In short – ’sobres’ is an extremely common Mexican slang word used to express contempt, agreement, and excitement (yes, it really runs the gamut!).
You’ll either hear it used as an interjection (i.e., NOT within a sentence), or as part of a phrase (for example – ‘Ando sobres con el pan’). It´s also the plural form of the noun ‘sobre’ or ‘envelope’.
The noun ‘un sobre’ is ‘an envelope’ (of the white, letter-shaped variety).
Quiero un sobre blanco, por favor.
I want a white envelope, please.
Tread carefully though, because if you´re in Mexico the plural form ‘sobres’ could well mean something other than ‘envelopes’ in certain contexts …
In the following examples, notice how the word ‘sobres’ is grammatically independent from the sentence itself. This is because it can also be used as an interjection.
As an interjection, ‘sobres’ basically expresses a feeling, and it can be one of excitement, agreement and even disdain.
Expressing excitement
¿Van a darnos todo esto de comer? ¡Sobres!
Are they going to give us all this food? Wow!
Expressing agreement
Arturo – Vamos a tomarnos una cerveza.
María – ¡Sobres!
Arturo – Let´s go get a beer.
María – Ok, let´s go!
Expressing disdain
No quiere compartir su comida. ¡Sobres!
He doesn´t want to share his food. Alright then!
Uses / Meaning of ‘Sobres’ in Spanish
The word ‘sobres’ can be used in the following ways –
- As the plural form of the noun ‘sobre’ (‘envelope’)
- As an interjection used to express excitement, agreement, or disdain.
As the plural form of the noun ‘sobre’
If you´re one of the distinguished few that still send letters, then this word is sure to come in handy!
The words ‘sobre’ (singular) or ‘sobres’ (plural) mean ‘envelope(s)‘.
As an interjection used to express excitement, agreement, or disdain
Interjections can be tricky, especially if you´re just getting to grips with a language, as the same word can often express different feelings and emotions.
‘Sobres’ as in interjection is no exception (bit of rhyme for y’all) as it can be used to express an array of different emotions, from excitement to disdain.
If in doubt, listen carefully to the context and study the facial expression of your interlocuter, it’s sure to give you a nudge in the right direction!
Expressing disdain
Pedro – Invitaste a todos excepto yo. ¡Sobres!
Raúl – Perdón, amigo, era una reunión familiar.
Pedro – You invited everyone apart from me. Damn!
Raúl – Sorry, bro, it was a family get-together.
Expressing both excitement and agreement
Arturo – Vamos a hacerle una fiesta a Juan. ¿Quieres llevar la botana?
Alejandro – ¡Sobres! Sí, yo llevo las botanas.
Arturo – We´re going to throw a party for John. Do you wanna bring the snacks?
Alejandro – Right on! Yeah, I´ll bring the snacks.
Expressing excitement
Ramón – Si te gusta, te lo regalo.
Danté – ¡Sobres!
Ramón – If you like it, I´ll give it to you.
Danté – Yay!
‘Ponerse sobres’ meaning
The expression ‘ponerse sobres’ is used to tell someone that they should hurry up and do something because the time is ripe!
It´s a bit like the English ‘to get at it’.
Raúl – ¡Híjole! ¿Están regalando premios en la compra de una botella?
Paola – ¡Ponte sobres! Aún quedan muchos premios.
Raúl – Wow! Are they giving away prizes if you buy a bottle of liquor?
Paola – Get at it! There are still loads of prizes.
Erika’s top tip – ‘híjole’ is a super common Mexican interjection used to convey a whole range of emotions. In the above context it translates to something along the lines of ‘wow’.
‘Andar sobres’ meaning
‘Andar sobres’ means that you´re intent on doing something and don´t have any intention of stopping.
It can often be translated as ‘to be after someone / something’.
Alma – Tengo mucha hambre … ando sobres con el pan.
Benito – Bueno, pero deja un poco para los demás.
Alma – I´m so hungry … I´m literally going to devour the bread.
Benito – Ok, but leave a bit for everyone else.
Omar – Creo que Paco anda sobres con la vecina … ¿cómo ves?
Fernanda – Sí, no han dejado de platicar con ella desde que se sentó en su mesa.
Omar – I think Paco’s after the neighbor … what do you reckon?
Fernanda – Yeah, they haven´t stopped talking since she sat down at the table.
‘Sobres’ pronunciation
The word ‘sobres’ is fairly easy to pronounce as it doesn’t contain any sounds different from those found in English.
The ‘so’ is said like ‘soh’ and the ‘bres’ like ‘brehs’.
/ soh·brehs /
Final thoughts
No matter how ‘chilango’ (a slang term for those who live in Mexico City) you feel, slang is easier to learn if you´ve already reached an intermediate level. It is, however, important to grasp the meaning of words like ‘sobres’ because they often pop up at the least expected moment.
With a little bit of practice and tons of prompts, you´re sure to master ‘sobres’ in no time at all; you´ll even be able to whip it out when courting that latin@ neighbor!
Oh, and if you wanna learn more Mexican Spanish, definitely check out our article on ALL the different Mexican euphemisms! It’s pretty darn epic!
¡Hasta pronto!