How to Say “Keep Up With the Times” in Spanish

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estar al día
/estaɾ al dia/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'keep up with the times' is translated into Spanish as estar al día.
Estar al día is also the standard way to say that one is up to date with news, information or trends.
Meaning: Translations (verb)

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase estar al día literally translates to 'to be at the day'.

Which one should you use?

If you want to express the opposite idea of failing to keep up or falling behind, use quedarse atrás.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Mexico and Peru, the expression Estar al corriente is used to mean 'to be up to date'. In Spain, Estar a la última is used to highlight being up to date with the latest trends, while No quedarse obsoleto is used to emphasize avoiding obsolescence and staying relevant.

How does it change in a sentence?

To specify what you are keeping up with, use the preposition con after the phrase, forming estar al día con.

Did you know?

  • In some contexts, estar al día can refer to financial status, meaning a person has paid all their bills and owes no money.
  • The Spanish verb estar has a strange history where its past tense forms were borrowed from the verb tener, which means 'to have'.

Examples in context

  • Deberías leer los periódicos para estar al día.
    You should read the newspapers in order to keep up with the times.
    This sentence shows how to use estar al día to express the necessity of reading newspapers to stay informed.
    Tatoeba #970731 by hundo, translation #264136 by CK
  • Luis siempre está a la moda. Sabe cuáles son las últimas tendencias en música y moda.
    Luis is always keeping up with the times, he knows the latest trends in music and fashion.
  • Si quieres ser competitivo en la industria tecnológica, no te puedes quedar atrás. Debes estar al tanto de las últimas innovaciones.
    If you want to be competitive in the technology industry, you can't be left behind. You need to be aware of the latest innovations.
  • Es difícil estar al día con la tecnología.
    It is difficult to keep up with technology.
  • Ella estudia mucho para estar al día con las noticias.
    She studies a lot to keep up with the news.

Example conversation

María and Alejandro are discussing their work routine.

  1. María

    Necesito leer más para estar al día en el trabajo.
    I need to read more to keep up with work.
  2. Alejandro

    Tienes razón, María, la información cambia rápido.
    You are right, María, information changes fast.
  3. María

    ¿Tú cómo haces para estar al día?
    How do you keep up with things?
  4. Alejandro

    Yo escucho podcasts mientras conduzco.
    I listen to podcasts while I drive.

Sources

  • IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
  • Word origins: Wiktionary entries día, estar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  • Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
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Kyle Todd
Kyle ToddHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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