How do you say “Can't hold a candle to” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is no llegarle a alguien ni a la suela de los zapatos, which literally means “not to reach even the soles of someone's shoes”. English speakers use can't hold a candle to to mean to be nowhere near as good as someone or something. A colourful Spanish equivalent for a very large gap in ability or quality. It can sound cutting. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
no llegarle a alguien ni a la suela de los zapatos
/no ʝeˈɣaɾle a ˈalɣjen ni a la ˈswela ðe los saˈpatos/
- Literal meaning
- “not to reach even the soles of someone's shoes”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Spanish sets the weaker side below the other person’s shoes. “No le llego ni a la suela de los zapatos” is a strong way to praise someone over yourself.
It can compare films too. Use it carefully about people who are present, since it may embarrass the person being ranked lower.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I can cook, but I can't hold a candle to my sister.
Spanish
Sé cocinar, pero no le llego a mi hermana ni a la suela de los zapatos.
English
The remake can't hold a candle to the original film.
Spanish
La nueva versión no le llega ni a la suela de los zapatos a la película original.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01