te estás pasando
/te estas pasando/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you're doing too much" can be translated into Spanish as te estás pasando.
The phrase is used to describe someone who is being excessive, or someone who is being "extra" in their actions. It is also used to tell someone that they are overstepping social boundaries.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, te estás pasando means "you are passing yourself," where the reflexive verb pasarse is used to mean exceeding a limit.
Which one should you use?
While te estás pasando uses the continuous form to describe an ongoing state of being excessive, you can use te pasaste to emphasize that a specific, completed action was excessive. In terms of subject, you can change the reflexive pronoun from te to se to create se está pasando, which means "he/she/it is doing too much".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the informal expression Te estás pasando de lanza can be used to indicate that someone is going too far or overdoing things.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, saying te pasaste can actually be a compliment, meaning you have exceeded all expectations or performed a task with surprising excellence.
- In Mexico, the phrase te estás pasando de lanza literally mentions a 'lance' or 'spear'. It is used today to describe someone being 'extra' or overstepping boundaries without any actual weapons involved.
- Because it is based on the concept of a boundary or a line, saying te estás pasando can be accompanied by a hand gesture mimicking a line being crossed in the air.
Examples in context
- Te estás pasando con esos comentarios.You're going too far with those comments.
- Oye, te estás pasando con la broma.Hey, you're overdoing it with the joke.
- Creo que te estás pasando de la raya.I think you are crossing the line.
Example conversation
Alejandro is teasing Sofía too much about a mistake she made.
- AlejandroSolo estoy bromeando un poco, Sofía.I'm just joking around a bit, Sofia.
- SofíaYa basta, Alejandro, te estás pasando.Enough already, Alejandro, you're doing too much.
- AlejandroLo siento, no pensé que te molestara.I'm sorry, I didn't think it would bother you.
- SofíaEstá bien, pero no lo vuelvas a hacer.It's okay, but don't do it again.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
