Hola, I’m Mónica, from Madrid. In Mexico something cool is padre. In Argentina it’s copado. In Spain, it mola. And if it’s really cool, it mola mazo.
How to use “molar”
Molar works like gustar: the thing that’s cool is the subject.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Esto mola. | This is cool. |
| Me mola tu chaqueta. | I like your jacket. |
| Me molan estas zapatillas. | I love these trainers. (plural → molan) |
| ¿Te mola el plan? | Are you up for the plan? |
| No me mola nada. | I don’t like it at all. |
| Mola mazo. | It’s super cool. (Madrid) |
Guay: the classic “cool”
Guay is the word everyone learns first. “¡Qué guay!” = how cool! It’s used by all ages, though teenagers find it a bit old-fashioned now. Totally safe to use.
Chulo: careful, it has two faces
- Qué chulo = how nice, how pretty: “¡Qué piso más chulo!”
- Ser un chulo = to be a show-off, cocky: “No me gusta, es muy chulo.”
- Chulapo / chulapa = the traditional Madrid character you see dressed up at San Isidro.
Flipar: when something blows your mind
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Flipo! | I can’t believe it! |
| Flipé con el concierto. | The concert blew my mind. |
| ¡Tú flipas! | You’re dreaming! / You’re crazy! |
| Es flipante. | It’s amazing. |
More ways to say cool in Spain
- Está de lujo it’s great
- Es la leche it’s amazing (more on eres la leche)
- Es la bomba it’s the bomb
- Está genial it’s great (neutral, works everywhere)
Keep going with the Madrid slang list, what tío means and estar sobao.
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What does mola mean in Spanish?
Mola is from the verb molar and means “it’s cool”. “Me mola” means I like it. It’s informal slang from Spain.
What does mola mazo mean?
It means “it’s super cool”. Mazo means “a lot” in Madrid slang.
Is guay still used in Spain?
Yes, by all ages. Teenagers may find it a bit old-fashioned, but everyone understands and uses it.
What is the difference between chulo and guay?
Guay means cool. Chulo means nice or pretty for things, but calling a person “un chulo” means they are cocky.
What does flipar mean?
To be amazed or shocked. “¡Flipo!” = I can’t believe it. “¡Tú flipas!” = you’re crazy.
— Monica Bernabe Perez
$20 symbolic price · 30 minutes · with Mónica
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