vérselas y deseárselas
/ˌbeɾselas i deseˈaɾselas/
To struggle in Spanish is to say vérselas y deseárselas. It is also spelled verse y desearse. Wiktionary also lists pasarlas negras and pasarlas moradas.
Meaning: to have difficulty with something (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vérselas y deseárselas | /ˌbeɾselas i deseˈaɾselas/ | |
| verse y desearse | /beɾse i deseaɾse/ (from spelling rules) | alternative form |
| pasarlas negras | /pasaɾlas neɡɾas/ (from spelling rules) | |
| pasarlas moradas | /pasaɾlas moɾadas/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrases provided are used to describe the act of having difficulty or struggling through a situation. You can also use the idiom Luchar contra viento y marea when you want to say someone is fighting against all odds.
Which one should you use?
Pasarlas moradas and pasarlas negras are often used interchangeably to describe struggling through a difficult situation, but pasarlas negras is generally more intense, implying a period of extreme hardship or suffering.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbeɾselas i deseˈaɾselas/
Did you know?
- The word luchar comes from the same root as the word for 'wrestling', framing the act of struggling as a physical combat sport.
- The expression vérselas y deseárselas implies a certain level of resourcefulness or wit used to overcome a struggle, rather than just the pain of the experience.
- Unlike English, where 'struggle' is often a standalone verb, Spanish frequently uses colorful descriptors like 'black' or 'purple' to quantify the intensity of the hardship.
Examples in context
- El concursante enfrentó una gran lucha durante la competencia.The contestant faced a great struggle during the competition.
- ¡Qué batalla fue llegar hasta aquí!What a struggle it was to get here!
- Arreglar la situación fue todo un percal.Fixing the situation was quite a struggle.
- No te imaginas la bronca que tuve para encontrar el lugar.You can't imagine the struggle I had to find the place.
- Eché todas las ganas para superar el obstáculoI put in all the effort to overcome the obstacle
- Puse el alma en este proyecto y logramos superar todas las dificultadesI put my soul into this project, and we managed to overcome all the difficulties
- Lograron su éxito luchando contra viento y mareaThey achieved their success by fighting against all odds
Sources
- Wiktionary, “struggle” translations and entries vérselas y deseárselas, verse y desearse, pasarlas negras, pasarlas moradas, 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.
