no te metas
/no te metas/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'none of your business' can be translated into Spanish as no te metas.
These phrases are used to tell someone to stop interfering in a matter that does not concern them. ¡No te metas! is often used as an imperative command to tell someone to stop meddling or interfering.
Which one should you use?
While no te metas tells someone to stop meddling, other forms focus on the matter itself. No es asunto tuyo or No es de su incumbencia translate to 'it is not your affair' or 'it is not your concern'. For a more specific legal or professional tone, No es de su competencia means 'it is not within your jurisdiction'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, No es asunto tuyo is a common way to say 'none of your business'.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are telling a group of people to stay out of your business, use no se metan.
How do you pronounce it?
/no te metas/
Did you know?
- While no te metas is common, a very blunt and colloquial way to say this in Spain is no te metas en camisas de noche, meaning 'do not get into nightgowns'.
- In Spanish, the word negocio actually refers to 'business' in the sense of commerce or trade, so using it to mean 'personal affairs' can sound slightly unnatural to native speakers.
- The verb in no te metas comes from meter, which means 'to put' or 'to place'. Literally, you are telling the person 'do not put yourself' into the situation.
Examples in context
- «¡Eh! ¿Qué está pasando aquí? Déjale marchar.» «Tú no te metas, que no es asunto tuyo.»"Hey, what's going on here? Let him go." "Stay out of it, this is none of your business."This example shows how to use no te metas to tell someone to stay out of a situation.Tatoeba #10038247 by Shishir, translation #10127470 by DJ_Saidez
- No es asunto suyo. Es algo privado.None of your business. It's something private.
- No te incumbe. Es mi vida amorosa.None of your business. It's my love life.
- ¡No te metas en mi vida!Don't interfere in my life!
- No te metas, es un asunto privado.Don't interfere, it is a private matter.
Example conversation
A woman is questioning a man about his personal finances.
- AlejandroElena, ¿por qué no me quieres decir cuánto ganas?Elena, why don't you want to tell me how much you earn?
- ElenaNo te metas, Alejandro, no es tu asunto.Don't interfere, Alejandro, it is none of your business.
- AlejandroSolo quería ayudarte con tus ahorros.I only wanted to help you with your savings.
- ElenaGracias, pero no te metas.Thanks, but don't interfere.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
