Mexico
Oaxaca
Where sixteen living languages meet mezcal and mole
Oaxaca state is home to sixteen recognized indigenous cultures including Zapotec and Mixtec, whose civilizations predated the Aztec empire by centuries. The city and its valleys are among the most culturally layered places in the Americas — and one of the world's great food destinations.
Lessons
Essential Phrases
Xquenda
Sken-da
Soul / Spirit
Zapotec concept for the animating spirit within people, animals, and places
¿Mande?
Mahn-deh
Excuse me? / Pardon?
Mexican polite form of asking someone to repeat themselves — more respectful than ¿Qué?
Provecho
Pro-veh-cho
Enjoy your meal
Said to anyone eating as you pass their table, even strangers — a genuine expression of goodwill
Quick Facts
- Language
- Spanish, Zapotec, Mixtec (and 14 others)
- Currency
- Mexican Peso (MXN)
- Population
- 295,000 (city)
- Best season
- October–April
- Pre-Columbian site
- Monte Albán (500 BC)
- Indigenous languages
- 16 recognized
- Types of mole
- 7 canonical varieties
- Mezcal production
- Over 90% of Mexico's supply
Ask anything about Oaxaca — history, customs, what to know before you go.
Start a conversationBefore You Go
💀Día de Muertos
Oaxaca's Día de Muertos (Nov 1–2) is considered one of Mexico's most authentic. Families spend the night in cemeteries with marigolds, food, and candles. It is joyful, not somber — a reunion across the living and dead.
🧶Textile traditions
Zapotec and Mixtec weaving traditions use backstrap looms with techniques unchanged for centuries. The geometric patterns carry symbolic meaning specific to each community and lineage.
2
lessons
18
minutes
2
quiz Q&A