How do you say “Stick to your guns” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is mantenerse en sus trece, which literally means “to stay at one's thirteen”. English speakers use stick to your guns to mean to keep your position despite pressure to change it. An established idiom for refusing to change position. It often carries a hint of stubbornness. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
mantenerse en sus trece
/manteˈneɾse en sus ˈtɾese/
- Literal meaning
- “to stay at one's thirteen”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Use “en mis trece” about yourself and “en sus trece” about someone else. The expression works when pressure or argument fails to change a decision.
For a more neutral or approving tone, “mantenerse firme” means to stand firm without the suggestion of being difficult.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
They offered less, but I stuck to my guns on the price.
Spanish
Ofrecieron menos, pero me mantuve en mis trece con el precio.
English
Despite the complaints, she stuck to her guns about keeping the park open.
Spanish
A pesar de las quejas, se mantuvo en sus trece: el parque debía seguir abierto.
Related expressions
- What “Stick to your guns” means in English
- Put your foot down, Set a firm limit or insist on a decision.
Last updated 2026-10-01