Which one should you use?
While estás quebrado often implies total insolvency or bankruptcy, other phrases describe temporary lack of funds. For example, estás sin blanca is a colloquial way to say someone is broke and no tienes un peso is an informal way to express being broke.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you want to be formal, you can use Está usted en bancarrota to say you are bankrupt or financially struggling or Está usted sin dinero to say you are without money. For informal situations, no tienes un peso is widely understood in Latin America and no tienes ni un duro is an idiomatic way to say someone is broke. The phrase estás sin blanca is a common colloquial option.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase estás sin un duro is used mainly in Spain to mean you are broke. Similarly, estás sin blanca is a colloquial expression particularly common in Spain. In Latin America, the informal phrase no tienes un peso is widely understood.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase estás quebrado, the word quebrado functions as an adjective. You must use quebrado if the person you are talking to is male and quebrada if the person is female.
Did you know?
- The word quebrado is the past participle of quebrar, which means 'to break' or 'to snap'. This makes it one of the few financial idioms where Spanish and English use the exact same physical metaphor for lacking money.
- In Spain, the phrase estás sin blanca refers to the blanca, a small silver coin used in the Middle Ages and the early modern period.
- In Spain, you might say someone is sin un duro to mean they are broke, even though the 'duro' was a specific 10-peseta coin that no longer circulates.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are looking at a menu at an expensive restaurant.
- LucíaMira los precios, Javier. Estás quebrado.Look at the prices, Javier. You're broke.
- JavierNo es cierto, tengo un poco de dinero.That's not true, I have a little money.
- LucíaNo alcanza para cenar aquí.It's not enough to dine here.
- JavierEstá bien, busquemos un lugar más barato.Alright, let's find a cheaper place.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
