How do you say “The ball is in your court” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Ahora te toca a ti, which literally means “Now it touches you”. English speakers use the ball is in your court to mean it is now your turn to make a decision or take the next action. Clear conversational wording when the next action belongs to the other person. Add the action if the context is not obvious. Register: informal, neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Ahora te toca a ti
/aˈoɾa te ˈtoka a ti/
- Literal meaning
- “Now it touches you”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
The English tennis image marks whose turn it is to act. “Ahora te toca a ti” gives the same message directly.
Both can gently put pressure on the listener. Spanish also has a ball-on-the-roof image, but the plain wording travels more easily between regions.
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?
La pelota está en tu tejado
Literally: “The ball is on your roof”
An established figurative option, particularly associated with Spain.
Ahora depende de ti
Literally: “Now it depends on you”
Emphasises responsibility for what happens next.
Common translation traps
La pelota está en tu corte
Corte is not the right word for a sports court and does not give the intended idiom.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
I have sent the offer, so the ball is in your court.
Spanish
He enviado la oferta, así que ahora te toca a ti.
English
We have done our part. The ball is in your court now.
Spanish
Hemos hecho nuestra parte. Ahora te toca a ti.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-13