How do you say “Bring home the bacon” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is ganarse las habichuelas, which literally means “to earn the beans”. English speakers use bring home the bacon to mean to earn the money needed to support a household. An informal Spanish food image for earning a living. It is not a general phrase for winning. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
ganarse las habichuelas
/ɡaˈnaɾse las aβiˈtʃwelas/
- Literal meaning
- “to earn the beans”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
The beans stand for everyday food and the money needed to buy it. A modest job can be enough to “ganarse las habichuelas”.
For a simpler, more neutral version, use “ganarse la vida”. Neither version needs to suggest that one person is the only earner.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I work nights to bring home the bacon while my partner studies.
Spanish
Trabajo de noche para ganarme las habichuelas mientras mi pareja estudia.
English
Her small bakery brings home the bacon for the whole family.
Spanish
Con su pequeña panadería se gana las habichuelas y mantiene a toda la familia.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01