How do you say “Have it both ways” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is tener que optar por lo uno o lo otro, which literally means “to have to choose one thing or the other”. English speakers use have it both ways to mean to get the benefits of two incompatible choices. A plain rendering of “you can’t have it both ways”. It explains the choice instead of copying the English wording. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
tener que optar por lo uno o lo otro
/teˈneɾ ke opˈtaɾ poɾ lo ˈuno o lo ˈotɾo/
- Literal meaning
- “to have to choose one thing or the other”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
84 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
This works when you need to tell someone that both benefits are not available together. Name the options so the warning feels specific.
For “he wants it both ways”, “quiere las dos cosas” means he wants both things. The surrounding sentence must establish the conflict.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 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
You want complete privacy but a public fan club; you can't have it both ways.
Spanish
Quieres total privacidad, pero también un club de fans público; tienes que optar por lo uno o lo otro.
English
He wants to keep the car and spend the money from selling it. He wants it both ways.
Spanish
Quiere quedarse con el coche y gastar el dinero de su venta. Quiere las dos cosas.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01