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siempre meto la pata

Grammar & Usage

idiomatic phrase

informal

How it works

This phrase combines the frequency adverb 'siempre' with the idiomatic verbal locution 'meter la pata' (literally 'to put the paw/foot in'). The verb 'meter' is conjugated in the first-person singular of the present indicative ('meto') and takes 'la pata' as its fixed direct object to mean blundering or making an embarrassing mistake.

Sample sentences

Cada vez que intento dar una sorpresa, siempre meto la pata.

Every time I try to give a surprise, I always mess it up.

Perdona por lo que dije antes; ya sabes que siempre meto la pata en situaciones incómodas.

Sorry for what I said earlier; you know I always put my foot in my mouth in awkward situations.

No me dejes hablar a mí en la reunión porque siempre meto la pata.

Don't let me speak at the meeting because I always screw things up.

Quick facts

regional_usage:Widespread across both Spain and Latin America

literal_meaning:I always put the paw in

verb_infinitive:meter la pata

tense_and_person:First-person singular, present indicative (yo meto)

Often used with

meter la pata hasta el fondo

volver a meter la pata

tener miedo de meter la pata

meter la pata sin querer

Mnemonic

Get an AI-generated memory hook for siempre meto la pata — a vivid scene that locks the word in your brain 🧠

Example

Cada vez que intento dar una sorpresa, siempre meto la pata.

Every time I try to give a surprise, I always mess it up.

Perdona por lo que dije antes; ya sabes que siempre meto la pata en situaciones incómodas.

Sorry for what I said earlier; you know I always put my foot in my mouth in awkward situations.