ponerse las pilas
/poˌneɾse las ˈpilas/
To step up your game in Spanish is to ponerse las pilas.
This phrase can be used to encourage someone to work harder or to warn them that they need to improve their performance to avoid failure.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ponerse las pilas means 'to put in one's batteries'.
Which one should you use?
While ponerse las pilas is a common way to express this, you can also use Sube el nivel to mean 'raise the level' or Ponle más ganas to mean 'put more effort'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ponerse las pilas is an informal expression commonly used in casual conversation or among peers. For a formal situation, you should use Mejora tu desempeño, which means 'improve your performance'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When telling someone directly to 'step up your game', you use the imperative form ponte las pilas.
How do you pronounce it?
/poˌneɾse las ˈpilas/
Did you know?
- While ponerse las pilas means to step up your game, the word pilas is also used in some Spanish-speaking countries as slang for 'money'.
- The word pilas in this phrase comes from the Latin word for 'column' or 'pillar', which eventually evolved to describe the cylindrical shape of early battery cells.
- In certain regions, saying está pilas describes a person who is naturally alert, sharp or quick-witted, rather than someone who is just working hard.
Examples in context
- El equipo necesita ponerse las pilas para ganar el torneo.The team needs to step up its game to win the tournament.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ponerse las pilas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries las, ponerse las pilas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
