How do you say “Cut corners” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Ahorrar a costa de la calidad, which literally means “To save at the expense of the quality”. English speakers use cut corners to mean to do something in the cheapest or quickest way, at the cost of quality. A clear descriptive equivalent when saving money harms quality. Mention time instead when rushing is the issue. Register: neutral, informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Ahorrar a costa de la calidad
/aoˈraɾ a ˈkosta de la kaliˈdad/
- Literal meaning
- “To save at the expense of the quality”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
86 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English shortens a route by cutting across corners. Spanish can name the saving and the damage to quality directly.
The main equivalent focuses on money. If the shortcut saves time, “hacer las cosas deprisa y mal” or “saltarse pasos necesarios” fits better.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Hacer las cosas deprisa y mal
Literally: “To do things quickly and badly”
Use for rushed work rather than cheap materials.
Saltarse pasos necesarios
Literally: “To skip necessary steps”
Focuses on omitting work that should have been done.
Common translation traps
Cortar esquinas
This describes cutting physical corners rather than skimping on necessary work.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
They cut corners when they built these apartments.
Spanish
Ahorraron a costa de la calidad al construir estos apartamentos.
English
We cannot cut corners on this job.
Spanish
No podemos ahorrar a costa de la calidad en este trabajo.
Related expressions
- What “Cut corners” means in English
- Go the extra mile, To make an extra effort.
- Cost an arm and a leg, To be very expensive.
Last updated 2026-09-13