How do you say “Keep an eye on” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Estar pendiente de, which literally means “To be hanging from”. English speakers use keep an eye on to mean watch someone or something carefully to make sure they are safe or doing the right thing. A natural option for looking after someone or monitoring something over time. It need not mean staring continuously. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Estar pendiente de
/esˈtaɾ penˈdjente de/
- Literal meaning
- “To be hanging from”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English lends an eye to the task. Spanish uses “pendiente”, whose physical sense is hanging, to describe someone’s attention.
The Spanish can sound caring or practical. It also covers waiting attentively for news, which is broader than watching over an object.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Vigilar
Literally: “To watch”
Stronger monitoring, especially for danger, security or behaviour.
Echar un ojo a
Literally: “To throw an eye at”
Informal; often suggests a quick check rather than ongoing supervision.
Common translation traps
Mantener un ojo sobre
This copies the English structure instead of using an ordinary Spanish expression for monitoring.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
Can you keep an eye on the soup while I answer the door?
Spanish
¿Puedes estar pendiente de la sopa mientras abro la puerta?
English
I’ll keep an eye on your bag while you get a coffee.
Spanish
Estaré pendiente de tu bolso mientras vas por un café.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-13