How do you say “Kick the bucket” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is estirar la pata, which literally means “to stretch out the leg or paw”. English speakers use kick the bucket to mean to die, expressed in a joking or deliberately blunt way. Keep it for jokes or comic stories, not for comforting someone after a death. Register: informal. Usage frequency: occasional.
Closest natural Spanish
estirar la pata
/estiˈɾaɾ la ˈpata/
- Literal meaning
- “to stretch out the leg or paw”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- occasional
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
“Estirar la pata” fits comic storytelling or someone joking about their own death. It can sound disrespectful, so it isn't a gentle way to announce a loss.
English also uses “kick the bucket” about machines. For those, a direct phrase such as “dejar de funcionar” is often clearer in Spanish.
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?
morir
Literally: “to die”
The direct neutral verb.
pasar a mejor vida
Literally: “to pass to a better life”
A softer euphemism that may also be used humorously; its tone depends on context.
In context
English
He joked that he wanted to visit Rome before he kicked the bucket.
Spanish
Bromeó diciendo que quería visitar Roma antes de estirar la pata.
English
The old pirate kicks the bucket in the final chapter.
Spanish
El viejo pirata estira la pata en el último capítulo.
Related expressions
- What “Kick the bucket” means in English
- Call it a day, To stop for the day, or stop altogether.
- Under the weather, Mildly unwell.
Last updated 2026-09-16