How do you say “Tie the knot” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Casarse, which literally means “To marry oneself”. English speakers use tie the knot to mean to get married to someone. The natural everyday verb for getting married. It is more neutral than the playful English idiom. Register: informal, neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Casarse
/kaˈsaɾse/
- Literal meaning
- “To marry oneself”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English describes marriage as tying a knot. Spanish usually uses the ordinary verb “casarse”, without a separate image.
The meaning is the same, but the Spanish wording is less playful. “Dar el sí” can add a more celebratory feel.
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.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Dar el sí
Literally: “To give the yes”
A warmer, more celebratory way to refer to agreeing to marry.
Contraer matrimonio
Literally: “To contract marriage”
Formal wording used in official or written contexts.
Common translation traps
Atar el nudo
This normally means tying a physical knot, not getting married.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
They are tying the knot in June.
Spanish
Se casan en junio.
English
We finally tied the knot after ten years together.
Spanish
Por fin nos casamos después de diez años juntos.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-13