¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan! – Translations & Meanings in English

Definition¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan! is a popular Mexican slang phrase that expresses surprise, admiration, astonishment or excitement about an object or situation. Even though this expression doesn’t have a direct translation in English, it’s close in meaning to ‘Oh my God’, ‘No way’ or ‘Bless my soul’. 

What Does ‘¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan!’ Means?

  • Translation #1: ‘Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan’ means ‘no way’, ‘Oh my God’ or ‘bless my soul’. 

How and When to use ‘¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan!’

  • To express surprise, excitement or astonishment. Mexican speakers use ‘ay, Paplantla, tus hijos vuelan’ as an informal and funny way to express their surprise, admiration, astonishment or excitement about a situation or object. This expression can be translated as ‘no way’, ‘oh my god’ or ‘bless my soul’. 

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Examples on How to Use ‘¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan!’

Here are some examples of how to use this slang expression in real-life situations. 

Expressing surprise, excitement or astonishment 

Notice that you can use ‘ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan’ as a way to respond to someone’s statement, but also to talk about a surprising or exciting situation. 

¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan! ¿Ya viste que baratos están los boletos?
No way! Did you already see how cheap the tickets are?

Me compré un coche que ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan, está muy chid
I bought a car that oh my God, it’s very cool

SpanishEnglish
Tu amigo: El sábado va a haber una fiesta en mi casaYour friend: There’s going to be a party at my house on Saturday. 
Tú: ¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan! ¿A qué hora?You: No way! What time? 

Who Can You Use ‘¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan!’ With?

In Mexico, this expression is very popular. However, Make sure to use it only in informal situations. 

Synonyms: 2 Ways To Say ‘¡Ay, Papantla, tus hijos vuelan!’

  • No manches → It’s another popular Mexican phrase that people use to express their surprise or excitement about a situation. Keep in mind that ‘no manches’ may have other slang meanings. 
  • Dios mío → It’s the direct translation of ‘Oh my God’, as a result, it’s one of the most standard ways to express surprise, excitement or astonishment.
  • Ándale Ándale is a Mexican informal word that people use to express surprise. It can be translated as ‘Geez’ or ‘Oh my God’. 

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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