How do you say “Cover your bases” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is prever todas las posibilidades, which literally means “to anticipate all the possibilities”. English speakers use cover your bases to mean to prepare for the different things that might happen or need attention. Plain wording for planning around possible problems, rather than a fixed idiom. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
prever todas las posibilidades
/pɾeˈβeɾ ˈtoðas las posiβiliˈðaðes/
- Literal meaning
- “to anticipate all the possibilities”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Spanish can state the preparation directly. The phrase fits a plan with backups for rain, delays or a technical problem.
For a simple checklist, “asegurarse de no olvidar nada” may fit better. That is about completeness rather than imagining different things that could happen.
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 booked an indoor room too, to cover our bases in case it rained.
Spanish
Quisimos prever todas las posibilidades y reservamos también una sala interior por si llovía.
English
Have we covered our bases for the trip?
Spanish
¿Hemos previsto todas las posibilidades para el viaje?
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19