meterse en ello
/meteɾse en eʝo/from spelling rules
The phrase "get into it" in Spanish is translated as meterse en ello.
meterse en ello is used to describe becoming involved in a situation, a task or a topic of conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive verb meterse (to put oneself/to enter) and the pronoun ello (it/that).
Which one should you use?
Use Engancharse if you mean getting hooked on something, or Enamorarse de algo if you are informally expressing that you are getting intensely into something. For a more colloquial way to say you are getting into a specific thing, use Meterse en algo.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because meterse is a reflexive verb, the pronoun must change to match the subject (e.g., me meto en ello for "I get into it").
How do you pronounce it?
/meteɾse en eʝo/
Did you know?
- While meterse describes getting involved, the word meter literally means 'to put' or 'to insert'. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying no te metas is a sharp way to tell someone to mind their own business.
- The pronoun ello is a direct descendant of the Latin neuter pronoun illud. This neuter form has largely disappeared from most modern Romance languages except for specific uses in Spanish.
- The pronoun ello used in meterse en ello is a neuter pronoun that is rarely used in spoken conversation. In everyday speech, speakers often replace it with eso to sound more natural.
Examples in context
- Es importante que te involucres en el proyectoIt is important that you get involved in the project
- Me enganché con esa serie de televisiónI got hooked on that TV series
- Decidí meterme en el mundo de la fotografíaI decided to get into the world of photography
- No es fácil meterse en ello de golpe.It is not easy to get into it all at once.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are discussing a complicated family argument.
- LucíaNo deberías meterse en ello, Javier.You shouldn't get into it, Javier.
- JavierPero quiero ayudar a mi hermano.But I want to help my brother.
- LucíaSolo causarás más problemas.You will only cause more problems.
- JavierTienes razón, no voy a meterse en ello.You're right, I'm not going to get into it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ello, en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
