The Hispanic community's relationship with the term “no sabo” is reflected on social media through funny videos, bullying, self-awareness, and calls to action
“No sabo” is a term used to identify or call out Hispanic individuals who don’t speak Spanish fluently. The phrase translates to “I don’t know” in English. It has become popular within the Mexican community, but it also extends to other Hispanic communities in the United States. The phrase is also commonly used among Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha. Although the idea of not speaking fluent Spanish, or not speaking it at all, as a Latino or Hispanic person in the U.S. has always been around, the term didn’t emerge until the pandemic and the rise of social media. During the pandemic, the young population turned to TikTok for entertainment, which helped popularize the phrase.
There have been different aspects of social media related to the term, whether it’s sharing what “no sabo” means, posting funny skits, asking Hispanic friends to translate English words into Spanish, or having serious conversations about why it’s hurtful to call someone a “no sabo.”
The characteristics of a “no sabo” person through people’s experiences on social media
Funny skits are among the most popular types of content to watch online within the Hispanic community. One recurring topic is the “no sabo” term, which is often used in comedic videos to portray what would be considered a “no sabo.” This content resonates with many because it highlights common lifestyles and challenges of being a Hispanic in the U.S. Three popular Hispanic content creators include @luisitv on TikTok, and @mrchuy and @jaymendoza on Instagram.
In @luisitv’s TikTok video, he performs a skit in which he plays three different characters: a “no sabo” kid, a Hispanic uncle, and a Hispanic mother at a carne asada, which is a cookout in the Hispanic community. The skit centers on the “no sabo” kid and his inner thoughts as he tries to understand what his uncle and mother are saying in Spanish. He focuses on picking out keywords from the conversation and figuring out how to respond in Spanish. He also portrays the “no sabo” kid with a broken Spanish accent.
This video, published on Sept. 23, 2024, was among the top results when searching the term “no sabo” on TikTok, with over 62,600 likes, 393 comments and 3,572 shares. The content creator @Luisitv has 1.8 million followers and posts a variety of comedy skits, not just those related to the Hispanic community.
Similar to @luisitv, content creators @mrchuy and @jaymendoza collaborated on a video showing a Mexican street vendor and a customer. In the skit, @mrchuy plays the seller while @jaymendoza portrays the “no sabo” customer. Chuy speaks to Jay in Spanish, asking what he would like to order, while Jay tries to describe what he wants using hand gestures and broken Spanish. Chuy then tries to guess what Jay is attempting to say.
Both of these content creators have large followings, with @mrchuy having 1 million followers on Instagram and @jazmendoza having over 642,000 followers. The video has received over 19,900 likes, 262 comments and over 453,000 views.
All three of these content creators produce videos that connect with the Hispanic community, often using humor and broken Spanish accents to highlight what it means to be a Hispanic in the U.S.
Link to the Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyuFz3RP7HE/?igsh=ZGUzMzM3NWJiOQ%3D%3D
Making fun of the “no sabo” kids and the result of the bullying
Although there is a fun side to content, such as the previous skits about “no sabo” kids, there are also serious videos that discuss how the term can affect one’s identity. Often, the reason these kids don’t speak Spanish is because their parents didn’t teach them, they stopped practicing the language daily, or they grew up in the U.S., where English is the primary language and parents wanted to prevent them from facing challenges. Being called a “no sabo” can have a lasting impact on someone’s life.
In a YouTube video by KHOU 11 reporter Julissa Garza talks to different Hispanic teenagers about whether they consider themselves “no sabo” kids. The video features visuals of Hispanic households, traditional cafecito (coffee) with specific Hispanic cookies, and old pictures of the teenagers when they were younger. It also discusses how the term has been used in a derogatory way to shame those who can’t speak Spanish, but over the years, many “no sabo” kids have embraced the label. Rory Ramirez, one of the teenagers interviewed, considers himself a “no sabo,” but for him, it doesn’t mean he isn’t Latino enough. Instead, it reflects that he is Latino and motivated to practice his Spanish. This example shows that even when someone is made fun of for being a “no sabo,” it can inspire personal growth and serve as a call to action. This video was published on the KHOU 11 YouTube channel on Sept. 18, 2024, to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month with 69,366 views and approximately 1,100 likes.
TikTok content creator @ayoitsc3sar posted a video aimed at “no sabo” kids, addressing the pressure of not speaking Spanish perfectly. The video features him speaking with subtitles for every word, making a clear statement, and includes clips of landmarks in Mexico. He reassures “no sabo” kids that it is okay to speak “no sabo,” emphasizing that making an effort to communicate in Spanish is what matters, even if pronunciation isn’t perfect, as long as people understand. He closes the video by telling bullies to stop making fun of “no sabo” kids. The video was posted on Dec. 19, 2024, and as of now has over 655,900 views, approximately 119,000 likes and over 20,700 shares.
On the other hand, the YouTube podcast TODO CHIDO has a TikTok account, @todochidotv, where they post clips from their podcast episode to TikTok. On one of the episodes, they share their takes on “no sabo” kids. They cover topics such as their experiences, how bullying affects the sense of belonging in the culture, how it discourages “no sabo” kids from learning and speaking Spanish, and why parents sometimes don’t teach their children Spanish. One of the hosts focuses on the idea that parents may avoid teaching Spanish so their children can better assimilate into life in the U.S. The video shows pictures of Hispanic families with young children and even cuts back to the podcasters in a Hispanic classroom setting. As of now, the TikTok video has over 134,100 views with 7,263 likes. It was published on March 8, 2025.
After being called a “no sabo,” people take action
Many people who have been called a “no sabo” seek a call to action and decide they want to improve their Spanish, whether for the first time or after not speaking it for a while. There are different ways to learn and expand the Spanish vocabulary. One of the most popular methods across TikTok is through card games, such as Yo Sabo.
The official TikTok account for @yosabo_thegame shows how the company started promoting the game back in 2022. Through these types of videos, they engage with the Hispanic community by testing participants’ Spanish in a man-on-the-street format that feels more like a game than an interview. The concept of the game is to ask the participants, “¿Cómo se dice…in Spanish?” (which means “How do you say…in Spanish?), followed by a word in English, and the participants must guess the word in Spanish. Players compete against each other, and some cards include penalty words. If a participant guesses a penalty word, which is a slang version of the translation, they can’t guess anymore. The first person to get it right moves on, while the other player stays until they get a word right. The video’s audio and visuals, which they use throughout the game, make it fun and engaging, as viewers see participants give incorrect answers or struggle to translate words from English to Spanish. The video was posted on Oct. 2, 2025. As of now, the video has 3.9 million views, over 88,400 likes and approximately 12,500 shares.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there have been both positive and negative conversations about the term circulating for quite some time on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Within these social media platforms, users have used different types of visuals to communicate the most popular trends within the Hispanic community. Whether it’s to educate themselves on what the term means, and others to make humorous videos about how “no sabo” kids act. While others use the platform to spread awareness and learn Spanish. Conversations about “no sabo” are still ongoing, with the most recent surrounding Bad Bunny as the lead halftime performer for the NFL’s Super Bowl LX. In an SNL monologue posted on Oct.4, 2025, Bad Bunny mentioned that people have four months to learn Spanish. TikTok videos, such as makeup influencer @mannymua733, have been circulating of “no sabo” kids saying they have to learn Bad Bunny’s music in order to understand and sing along when he performs on the biggest stage in America. Going to show that this topic within the Hispanic community is still circulating as we speak.