A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín
/ah KAH-dah SER-doh leh YEH-gah soo sahn mar-TEEN/
Everyone eventually gets what they deserve or faces the consequences of their actions; a day of reckoning will come.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, this translates to 'To every pig comes its Saint Martin'.
It means everyone eventually faces a day of reckoning for their bad deeds.
Key Words in This Idiom:
📝 In Action
El jefe que trataba mal a todos fue despedido. Ya ves, a cada cerdo le llega su San Martín.
C1The boss who treated everyone badly was fired. You see, everyone gets their just deserts in the end.
Engañó a la empresa durante años, pero al final lo descubrieron. A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín.
C1He cheated the company for years, but they finally found out. What goes around, comes around.
📜 Origin Story
This saying comes from a very old farming tradition in Spain. The feast of Saint Martin of Tours (San Martín) is on November 11th. This time of year marked the beginning of colder weather, which was perfect for the 'matanza del cerdo'—the slaughter of the pig. Families would slaughter a pig to cure its meat (like ham and chorizo) to last through the winter. So, for the pig, its 'San Martín' day was literally its day of reckoning.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Statement of Justice
Use this phrase to comment on a situation where someone who has been doing bad things finally faces negative consequences. It carries a strong sense of 'justice is served' or 'they had it coming'.
It's Not a Direct Threat
This is more of a proverb or a general observation about life. You wouldn't typically say it directly to the person's face as a threat. Instead, you'd use it when talking about the situation with someone else.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Only for Negative Outcomes
Mistake: "Using the phrase to describe someone getting a deserved reward or a positive outcome."
Correction: This idiom is exclusively negative. It's about punishment, karma, or a day of reckoning. It never refers to a good thing happening to a good person. For that, you might use 'recoger sus frutos' (to reap one's fruits/rewards).
📚 Related Grammar
Want to understand the grammar behind this idiom? Explore these lessons for a deep dive:
Indirect Object Pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les)
The idiom uses the indirect object pronoun 'le' right before the verb 'llega'. This is a common Spanish technique called clitic doubling, where the pronoun repeats the object 'a cada cerdo' for emphasis or clarity.
The Personal 'a'
The phrase starts with 'A cada cerdo'. The preposition 'a' is used here to mark 'cada cerdo' as the indirect object, showing that the action ('llega') is directed toward it.
🌎 Where It's Used
Spain
Extremely well-known and rooted in cultural history, especially in rural areas. Everyone understands it.
Latin America
It is understood in many countries, but it's often seen as a very Spanish or old-fashioned saying. Many countries have their own local equivalents that are more common.
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín
Question 1 of 1
You see in the news that a famously corrupt politician has finally been arrested. What would be an appropriate comment to your friend?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it rude to use this idiom? Does it mean I'm calling someone a pig?
While the comparison isn't flattering, the idiom functions as a well-known proverb about justice. You're applying a general truth to a situation rather than directly calling a person a pig. It's generally used when talking *about* someone, not *to* them, so the context makes it clear you're commenting on karma, not just name-calling.