This word should be used with masculine articles and adjectives. This masculine noun should come with disclaimers, because it can be taken as an inappropriate comment and you want to be sure you are showing the kind of respect you would wish for from someone else. It is best to use the instance bato with the b sounding at the beginning instead of the Spanish vato if you are unsure. While vato is used in some cultures to mean homeboy, in others it is considered an expletive, and an obscene label for a man. However, bato is simply a friendly term used among male friends. Vato’s femine counterpart vata refers to prostitutes or a female who owes someone money. While these both started as a shortening of the Spanish chivato, a term which is rooted in street slang of the ’40s that referred to an informant, or snitch in gang and crime life, the word vato is more associated with gang history and a bad boy.

There is a difference between vato and bato. There is also a song called “Vato” by Snoop Dogg featuring B-Real and Pharrel.

You might hear the word vato in phrases like the following: órale vato, que pasó vato, ese vato, young vato, and more. This word has been used in print since at least 1992 in the San Diego Reader, which referred to the term meaning a guy, a friend, or a word that can be used in place of loco or chiflado to call someone crazy in an endearing or complimentary way. The word vato and variation of bato were first seen on Urban Dictionary in October 2006. This Mexican slang term is used frequently in Northwest Mexico and places like Baja California. Both of these terms are only used with males. Sometimes vato can be seen as vulgar and offensive in comparison to bato. According to Dictionary, vato or bato is a Spanish slang term that means buddy, guy, or dude.

Vato o bato en mexico