Hacerse guaje
/ah-SEHR-seh WAH-heh/
To play dumb, feign ignorance, or pretend not to understand something, usually to avoid responsibility.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, this means 'to make yourself a gourd'—something hollow and empty-headed.
In practice, it means to 'play dumb' to get out of doing something.
Key Words in This Idiom:
📝 In Action
No te hagas guaje, sabes perfectamente que hoy te toca sacar la basura.
B2Don't play dumb, you know perfectly well that it's your turn to take out the trash today.
Le pregunté al niño si él rompió el jarrón, pero se hizo guaje y miró para otro lado.
B2I asked the boy if he broke the vase, but he played dumb and looked the other way.
El político se hizo guaje cuando los periodistas le preguntaron sobre la corrupción.
C1The politician feigned ignorance when the journalists asked him about the corruption.
📜 Origin Story
This classic Mexican expression comes from the 'guaje' or calabash, a type of gourd. When a guaje is dried, its insides are removed, leaving it hollow. It's useful as a water bottle or a rattle, but it's fundamentally empty. So, when someone 'makes themselves a gourd,' they are pretending to be empty-headed or hollow, deliberately acting like they don't have a clue.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use it for Avoiding Tasks
This is the perfect phrase for when you see someone pretending not to hear or understand an order or a request. It's all about dodging responsibility.
It Implies Intent
Remember, 'hacerse guaje' isn't about genuinely being confused. It's about pretending to be confused. There's a subtle accusation of deception involved.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using it Outside of Mexico
Mistake: "Using 'hacerse guaje' with a Spanish speaker from Spain or Argentina."
Correction: This idiom is a hallmark of Mexican Spanish and might not be understood elsewhere. In Spain, a better equivalent is 'hacerse el tonto' (to play the fool) or 'hacerse el sueco'.
Confusing it with 'Ser Guaje'
Mistake: "Saying 'Él es guaje' when you mean 'Él se hace guaje'."
Correction: 'Ser guaje' means someone *is* a fool (it's a characteristic). 'Hacerse guaje' means someone is *acting* like a fool (it's a temporary action to get out of something).
🌎 Where It's Used
Mexico
Extremely common and widely understood by everyone. It's an iconic piece of Mexican slang.
Central America
Understood in some countries due to cultural proximity to Mexico, but not as common.
Spain
Not used. A speaker from Spain would likely not understand this idiom and would use 'hacerse el tonto' instead.
South America
Generally not used or understood.
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: Hacerse guaje
Question 1 of 1
Your roommate sees the overflowing trash can, looks at you, and then immediately pretends to be fascinated by something on their phone. What are they doing?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'hacerse guaje' offensive?
It's not a swear word, but it is a criticism. You're accusing someone of being lazy or deceptive. It's fine to use with friends in a lighthearted way, but it would be inappropriate to say to your boss or in a formal situation.
What's the difference between 'guaje' and 'bule'?
They are very similar! Both refer to a type of dried, hollowed-out gourd used as a container. In the context of this idiom, they are interchangeable in some regions of Mexico, so you might occasionally hear 'hacerse bule', but 'hacerse guaje' is far more common.