How do you say “Pull someone's leg” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Tomar el pelo a alguien, which literally means “To take someone’s hair”. English speakers use pull someone's leg to mean to tease someone by telling them something untrue as a joke. An established equivalent for teasing or fooling someone. It can also express annoyance at being treated as a fool, so the tone matters. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Tomar el pelo a alguien
/toˈmaɾ el ˈpelo a ˈalɡjen/
- Literal meaning
- “To take someone’s hair”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Both expressions involve a body part, but Spanish takes someone’s hair instead of pulling a leg.
In a friendly exchange, the meaning is very close. Said sharply, “me estás tomando el pelo” can accuse someone of mocking or deceiving you.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Gastar una broma a alguien
Literally: “To spend a joke on someone”
Focuses on playing a joke; not always a verbal trick.
Estar de broma
Literally: “To be of joke”
Useful for explaining that you are only joking.
Common translation traps
Tirar de la pierna de alguien
This means physically pulling someone’s leg rather than joking with them.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
Are you pulling my leg?
Spanish
¿Me estás tomando el pelo?
English
Relax, I’m only pulling your leg.
Spanish
Tranquilo, solo te estoy tomando el pelo.
Related expressions
- What “Pull someone's leg” means in English
- Take it with a pinch of salt, To treat a claim with mild scepticism.
Last updated 2026-09-13