How do you say “When pigs fly” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Cuando las ranas críen pelo, which literally means “When the frogs grow hair”. English speakers use when pigs fly to mean this expression means that an event will never happen because it is completely impossible. An established, humorous way to say “never”. Spanish-speaking regions have several different animal expressions for the same idea. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Cuando las ranas críen pelo
/ˈkwando las ˈranas ˈkɾi.en ˈpelo/
- Literal meaning
- “When the frogs grow hair”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English makes pigs fly; this Spanish expression gives frogs hair. Both use an impossible animal image to show disbelief.
The choice of animal varies between speakers and regions. The joke can feel sharp when aimed at someone’s promise, so it is best saved for a familiar conversation.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Cuando los cerdos vuelen
Literally: “When pigs fly”
Also used in Spanish and keeps the English image.
Puedes esperar sentado
Literally: “You can wait sitting down”
A sarcastic way to say someone should not expect a promise to come true.
Common translation traps
Cuando los cerdos volarán
After “cuando” for an imagined future event, use the subjunctive “vuelen”, not the future “volarán”.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
He’ll clean his room when pigs fly.
Spanish
Limpiará su habitación cuando las ranas críen pelo.
English
They’ll pay us back when pigs fly.
Spanish
Nos devolverán el dinero cuando los cerdos vuelen.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-13