How do you say “Close, but no cigar” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Casi, pero no, which literally means “Almost, but no”. English speakers use close, but no cigar to mean almost successful or correct, but not quite. A short, conversational response to a near miss. The tone can be playful or blunt. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Casi, pero no
/ˈkasi ˈpeɾo no/
- Literal meaning
- “Almost, but no”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
“Casi, pero no” is ordinary Spanish wording rather than a separate image-based idiom. It tells the listener that being close was not enough.
With a guess, you can follow it with the right answer. After a narrow defeat, a sympathetic tone helps it sound less like mockery.
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.
In context
English
We lost the final by one point: close, but no cigar.
Spanish
Perdimos la final por un punto: casi, pero no.
English
You guessed 1984; it was 1985. Close, but no cigar.
Spanish
Has dicho 1984; fue en 1985. Casi, pero no.
Related expressions
- What “Close, but no cigar” means in English
- Miss the boat, To be too late for an opportunity.
Last updated 2026-10-01