In Spain, “venga” means “come on”, “OK” or “bye”, depending on the moment.
It comes from the verb venir (to come), but Spaniards use it for everything: to encourage, to agree, to hurry someone up and to end conversations. Venga, hasta luego = OK, see you later.
Listen to any Spaniard on the phone and count the vengas. It’s the word we use to start, push, agree and finish. If you learn only one word from this series, make it this one.
The 6 meanings of “venga”
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Venga, tú puedes! | Come on, you can do it! (encouragement) |
| —¿Quedamos a las ocho? —Venga. | Shall we meet at eight? OK. (agreement) |
| ¡Venga, venga, que llegamos tarde! | Come on, hurry up, we’re late! (hurry) |
| Venga, hasta mañana. | OK, see you tomorrow. (goodbye) |
| ¡Venga ya! No me lo creo. | Come off it! I don’t believe it. (disbelief) |
| Venga, una caña más y nos vamos. | Go on, one more beer and we’ll leave. (persuading) |
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Put venga together with vale and you have the most Spanish phrase ever: venga, vale = OK then, deal. And the classic phone ending: Venga, vale, venga, un beso, venga, adiós. Yes, we really talk like that.
Is it rude?
No, but tone matters. ¡Venga! said fast and sharp can sound impatient (hurry up!). Said softly, it’s friendly. In Latin America you’ll hear dale or vamos much more.
Similar words and expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vale | OK (Spain) |
| Vamos | Come on / let’s go |
| Dale | OK, go ahead (Latin America) |
| ¡Ánimo! | Come on, cheer up! |
| ¡Anda ya! | Come off it! |
| Hala | Go on / wow (Spain) |
FAQ
What does “venga, vale” mean?
OK then, deal. It’s how Spaniards confirm plans.
What does “¡venga ya!” mean?
Come off it! / No way! It expresses disbelief.
Is “venga” used in Latin America?
Much less. It’s very typical of Spain. In Argentina you’ll hear dale, and in Mexico órale.
More Spanish expressions from Spain
Part of my series on real Spanish expressions, the ones Spaniards use every day and textbooks never teach:
- Estar como una cabra
- Ponerse las pilas
- Costar un ojo de la cara
- No pasa nada
- ¡Qué fuerte!
- Estar hecho polvo
- Me importa un pepino
- Ser pan comido
- Estar en las nubes
- Tomar el pelo
- Meter la pata
- Dar la lata
- Echar una mano
- En el quinto pino
- Ojalá
- Eres la leche
- Toma tomate, tómalo
👉 See all Spanish expressions from Spain
Venga, let’s get you speaking
Words like venga are tiny, but they make you sound real. Download my free guide with 100 real Spanish phrases above, and if you want to know exactly what’s stopping you from speaking, book your Spanish Speaking Roadmap call below.
— Monica Bernabe Perez
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