“Meter la pata” means “to put your foot in it”.
Literally “to put your paw in”. You say it when you make a mistake, especially saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment: Metí la pata: le pregunté por su novia y lo habían dejado. = I put my foot in it: I asked about his girlfriend and they’d split up.
Every Spanish learner mete la pata. Every Spaniard too. The difference is that Spaniards laugh about it and move on. Here’s the expression you need for those moments, plus a few stronger versions you’ll hear in real life.
How to use “meter la pata”
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Creo que he metido la pata con tu madre. | I think I put my foot in it with your mum. |
| ¡Qué metedura de pata! | What a blunder! |
| No quiero meter la pata en la entrevista. | I don’t want to mess up in the interview. |
| Metí la pata hasta el fondo. | I really put my foot in it. |
The noun is una metedura de pata (a blunder). And to make it bigger, add hasta el fondo: metí la pata hasta el fondo.
Free download
100 Spanish phrases you will actually use
Real Spanish from Madrid, not textbook Spanish. Get the free guide straight to your inbox.
Get the free guide →Meter la pata in Spanish class
Some of the best meteduras de pata happen with false friends: saying estoy embarazada when you mean “I’m embarrassed” (it means pregnant), or estoy caliente when you’re hot (it means… something else). I collected the classics in the most embarrassing Spanish mistakes.
And remember: if you meter la pata, no pasa nada. It means you spoke.
Other ways to say “I messed up”
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Equivocarse | To make a mistake (neutral) |
| Cagarla / La he cagado | To screw up / I’ve screwed up (vulgar, very common in Spain) |
| Liarla | To mess things up (Spain, informal) |
| Meter la pata hasta el fondo | To really put your foot in it |
| Fastidiarla | To spoil it, mess it up |
| Pifiarla | To blunder (informal) |
La he liado and la he cagado are what you’ll hear most among friends in Spain. The first is safe; the second is vulgar but extremely common.
FAQ
Is “meter la pata” rude?
No, it’s informal but totally clean. You can say it at work.
What does “metedura de pata” mean?
A blunder, a gaffe. ¡Qué metedura de pata! = What a blunder!
Is it used in Latin America?
Yes, it’s understood and used everywhere.
More Spanish expressions from Spain
Part of my series on real Spanish expressions, the ones Spaniards use every day and textbooks never teach:
- Estar como una cabra
- Ponerse las pilas
- Costar un ojo de la cara
- No pasa nada
- ¡Qué fuerte!
- Estar hecho polvo
- Me importa un pepino
- Ser pan comido
- Estar en las nubes
- Tomar el pelo
- Dar la lata
- Echar una mano
- En el quinto pino
- Ojalá
- Venga
- Eres la leche
- Toma tomate, tómalo
👉 See all Spanish expressions from Spain
Mistakes are part of the deal
The people who never meten la pata in Spanish are the people who never speak it. Download my free guide with 100 real Spanish phrases above, and if you want to know exactly what’s stopping you from speaking, book your Spanish Speaking Roadmap call below.
— Monica Bernabe Perez
Learning Spanish in Australia? I taught Spanish at UWA and now teach learners all over the country, in small groups or one-to-one: Spanish classes in Perth, Spanish lessons in Sydney and Spanish classes in Adelaide.
$20 symbolic price · 30 minutes · with Mónica
Want to speak Spanish like this, not just read it?
Book your Spanish Speaking Roadmap call (symbolic price: $20). We find what is blocking you and the fastest way to start speaking real Spanish.
Book my call ($20) →