Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| meter en el mismo saco | /meteɾ en el mismo sako/ (from spelling rules) |
| agrupar | /aɡɾuˈpaɾ/ |
To lump together is used when putting items together. You can also use juntar en un solo grupo to mean group together.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase meter en el mismo saco literally means to put in the same sack.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction in how you group things. Use meter en el mismo saco when you want to express the idiomatic sense of unfairly grouping different things together. In contrast, agrupar is a neutral term for grouping items or to group/cluster, without that negative connotation. If you want to emphasize bringing elements into a single set, you can use the formal phrase juntar en un solo conjunto.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal, academic or professional contexts, agrupar is more appropriate than the idiomatic meter en el mismo saco. For an informal way to express the idea, use meter todo junto.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'lumped together' in the preterite tense using the idiom, use metió en el mismo saco for he/she/it lumped together or metieron en el mismo saco for they lumped together.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Necesitamos juntar en un solo conjunto todos los documentos relacionados.We need to lump together all the related documents into a single set.
- Vamos a meter todo junto en esta caja para facilitar el transporte.Let's lump everything together in this box to make transportation easier.
- No puedes meter en el mismo saco todos los problemas.You cannot lump all the problems together.
- No hay que meter en el mismo saco a los buenos y los malos.One shouldn't lump the good and the bad together.
- No me gusta que me quieran meter en el mismo saco que a su hermano.I don't like it when you try to lump me together with your brother.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are discussing different types of music.
- MaríaMe gusta todo el pop y el rock.I like all pop and rock.
- MateoNo puedes meter en el mismo saco esos dos géneros, María.You cannot lump those two genres together, María.
- MaríaTienes razón, son muy diferentes.You are right, they are very different.
- MateoExacto, cada uno tiene su propio estilo.Exactly, each one has its own style.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lump together” translations and entries meter en el mismo saco, agrupar, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agrupar, el, en, meter, meter en el mismo saco, mismo, saco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
