No tener ni pies ni cabeza
/noh teh-NEHR nee PYAYS nee kah-BEH-thah/
To make no sense; to be completely illogical or nonsensical.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, this means something 'has neither feet nor head'.
In practice, it means something is illogical or makes no sense at all.
Key Words in This Idiom:
📝 In Action
La explicación que me dio no tenía ni pies ni cabeza.
B1The explanation he gave me made no sense at all.
Este plan es un desastre, no tiene ni pies ni cabeza. Tenemos que empezar de nuevo.
B2This plan is a disaster, it's completely illogical. We have to start over.
📜 Origin Story
The image here is very direct. Think of a body. To be a complete, functional thing, it needs a head (for direction and thought) and feet (for a foundation, to stand on). Something that lacks both is just a jumbled, useless mess. This idiom applies that physical image to ideas, plans, or stories. If an idea doesn't have a clear beginning (feet) or a logical conclusion (head), it 'has neither feet nor head'—it's nonsensical.
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing Things, Not People
This idiom is almost always used to describe an idea, a story, a plan, or an argument. It's less common to say a person 'no tiene ni pies ni cabeza', though you might say what they are saying doesn't.
Verb Conjugation is Key
Remember to change the verb 'tener' to match the situation. You'll often hear it in the third person: 'eso no tiene...' (that doesn't have...), 'la historia no tenía...' (the story didn't have...).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing it with 'Sin ton ni son'
Mistake: "Using it to mean 'randomly' or 'without reason'."
Correction: 'No tener ni pies ni cabeza' means something is illogical or doesn't make sense. For something done randomly or for no apparent reason, a better idiom is 'sin ton ni son' (without rhyme or reason).
🌎 Where It's Used
Spain
Extremely common in all contexts.
Latin America
Universally understood and very widely used across all countries.
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: No tener ni pies ni cabeza
Question 1 of 1
If you say a movie 'no tiene ni pies ni cabeza', what do you mean?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this in a formal or professional setting?
Yes, absolutely. While it's common in everyday chat, it's also perfectly acceptable in a business meeting or a formal critique to say, 'Con todo respeto, este argumento no tiene ni pies ni cabeza' (With all due respect, this argument makes no sense). It's direct but not considered vulgar or overly informal.