How do you say “Have skin in the game” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is tener algo propio en juego, which literally means “to have something of your own in play”. English speakers use have skin in the game to mean to have something personal at risk in the outcome. Built on “en juego”, meaning at stake. It makes the personal risk clear without copying the English skin image. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
tener algo propio en juego
/teˈneɾ ˈalɣo ˈpɾopjo en ˈxweɣo/
- Literal meaning
- “to have something of your own in play”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
The word “propio” matters: the person risks something of their own. Without it, the sentence might describe only a general concern about the outcome.
Money is one possible stake, but a reputation can also be at risk. The examples name both so the phrase does not sound like vague enthusiasm.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I have skin in the game: my savings are paying for the café.
Spanish
Tengo algo propio en juego: mis ahorros están financiando la cafetería.
English
She has skin in the game because her reputation depends on the project.
Spanish
Ella tiene algo propio en juego, porque su reputación depende del proyecto.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01