Mandar al carajo

/man-DAR al ka-RA-ho/

A strong, vulgar way to tell someone to go to hell, get lost, or to completely dismiss an idea or situation.

Level:C1Register:VulgarCommon:★★★★☆

💡 Understanding the Idiom

Literal Translation:

"To send to the crow's nest"

What It Really Means:

A strong, vulgar way to tell someone to go to hell, get lost, or to completely dismiss an idea or situation.

English Equivalents:

To tell someone to go to hellTo tell someone to get lostTo tell someone to piss offTo say 'screw it'

🎨 Literal vs. Figurative

💭 Literal

Literally, 'mandar al carajo' means 'to send to the crow's nest'—the lookout basket on a ship's mast.

✨ Figurative

In practice, it's a very strong way to tell someone to go away or to dismiss an idea, like saying 'go to hell'.

Key Words in This Idiom:

📝 In Action

Estoy harto de este proyecto. ¡Lo mando todo al carajo!

I'm sick of this project. I'm sending it all to hell! (To hell with it all!)

Mi vecino no paraba de hacer ruido, así que salí y lo mandé al carajo.

My neighbor wouldn't stop making noise, so I went out and told him to get lost.

Si vuelve a mentirme, lo mando al carajo sin pensarlo dos veces.

If he lies to me again, I'll tell him to go to hell without a second thought.

📜 Origin Story

This phrase comes from the age of sailing ships. The 'carajo' was the small lookout basket at the very top of the main mast. It was the worst place to be on the ship—exposed to harsh winds, storms, and the intense rocking of the vessel. When a sailor misbehaved, the captain would send him to the 'carajo' as punishment. So, 'sending someone to the carajo' meant sending them to a miserable, isolated, and unpleasant place.

⭐ Usage Tips

Use With Extreme Caution

This is a strong, vulgar phrase. It's not just informal, it's offensive. Only use it when you are genuinely angry or frustrated, and never in polite, professional, or formal situations. It's the Spanish equivalent of dropping an f-bomb to tell someone off.

Dismissing Things, Not Just People

You can also 'mandar al carajo' an object, an idea, or a situation. If you're fed up with your work, you can say, '¡Mando este trabajo al carajo!' (To hell with this job!). It’s a powerful way to express giving up on something out of frustration.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using It Casually

Mistake: "Thinking it's just a funny or casual way to say 'go away'. For example, telling a friend 'vete al carajo' as a lighthearted joke."

Correction: This phrase carries a lot of weight and genuine anger. For a playful or milder way to tell someone to get lost, you could use 'vete a freír espárragos' (go fry asparagus) or 'déjame en paz' (leave me alone).

🌎 Where It's Used

🇪🇸

Spain

Extremely common and widely used as a strong expletive to express anger or dismissal.

🌎

Latin America

Very common and understood throughout Latin America. The intensity is consistently high, and it's always considered vulgar and forceful.

🔗 Related Idioms

↔️ Similar Meanings

mandar a la mierda

To send to the shit (equally vulgar).

mandar a freír espárragos

To send to fry asparagus (a much milder, almost humorous way to tell someone to get lost).

que te den

A very common and vulgar way to say 'screw you' or 'get lost'.

⇆ Opposite Meanings

dar la bienvenida

To welcome someone.

recibir con los brazos abiertos

To receive with open arms.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: Mandar al carajo

Question 1 of 1

If you 'mandas al carajo' your diet, what does it mean?

🏷️ Tags

InsultsAngerCommonly UsedTransportation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'carajo' always a bad word?

Yes, by itself, 'carajo' is a strong curse word used to express anger, surprise, or frustration, similar in force to the f-word in English. It's not a word to be used in polite company.

Can I use the reflexive form 'irse al carajo'?

Absolutely. 'Irse al carajo' means 'to go to hell'. You can tell someone '¡Vete al carajo!' (Go to hell!). You can also say something 'se fue al carajo', meaning it 'went to hell' or it got completely ruined.