In Mexico, nicknames are popularly used by everyone.Teachers use nicknames for their students, often referring to them as “cariños” (sweetheart) and “preciosas” (precious).Students often use the nickname “profe” (professor) for their teachers.Parents often refer to their children or other loved ones as “gordo or gordito” (fatty) or “muñeca” (doll).Lovers may call each other “amor” (love) or “reina or rey” (queen or king).Friends make up all kinds of crazy nicknames for each other – Bomba (bomb), Negro (dark-skinned), Gordo (fatty), Güey (dude), Primo/a (cousin), and Güero/a (light-skinned).The ending “-ito” (for males) or “-ita” (for females) is a modifier that means something is small in size and can be added to the end of many nicknames.It is typically used for children’s nicknames or the elderly, such as “abuelito/a” (little grandpa/grandma).
