Dar la lata

/dar la LAH-tah/

To annoy, bother, or pester someone; to be a pain in the neck.

Level:B1Register:InformalCommon:★★★★★

💡 Understanding the Idiom

Literal Translation:

"To give the can"

What It Really Means:

To annoy, bother, or pester someone; to be a pain in the neck.

English Equivalents:

To be a pain in the neckTo pester someoneTo get on someone's nervesTo be annoying

🎨 Literal vs. Figurative

💭 Literal

Literally, 'dar la lata' means 'to give the can'.

✨ Figurative

The actual meaning of 'dar la lata', showing someone pestering another person who is trying to work.

In practice, it means to annoy or pester someone, like being a 'pain in the neck'.

Key Words in This Idiom:

darlata

📝 In Action

¡Deja de dar la lata con ese ruido, que intento leer!

Stop being so annoying with that noise, I'm trying to read!

El niño le estuvo dando la lata a su madre toda la tarde para que le comprara un helado.

The boy was pestering his mom all afternoon to buy him an ice cream.

No quiero ir a la reunión, el jefe siempre da la lata con las mismas historias.

I don't want to go to the meeting, the boss is always a pain with the same old stories.

📜 Origin Story

A popular story takes us to old Spanish prisons. Prisoners would ask for charity or tobacco from people outside by lowering a tin can ('lata') on a string. To get attention, they would shake it and bang it against the bars, creating a constant, repetitive, and annoying noise. This act of 'giving the can' became synonymous with pestering and annoying someone.

⭐ Usage Tips

For People or Things

You can use 'dar la lata' for both people and things. A person can 'dar la lata' by talking too much, and a broken car alarm can also 'dar la lata' all night long.

It's About Persistence

This idiom is perfect for describing an annoyance that is persistent or repetitive. It's not for a single, brief moment of bother, but for something that goes on and on.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't Use It in Formal Situations

Mistake: "Using 'dar la lata' in a formal business email or with someone you don't know well."

Correction: This is a very informal and colloquial phrase. In formal contexts, use verbs like 'molestar' (to bother) or 'interrumpir' (to interrupt).

🌎 Where It's Used

🇪🇸

Spain

Extremely common and used daily in all informal contexts. It's a cornerstone of colloquial Spanish.

🌎

Latin America

It's understood in many countries, but often other local expressions are more common, such as 'molestar', 'fastidiar', 'joder' (vulgar), or 'hinchar'.

🔗 Related Idioms

↔️Similar Meanings

ser un pesado

To be a bore or a pain (literally 'to be a heavy one').

tocar las narices

To annoy someone (literally 'to touch the nostrils').

⇆Opposite Meanings

dejar en paz

To leave alone (literally 'to leave in peace').

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: Dar la lata

Question 1 of 1

If your friend says 'Mi hermano pequeño me da la lata todo el día', what do they mean?

🏷️ Tags

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'dar la lata' a strong or rude expression?

It's informal but not considered rude or vulgar. It's a common way to complain about an annoyance in a casual setting. The tone you use is more important than the words themselves.

Can I say 'soy la lata'?

No, you would say 'doy la lata' (I am being annoying) or 'soy un latazo' (I am a pain/bore). The idiom uses the verb 'dar' (to give).