vete a la mierda
/bete a la mjeɾda/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'vaffanculo' in Spanish is vete a la mierda.
vete a la mierda is a vulgar expression used to tell someone to go away or to express strong anger.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'go to the shit'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
vete a la mierda is highly vulgar and should only be used in informal or angry contexts.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use vaffanculo in Spanish. That word is actually Italian. Use vete a la mierda instead.
Did you know?
- If you find yourself in a heated argument in Mexico, using vete a la mierda might be replaced by the slightly more common but equally vulgar vete a la chingada.
- The word mierda shares the same root as the obsolete English word 'merd', which once referred to the same unpleasant substance.
- Even though the phrase is highly vulgar, the word 'mierda' is also used in Spanish idioms to describe a person who is completely useless or a situation that has gone completely wrong.
Examples in context
- Vete a la mierda, no quiero verte.Go to hell, I don't want to see you.
- ¡Vete a la mierda con tus mentiras!Go to hell with your lies!
Example conversation
A heated argument between two ex-partners in a street.
- Lucía¡Vete a la mierda, Javier!Go to hell, Javier!
- Javier¡No me hables así, Lucía!Don't talk to me like that, Lucía!
- Lucía¡Es que me tienes harta!I am just fed up with you!
- JavierEstá bien, me voy.Fine, I'm leaving.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, la, mierda, vete a la mierda, CC BY-SA 4.0.
