How do you say “Give someone a piece of your mind” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is cantarle las cuarenta a alguien, which literally means “to sing someone the forty”. English speakers use give someone a piece of your mind to mean to tell someone angrily and directly what you think of their behaviour. Especially familiar in Spain. A direct description may be clearer for a wider audience. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
cantarle las cuarenta a alguien
/kanˈtaɾle las kwaˈɾenta a ˈalɣjen/
- Literal meaning
- “to sing someone the forty”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
89 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
“Cantar las cuarenta” means giving someone a strong telling-off. The number belongs to the expression; it doesn't count the complaints.
“Decirle unas cuantas verdades” is another blunt option. Use “le” for one person receiving the criticism and “les” for several. Neither phrase is a calm exchange of opinions.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 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?
decirle a alguien cuatro verdades
Literally: “to tell someone four truths”
Another blunt expression for unwelcome criticism.
decirle a alguien lo que uno piensa
Literally: “to tell someone what one thinks”
This can be calm or angry, so make the speaker's mood clear.
In context
English
She gave him a piece of her mind about his behaviour.
Spanish
Le cantó las cuarenta por su comportamiento.
English
I'm going to give the manager a piece of my mind.
Spanish
Voy a decirle al gerente unas cuantas verdades.
Related expressions
- What “Give someone a piece of your mind” means in English
- Fly off the handle, Suddenly lose your temper.
- Get something off your chest, Talk about something that is bothering you.
Last updated 2026-09-16