TikTok’s ‘English or Spanish’ meme trend explained

The ‘Do you speak English or Spanish’ meme is a trend that went viral on TikTok For You Pages everywhere – but many have been left confused as to what it actually means.

The question, “English or Spanish?” has taken on a different meaning since it became a popular trend in 2024.

Many of these videos have racked up millions of likes and views on the app, sparking curiosity about the origin and meaning behind this now-popular phrase.

‘English or Spanish’ TikTok trend explained

The ‘English or Spanish’ trend was started by TikToker Alfonso Pinpon, who’s amassed over 1.1 million followers for his prank videos. Basically, he approaches guys in a mall and asks: “Do you speak English or Spanish?” Once they respond, he quickly follows up by saying: “Whoever moves first is gay.”

This unexpected twist typically leads the men to freeze completely for a long time, getting into a face-off with the content creator behind the camera to prove that they’re not gay.

The trend has evolved beyond Alfonso’s original videos, with many TikTok users now preemptively freezing whenever someone asks, “English or Spanish?” – just in case it’s a setup for the prank.

While many find the trend hilarious for showing how far straight people will go to prove their sexuality, others have raised concerns about its potential homophobic undertones, suggesting it revolves around men’s fear of being seen as gay.

Despite these concerns, the phrase “English or Spanish” has been widely memed, often exaggerated to ridiculous extremes to highlight the absurdity of the challenge itself.

Other users have taken a completely different approach by refusing to freeze. Some respond to the infamous question with flamboyant dance moves to show that they’re not afraid of embracing their gay identity and to proudly prove that they’re not heterosexual.

Even streaming star IShowSpeed has hopped on the craze, asking football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic ‘English or Spanish’ during his trip to Europe. Their unexpected collaboration went viral as fans couldn’t get enough of their hilarious interaction using the meme.

This is just the latest trend to go viral on TikTok, after the ‘show your room off like a cool girl’ fad took over the app.