”Move out of my way!” in Spanish
We like to think that all of our interactions with strangers in foreign countries will be polite and positive. But sometimes, that is not the case, and you might need to ask (or tell) someone to get out of your way! There are many different ways you can say this in Spanish, with varying levels of rudeness. Make sure you study up on this or you might end up offending someone when you don’t mean to.
How to tell someone to get out of your way in Spanish?
| English | Spanish | When it's used | How rude is it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podrías mover? | Could you move? (formal) | Any time you would say "excuse me" in English to ask someone to physically move their body | Not rude at all |
| Puedes mover? | Could you move? (informal) | Any time you would say "excuse me" in English to ask someone to physically move their body | Not rude at all |
| Con permiso | Pardon me or excuse me (formal) | Any time you would say "excuse me" in English to ask someone to physically move their body | Not rude at all |
| Permiso | Pardon me or excuse me (informal) | Any time you would say "excuse me" in English to ask someone to physically move their body. | Not rude at all (just slightly less formal than "con permiso".) |
| Perdón | Pardon me or excuse me (informal) | Asking someone to let you walk by them | Not rude at all |
| Perdóname | Pardon me or excuse me (informal) | Asking someone to let you walk by them | Not rude at all |
| Disculpé | Pardon me or excuse me (informal) | Asking someone to let you walk by them | Not rude at all |
| Permíteme | Pardon me or excuse me (informal) | Asking someone to let you walk by them | Not rude at all |
| Pasa | Let me pass | Slightly less polite way of asking to get by | A little bit rude |
| Sácate | Get outta here! | Common in Mexico, only used informally with close friends. It can mean both physically get out of the way, or "get out!" as in "no way!" | A little bit rude |
| ¡Quítate! | Get yourself out of my way! | Informal/joking. Only used with close friends or family, for example when kids are underfoot. Otherwise, it could be perceived as rude | A little bit rude |
| Quítate de mi camino | Get yourself out of my path! | Informal/joking. Only used with close friends or family, for example when kids are underfoot. Otherwise, it could be perceived as rude | A little bit rude |
| Muévete | Move it! | Demand, or when dancing! | Fairly rude |
| Hazte a la verga | Get out of my way | During road rage or before a fight | Very rude |
| Vete por ahí. | Get out of here | When you might say "bug off" or "get out of here!" in English | Very rude |
| Qué te den | Get out of here | When you might say "bug off" or "get out of here!" in English | Extremely rude |
| Vaya por alla | Get out of here | When you might say "bug off" or "get out of here!" in English | Extremely rude |
| ¡Fuera! | Get outside! | When you might say "bug off" or "get out of here!" in English | Extremely rude |
| ¡Lárgate ya! | Go away right now! | When you might say "bug off" or "get out of here!" in English | Extremely rude |
”Move it!” in Spanish
It is very important to keep in mind that this sort of expression is very susceptible to slang, colloquialism, and idioms. Just think about it in English: buzz off, make like a tree, move it, move your butt, shove off, get out of my face, back off, split, skedaddle, get lost, skedaddle, out of the way. Many of these are quite nonsensical if you actually take them literally – and would be complete gibberish if you tried to translate them word for word.
There are many ways to say the equivalent of ”move out of my way!” in various local Spanish dialects. This meaning can be drastically different in various cultures and geographies. For example, in Spain you might hear “Coge la puerta y vete” (there is the door, get out). Elsewhere, this can mean doing something quite vulgar to the door.
Have you heard other ways to tell someone to get out of your way in Spanish? Let us know!
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