Sale
OK, deal, sounds good — Mexico's word for sealing a plan.
Related lesson: Everyday Phrases Textbooks Never Teach.
Hear it in context
—¿Nos vemos a las ocho? —Sale.
—See you at eight? —Sounds good.
Sale, yo llevo las cervezas.
Deal, I'll bring the beer.
Vamos por unos tacos al rato, ¿sale?
Let's go get some tacos in a bit, OK?
Sale, pues. Nos vemos mañana.
Alright then. See you tomorrow.
What It Actually Means
Sale is how Mexicans say “OK”, “deal”, “sounds good” — the little word that seals a plan. Literally it’s just salir in the third person (“it comes out”), with the figurative sense of “that works out”. Where Spain closes an agreement with vale (see the vale entry), Mexico answers sale.
Common Constructions
- Sale alone — full agreement in one word.
- ¿Sale? at the end of a proposal — “OK?”, inviting the other person to sign off.
- Sale, pues — “alright then”, a friendly conversation-closer.
- Sale y vale — a playful, emphatic “it’s a deal”, rhyming Mexico’s word with Spain’s.
Where Textbooks Get It Wrong
Textbooks offer de acuerdo or está bien, which are correct but stiff for making plans with friends. And vale — the one many learners arrive with — is understood everywhere in Mexico but instantly flags you as having learned your Spanish in Spain. Sale is the native move.
Common Pitfall
Context decides between slang sale and literal sale: “El camión sale a las ocho” just means the bus leaves at eight. Register-wise, sale is informal but completely harmless — fine with coworkers and taxi drivers alike, though in formal writing you’d still use de acuerdo.