In short – ‘simón’ is the Spanish equivalent of ‘Simon’ (yep, the name!), but in Mexico it’s also used as a synonym of ‘yes’.
If you’re immersing yourself in Mexican culture, sooner or later you’re bound to discover that Mexican’s ADORE whimsical wordplays. They can be complete phrases made up of assonant or consonant rhymes, such as Mexican ‘refranes’ (or ‘sayings’ in English), euphemisms that vaguely sound like the word they substitute, or even completely made-up words!
‘Simón’ obviously starts with ‘si’ and, well, that was enough to turn it into a slang word for ‘yes’ … even though ‘si’ doesn’t actually mean ‘yes’(it translates as ‘if’ or ‘whether’ in English).
And the word for ‘yes’? Yep, it’s ‘sí’ WITH an accent.
Anyway, let’s find out EXACTLY how to use ‘simón’ in Mexican slang!
Uses / Meanings of ‘simón’
‘Simón’ can be used in the following ways –
- As a synonym of ‘yes’
- As a synonym of ‘of course’
- As a synonym of ‘sure’
As a synonym of ‘yes’
Although considered colloquial, ‘simón’ is so commonplace nowadays that it’s spread beyond Mexico and is now also used in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Ecuador!
It isn’t considered vulgar, however you’re unlikely to hear it being thrown around the office or other more sober environments, and that’s probably due to its origins.
One of the first mentions of ‘simón’ in Mexican literature dates all the way back to the nineteenth century and, well, at that time it was considered prison slang, so for many, MANY decades it was kinda looked down upon!
Of course, this has changed considerably over time, but some of its previous associations remain, which is why it’s usually kept out of formal conversation –
Linda – ¡Órale! ¿Tú pintaste ese cuadro?
Mel – Simón. Me encanta pintar desde que era chiquita.
Linda – Wow! Did you paint that?
Mel – Yeah. I’ve loved to paint ever since I was little.
Una conversación entre dos amigos del norte de México
Polo – Simón, carnal, te lo juro; eso era un ovni.
Marco – ¿Simón? ¡Desde que vives en la Ciudad de México suenas como todo un chilango!
A conversation between two friends from the north of Mexico
Polo – Simón, bro, I swear; that was a UFO.
Marco – Simón? Now you live in Mexico City you sound like a chilango!
*Erika’s insight – ‘simón’ has mostly been portrayed by Mexican media as being a Chilango term!
As a synonym of ‘of course’
Many people use ‘simón’ as a way of agreeing with their interlocutor, kinda like ‘of course’ in English –
Bertha – Tengo que ir al dentista, pero me da mucha ansiedad. ¿Me acompañas?
Lita – Simón, amiga. No te preocupes.
Bertha – I need to go to the dentist, but it gives me a lot of anxiety. Do you reckon you could come with me?
Lita – Of course, sis. No problem.
Jaime – ¿Crees que le guste a Paulina lo que le conseguí de regalo de cumpleaños?
Néstor – ¡Simón! Además, ella te adora; eres su hermano favorito.
Jaime – Do you think Paulina is gonna like what I got her for her birthday?
Nestor – Definitely! Besides, she adores you; you’re her favorite brother.
As a synonym of ‘sure’
Similarly, you can also use ‘simón’ in the same way you would the English word ‘sure’ (but only when expressing agreement!).
Trust me when I say that it’ll make you sound very chill!
Bren – La tarde está muy lluviosa, ¿quieres quedarte a ver pelis?
Gabo – Simón. ¿Hago palomitas?
Bren – It’s such a rainy afternoon, wanna stay in and watch movies?
Gabo – Sure. Shall I make popcorn?
Vic – ¡Mis papás adelantaron su vuelo! ¿Podemos cancelar el plan de hoy?
Faby – Simón. Lo pasamos para la próxima semana, sin problemas.
Vic – My parents moved their flight forward! Can we cancel today’s plan?
Faby – Sure thing. We can postpone until next week, no problem.
‘Simón’ pronunciation
‘Simón’ has two syllables –
- ‘Si’ sounds like the English word ‘see’
- And ‘món’ is said like ‘mohn
/ see-mohn /
Similar words / expressions to ‘simón’
Simonkey
This expression, well, it doesn’t make much sense, to be honest!
It’s a combination of ‘simón’ and the English word ‘monkey’ (it sounds like ‘sea monkey’), and it’s used in the exact same way as ‘simón’ –
Carlo – ¿De verdad te dijo eso?
Lilia – Simonkey, wey.
Carlo – Did he really tell you that?
Lilia – Absolutely, dude.
Sipirilí
This one derived from the colloquial ‘sip’ (‘yup’ in English), and was popularized by the late Mexican comedian, Capulina.
It’s pronounced like ‘see-pee-ree-lee’.
Mamá – ¿Quieres galletas?
Hija – ¡Sipirilí!
Mom – Do you want cookies?
Daughter – Yuppers!
Clarines
‘Claro’ is the word for ‘of course’ or ‘sure’ in Spanish, but in Mexico it derived into the colloquial word ‘clarines’, which in reality is the plural of ‘bugle’ (the musical instrument)!
César – ¿Arreglaste la compu tú sola?
Wen – ¡Clarines! ¿Quieres que arregle la tuya?
César – Did you fix the computer by yourself?
Wen – Of course! Do you want me to fix yours?
Final thoughts
Hopefully you’re now ready to let out a confident ‘simón’ the next time you wanna agree with one of your Mexican pals. I bet it’s gonna surprise them!
Wanna learn more fun Spanish vocab? Then make sure to check out our INSANE list of 35 super useful ways to say ‘okay’ in Spanish!
¡Hasta la próxima!
