Ahogarse en un vaso de agua
/ah-oh-GAR-seh ehn oon BAH-soh deh AH-gwah/
To get overwhelmed by a small, insignificant problem; to treat a minor issue as a major crisis.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, this means 'to drown in a glass of water'.
In practice, it means getting overwhelmed by a very small problem.
Key Words in This Idiom:
📝 In Action
Tranquilo, es un problema fácil de resolver. No te ahogues en un vaso de agua.
B1Calm down, it's an easy problem to solve. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
Se estresa por cosas mínimas, siempre se está ahogando en un vaso de agua.
B2She gets stressed over tiny things; she's always making a storm in a teacup.
📜 Origin Story
The exact origin of this phrase is a bit murky, as it's such a powerful and obvious visual metaphor that it likely emerged naturally in the language. The idea is simple: drowning is a serious, life-threatening event, but drowning in a tiny glass of water is physically impossible. The idiom uses this absurd impossibility to highlight how someone is treating a tiny, manageable problem as if it were a huge, life-or-death crisis. It's a colorful way to say, 'Your problem is as small as a glass of water, so stop acting like you're drowning in an ocean!'
⭐ Usage Tips
Calling Out Overreactions
Use this when you see someone panicking or getting overly stressed about a minor issue. It's a way to gently tell them to get some perspective. It's often used as advice, like 'No te ahogues en un vaso de agua' (Don't drown in a glass of water).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Don't Use for Serious Problems
Mistake: "Applying this idiom to someone facing a genuinely large or difficult problem."
Correction: This phrase is only for small, insignificant issues. Using it for a serious situation would sound insensitive and dismissive. For big problems, you might say someone 'está pasando por un mal momento' (is going through a tough time).
🌎 Where It's Used
Spain
Extremely common in all contexts, one of the most frequently used idioms.
Latin America
Universally understood and widely used across all countries. It's a core part of the Spanish language.
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: Ahogarse en un vaso de agua
Question 1 of 1
If your friend says you are 'ahogándote en un vaso de agua', what do they mean?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this idiom to talk about myself?
Absolutely! It's very common to use it reflexively. For example, you could say, 'Soy un tonto, siempre me ahogo en un vaso de agua' (I'm a fool, I always make a mountain out of a molehill) to describe your own tendency to worry about small things.