Phrase · 🧩 Idioms in everyday speech
Metí la pata: le conté a Lucía lo de su fiesta sorpresa.
I put my foot in it: I told Lucía about her surprise party.
C2admitting a blundercolloquialAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Metí1verbI putmeter · past · 1st sing.la1determinertheel · fem. · sing. · definitepata1nounpaw (foot)fem. · sing.:le2object pronounto herella · 3rd sing. · indirect objectcontéverbI toldcontar · past · 1st sing.a2prepositiontoLucía2nounLucíalo3determinerthe businessel · definitede3prepositionabout (of)sudeterminerher3rd sing.fiestanounpartyfem. · sing.sorpresanounsurprisefem. · sing..
- Metí → pata: meter la pata: to blunder
- le → Lucía: le doubles a Lucía
- lo → fiesta: lo de + noun: the business about
Word for word: “I put in the paw: I told Lucía the thing of her surprise party.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1meter la pata = to put your foot in it, to blunder (lit. put the paw in). Common everywhere; informal.
- 2le … a Lucía: the indirect object is doubled by le. This is normal, not redundant. Indirect object pronouns and doubling →
- 3lo de + noun = the business about: lo de su fiesta = the thing about her party. Neuter lo: lo + adjective, lo de, lo … que →
Variations
- Metí la pata: le hablé a Lucía de su fiesta sorpresa.
- Qué metida de pata: le conté a Lucía lo de su fiesta sorpresa.
- Me equivoqué: le conté a Lucía lo de su fiesta sorpresa.