How do you say “Bend over backwards” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Hacer lo imposible, which literally means “To do the impossible”. English speakers use bend over backwards to mean to make an extreme effort to help or please someone. Used with por or para to praise exceptional effort. It can also describe effort toward a goal that does not involve helping someone. Register: neutral, informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Hacer lo imposible
/aˈseɾ lo impoˈsiβle/
- Literal meaning
- “To do the impossible”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English bends the body beyond its normal limits. Spanish claims to do something impossible. Both exaggerate the effort.
The Spanish can cover any difficult goal. Mention the person being helped to preserve the English focus on pleasing or helping someone.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Desvivirse por alguien
Literally: “To unlive oneself for someone”
Emphasises devoted attention to another person.
Hacer todo lo posible
Literally: “To do everything possible”
A less exaggerated, neutral option.
Common translation traps
Doblarse hacia atrás
This describes bending the body, not going to great lengths to help.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
The staff bent over backwards to help us.
Spanish
El personal hizo lo imposible por ayudarnos.
English
I bent over backwards to make her feel welcome.
Spanish
Hice lo imposible para que se sintiera bienvenida.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-13