How do you say “Lose your marbles” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is perder la chaveta, which literally means “to lose the cotter pin”. English speakers use lose your marbles to mean to stop thinking sensibly or clearly. An informal Spanish match for losing your senses. Like the English, it can be joking or insulting. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
perder la chaveta
/peɾˈðeɾ la tʃaˈβeta/
- Literal meaning
- “to lose the cotter pin”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
A “chaveta” is a small pin that holds parts together. The expression uses losing it as an image for no longer thinking sensibly.
“¿Has perdido la chaveta?” is a strong reaction to someone’s idea. Avoid using it as a label for a person with actual memory or mental-health difficulties.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I put my keys in the fridge. I must be losing my marbles.
Spanish
He metido las llaves en la nevera. Debo de estar perdiendo la chaveta.
English
You want to cycle there in a snowstorm? Have you lost your marbles?
Spanish
¿Quieres ir en bicicleta en plena tormenta de nieve? ¿Has perdido la chaveta?
Related expressions
- What “Lose your marbles” means in English
- Not playing with a full deck, not thinking sensibly or clearly, said as an insult
Last updated 2026-10-01