Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| meterse en problemas | /meteɾse en pɾoblemas/ (from spelling rules) | |
| enhuevarse | /enwebaɾse/ (from spelling rules) | |
| meterse en líos | /meteɾse en lios/ (from spelling rules) | |
| engüevarse | /enɡwebaɾse/ (from spelling rules) | El Salvador |
The phrases used to express getting into trouble range from standard descriptions of facing problems to more colloquial ways of describing getting into messy or complicated situations and scrapes.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase meterse en problemas literally means 'to put oneself into problems'.
Which one should you use?
Meterse en problemas is the standard way to express the idea, whereas meterse en líos is more colloquial and often implies getting into a mess or complicated scrapes.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While meterse en problemas is a standard expression, meterse en líos is an informal way to say 'get into trouble' or 'get into a mess'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In El Salvador, you may hear the term engüevarse and in Spain, the expression llevarse un rapapolvo is used to convey the idea of getting scolded or reprimanded.
How do you pronounce it?
/meteɾse en pɾoblemas/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, getting into trouble is described using meterse en un jardín, which literally means 'to put oneself in a garden'.
- The Salvadoran slang term engüevarse for getting into a predicament is derived from the word for 'testicle'.
- The word lío in the phrase meterse en líos did not originally mean 'trouble', but referred to a 'bundle of threads' or a 'tangle'.
Examples in context
- Juan siempre se mete en problemas por no seguir las reglas.Juan always gets into trouble for not following the rules.
- María se enredó en líos al llegar tarde a la reunión.María got into trouble by arriving late to the meeting.
- ¡No te metas en líos!Don't get into trouble!
- Jorge se llevó un rapapolvo por llegar tarde otra vez.Jorge got scolded for being late again.
- Si sigues contradiciendo a tu jefa, te meterás en problemas.If you keep contradicting your boss, you'll get into trouble.
- Pedro se metió en líos por salir sin permiso.Pedro got into trouble for leaving without permission.
- ¡Deja de meterme en líos, hermano!Stop getting me into trouble, bro!
- Siempre me llevo un rapapolvo cuando llego tarde a casa.I always get scolded when I arrive late at home.
- ¡diviértete aprendiendo español y evita meterte en líos!Have fun learning Spanish and avoid getting into trouble!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get into trouble” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
