How do you say “Spill the beans” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Irse de la lengua, which literally means “To go away from the tongue”. English speakers use spill the beans to mean to reveal information that was supposed to stay secret. A familiar expression for revealing something that should have stayed private, especially by saying too much. Use “contarlo todo” for a deliberate invitation to share the details. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Irse de la lengua
/ˈiɾse de la ˈleŋɡwa/
- Literal meaning
- “To go away from the tongue”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
87 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English spills hidden information like beans from a container. Spanish links the disclosure to the tongue and to saying more than you should.
The Spanish idiom puts more weight on loose talk or an unwanted disclosure. The playful invitation “spill the beans” is often better translated as “cuéntamelo todo”.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Contarlo todo
Literally: “To tell it all”
Use when asking someone to reveal the full story.
Revelar el secreto
Literally: “To reveal the secret”
A neutral option for either deliberate or accidental disclosure.
Common translation traps
Derramar los frijoles
This means spilling actual beans, not revealing a secret.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party.
Spanish
No te vayas de la lengua con lo de la fiesta sorpresa.
English
Come on, spill the beans!
Spanish
¡Venga, cuéntamelo todo!
Related expressions
- What “Spill the beans” means in English
- Let the cat out of the bag, To accidentally reveal a secret.
Last updated 2026-09-13