Cuida tu lenguaje
/kwida tu lenɡwaxe/from spelling rules
To say "watch your language" in Spanish, you use Cuida tu lenguaje.
An idiomatic alternative is Mide tus palabras, which literally means "Measure your words".
Did you know?
- To tell someone to stop swearing specifically, Spanish speakers often use the phrase No digas palabrotas, which literally means 'do not say big words'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, telling someone Mide tus palabras acts as a heavy social warning, implying that their words are causing actual harm or offense.
- While lenguaje refers to the general faculty of speech, Spanish speakers use lengua to refer to a specific national language, such as la lengua española.
Examples in context
- Ten cuidado con tu lenguaje, por favor. Podemos mantener una conversación respetuosa sin recurrir a palabras ofensivas.Watch your language, please. We can have a respectful conversation without using offensive words.
- Cuida tu lenguaje, amigo/a. Podemos divertirnos sin faltar al respeto.Care/watch your language, my friend. We can have fun without being disrespectful.
Example conversation
Daniel is using slang at a formal dinner with Sofía.
- DanielEsto está muy mal hecho, ¡qué asco!This is very badly done, how gross!
- SofíaDaniel, cuida tu lenguaje delante de los invitados.Daniel, watch your language in front of the guests.
- DanielLo siento, me olvidé de dónde estábamos.I'm sorry, I forgot where we were.
- SofíaEstá bien, solo ten más cuidado.It's okay, just be more careful.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
