Getting around
Metro
Próxima estación.
Next station.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
Mexico City
Mexico
Mexico City fills a high valley on the site of the older Mexica city of Tenochtitlan.
How the language is used
Spanish is the language of public life, and many Indigenous languages are also spoken in the city.
In this city
- Language
- Spanish
- Also heard
- Nahuatl
- A local word
- Pesero — A shared van.
- Writing
- the Latin alphabet
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
Food
Puesto
Uno de pastor, por favor.
One al pastor, please.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The counter
Café
Un café de olla.
Coffee from a clay pot.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
The street
Calle
¿Mande?
Sorry, what was that?
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
Spanish is the language of the ride, the shop, and the street.
In Roma, Coyoacán, Centro, you also hear Nahuatl.
A first day in Mexico City can run on four lines: “Próxima estación.”, “Uno de pastor, por favor.”, “Un café de olla.”, and “¿Mande?”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- In a shop, usted is a safe polite you. Tú is warmer, with people your own age.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Mexico City, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Pesero. It means A shared van..
Places you can see
- Zócalo — The huge main square, with the cathedral and the National Palace on its edges.
- Chapultepec — A vast park west of the centre, with a castle on the hill and several museums.
- Frida Kahlo Museum — The blue house in Coyoacán where Frida Kahlo lived, now a museum of her work and rooms.
Food
Street stalls sell tacos al pastor, and markets cook moles and fresh tortillas.
Getting around
The Metro is vast, and Metrobús lanes and smaller shared vans fill the gaps.
Daily life
You move between a vast park, a colonial square, and a metro ride in the same day.
A few everyday phrases
Spanish
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| Me llamo… | My name is… |
