B1 (¡Ya le agarras la onda!)Used EVERYWHERE 🇲🇽Slang 🌶️
🧠 What it means
No dogs were harmed in the making of this chunk.
In fact, it doesn't even have anything to do with dogs! 🐶
You see, está perro is Mexican slang for:
👉 it’s hard / tough / intense (🐶 version)
Or…
➡️ it’s awesome / badass / really good
So, uh, yeah, its two meanings are kinda diametrically opposed. 🥴
But worry not, MexiVerser, context usually makes things pretty obvious.
I mean, if you’re talking about a task, situation, exam, problem, etc., it usually means hard or tough:
Está perro conseguir boletos. It’s hard to get tickets.Está perro el tráfico. The traffic is rough.
And if you’re reacting to something cool, impressive, etc., it usually means awesome / badass:
Está perro tu carro. Your car is badass.Está perro ese video. That video is awesome.
💡 You’ll also hear está perrón, which is usually more clearly positive: it’s awesome / badass / really cool.
🌪️ When to whip it out
When something is hard, tough, or intense:
Está perro encontrar estacionamiento por aquí.
It’s hard to find parking around here.
El examen estuvo perro.
The exam was tough.
Está perro llegar hasta allá sin coche.
It’s hard to get all the way there without a car.
When something is cool, impressive, or badass:
Está perro tu tatuaje.
Your tattoo is badass.
Está perro ese lugar.
That place is awesome.
No manches, sí te quedó perro.
Damn, it came out really well.
⚠️ Tone
🐶 DOESN’T refer to an actual dog.
✅ Casual and slangy.
✅ Can be positive or negative depending on context.
🔁 Similar chunks
Está cañónEstá cabrónEstá difícilEstá pesadoEstá perrónEstá chidoEstá padreEstá de huevos
Mexico City
Yucatán
Monterrey (full speed 💨)
Está perro vivir solo al principio.Living alone is hard at first.
La neta, sí está perro entenderle.Honestly, it’s hard to understand her.
Ay, está perro ese depa.Damn, that apartment’s awesome.