words, the only purpose of this type of party is for friends to gather together and drink. As a result, ‘peda’ is more commonly used by young people.
¿Se va a armar la peda la próxima semana?
Are we going to party next week?
¡Chavos! El sábado va a haber peda en mi casa
Guys! This Saturday, party at my house
¡Te ves muy cansado! ¿Estuvo buena la peda o qué?
You look very tired! Was the party good or what?
Take Note: ‘Peda’ is not used to talk about family parties because this word implies that the party is only about drinking.
3. Pachanga
Pachanga is an informal word to say ‘party’ and it’s very popular among all Mexican speakers. Even though it’s not a rule of thumb, ‘pachanga’ implies a lively party with music, dancing, and some drinking. On top of being used in Mexico, ‘pachanga’ is also popular in some Latin American countries:
- Argentina
- Cuba
- Venezuela
- Guatemala
- Colombia
- Honduras
- Dominican Republic
¿A qué hora empieza la pachanga?
What time does the party start?
¡Qué buenas pachangas hacen los vecinos!
The neighbor throws such good parties!
El sábado en la tarde es la boda de mi hermana y la pachanga es en la noche
Saturday afternoon is my sister’s wedding and the party’s at night
Take Note: Just like ‘peda’, ‘pachanga’ also implies some drinking. However, ‘pachanga’ can be used in family contexts because its purpose is not only drinking, but also spending time and having fun together.
4. Parranda
In Mexico, parranda is another slang word to say ‘party’. This word implies drinking and that the party is taking place most part of the night. Therefore, it may not be appropriate for all situations. ‘Parranda’ is popular among young people and men. On top of being popular in Mexico, this word is also used in these countries:
- Panama
- Argentina
- El Salvador
- Dominican Republic
- Venezuela
¿Qué hiciste el fin? ¿Anduviste de parranda?
What did you do on the weekend? Did you party?
A mis hermanos les gusta andar de parranda
My brothers like to party
¡La parranda de anoche estuvo chida! ¡Hay que hacer otra la próxima semana!
The party last night was cool! Let’s do another one next week!
Take Note: Irse de fiesta is the Spanish expression for ‘to party’. However, when using ‘parranda’, Spanish speakers also use the phrase ‘andar de parranda’ which also means ‘to party’.
5. Jolgorio
In Mexican Spanish, this word refers to a noisy and lively party with dancing and music. As a result, it means ‘party’ or ‘revelry’. Although ‘jolgorio’ is quite popular among grown-ups, young people may find it a little bit outdated or old fashioned since they have more appropriate words to talk about their parties.
¡Qué buen jolgorio hicieron mis tías ayer!
What nice revelry my aunts did yesterday!
¡Casi no pude dormir! ¿A qué hora se acabó el jolgorio de los vecinos?
I barely slept! What time did the neighbor’s party end?
¿Vamos a llevar comida al jolgorio o Miriam va a hacer todo?
Are we going to bring food to the party or is Miriam going to do everything?
6. Juerga
Juerga is another informal word that means ‘party’. Like other words from this list, ‘juerga’ is used to talk about lively parties with a lot of drinking involved. It can either mean ‘party’ or ‘binge’. Therefore, ‘juerga’ may not be suitable for all situations. On top of being popular in Mexico, this word has the same meaning in Argentina and ‘Peru’.
¡Por fin es viernes! ¡Vámonos de juerga!
It’s finally Friday! Let’s go party!
Mis amigos se fueron de juerga todo el fin de semana
My friends went out on a binge all weekend
Me duele muchísimo la cabeza, pero la juerga estuvo buena
My head hurts a lot, but the party was amazing
7. Guateque
Guateque is another informal word to say ‘party’ and it refers to lively home parties that involved dancing, music, and a lot of food. As a result, this word is quite common when talking about family parties. ‘Guateque’ is not only popular in Mexico, but it’s also known in most Spanish speaking countries.
¡Vamos al guateque, no seas aburrida!
Let’s go to the party, don’t be boring!
Hay que organizar un guateque y entre todos ponemos la comida
Let’s plan a party and we all bring some food
¿Le van a seguir con el guateque? Nosotros ya tenemos sueño
Are you going to continue with the party? We’re sleepy
8. Farra
Farra is another slang word for ‘party’ and it’s used to refer to a party with drinking and dancing for the most part of the night. As a result, this word may not be suitable for all situations.‘Farra’ is popular in:
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Paraguay
- Mexico
Las chicas y yo vamos a ir de farra
Tonight, the girls and I are going to party
Anoche mis amigos y yo nos fuimos de farra
Last night my friends and I went partying
Mañana hay farra en la casa de Luis, ¿quieres ir?
Tomorrow there’s a party at Luis’, do you want to go?
Wrapping Up
Mexican speakers use many more terms than just ‘fiesta’ when talking about parties. For that reason, we provided you with 8 popular terms for saying ‘party’ in Mexico. Remember that most of these words are not appropriate for all contexts. This can be very useful for describing the type of party and its atmosphere based on which term you use to describe it. So make sure to choose the best option to talk about your fiestas.