How do you say “The pot calling the kettle black” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Le dijo la sartén al cazo: «Apártate, que me tiznas», which literally means “The frying pan told the saucepan: 'Move away, you are getting soot on me'”. English speakers use the pot calling the kettle black to mean criticising someone for a fault you also have. A Spanish saying about criticising a fault you share. There are several versions with different cooking pots. Register: informal. Usage frequency: occasional.
Closest natural Spanish
Le dijo la sartén al cazo: «Apártate, que me tiznas»
/le ˈðixo la saɾˈten al ˈkaso aˈpaɾtate ke me ˈtisnas/
- Literal meaning
- “The frying pan told the saucepan: 'Move away, you are getting soot on me'”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- occasional
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
The Spanish image is close to the English: both pans are already black with soot. “Tiznar” means to blacken something with soot.
You may hear only “Le dijo la sartén al cazo”, with the ending understood. The full version is useful when the listener does not know the saying.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
He calls me untidy, but his room is worse. That's the pot calling the kettle black.
Spanish
Él dice que soy desordenado, pero su habitación está peor. Le dijo la sartén al cazo: «Apártate, que me tiznas».
English
You say I interrupt? That's the pot calling the kettle black.
Spanish
¿Dices que interrumpo? Le dijo la sartén al cazo: «Apártate, que me tiznas».
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01