No tener pelos en la lengua

/noh teh-NEHR PEH-lohs ehn lah LEHN-gwah/

To be blunt, direct, and outspoken; to say what you think without filtering it.

Level:B2Register:InformalCommon:★★★★★

💡 Understanding the Idiom

Literal Translation:

"To not have hairs on the tongue"

What It Really Means:

To be blunt, direct, and outspoken; to say what you think without filtering it.

English Equivalents:

To not mince wordsTo be a straight shooterTo tell it like it isTo speak one's mind

🎨 Literal vs. Figurative

💭 Literal

Literally, this means 'to not have hairs on the tongue'.

✨ Figurative

The actual meaning of 'no tener pelos en la lengua', showing a person speaking directly and honestly to another person who looks surprised.

In reality, it means to speak your mind directly and honestly.

Key Words in This Idiom:

peloslengua

📝 In Action

Mi abuela no tiene pelos en la lengua y siempre dice lo que piensa, para bien o para mal.

My grandmother doesn't mince words and always says what she thinks, for better or for worse.

Voy a ser claro, no tengo pelos en la lengua: tu propuesta no es realista.

I'm going to be clear, I'll tell it like it is: your proposal isn't realistic.

Gracias por tu honestidad. Me gusta que no tengas pelos en la lengua.

Thanks for your honesty. I like that you're a straight shooter.

📜 Origin Story

Imagine trying to speak clearly with little hairs on your tongue—it would be difficult! The words would get tangled up and wouldn't come out right. This idiom creates a powerful mental picture: someone who doesn't have hairs on their tongue has no physical obstacle to speaking. Their words can come out directly, clearly, and without any 'fuzziness'. It’s a physical metaphor for unfiltered, straightforward speech.

⭐ Usage Tips

Describing Someone's Character

This is a great way to describe a person's personality. Saying 'Mi jefe no tiene pelos en la lengua' means that being direct is just how your boss is. It's a core part of their character.

As a Warning for Your Own Bluntness

You can use this to give people a heads-up that you're about to be very direct. For example: 'Mira, yo no tengo pelos en la lengua, así que te lo diré directamente...' (Look, I don't mince words, so I'll tell you straight...).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing 'Direct' with 'Rude'

Mistake: "Thinking that this idiom always has a negative meaning, like someone is being intentionally mean or insulting."

Correction: While bluntness can sometimes feel rude, the idiom itself is neutral. It just describes a *style* of communication: direct and unfiltered. Whether that directness is a good or bad thing depends entirely on the situation and the speaker's intention.

🌎 Where It's Used

🇪🇸

Spain

Extremely common and universally understood.

🌎

Latin America

Very common and widely used in almost all Spanish-speaking countries, from Mexico to Argentina.

🔗 Related Idioms

↔️Similar Meanings

ir al grano

To get to the point

llamar al pan, pan y al vino, vino

To call a spade a spade

⇆Opposite Meanings

andarse con rodeos

To beat around the bush

morderse la lengua

To bite one's tongue

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: No tener pelos en la lengua

Question 1 of 1

If your friend says, 'Mi profesor no tiene pelos en la lengua', what does she mean?

🏷️ Tags

Body PartsHonestyCommonly Used

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a compliment or an insult to say someone 'no tiene pelos en la lengua'?

It can be both! It depends entirely on the context and your tone. You could say it with admiration for someone's honesty and courage ('Me encanta que no tenga pelos en la lengua'). Or, you could say it with frustration to mean they are tactless or too blunt ('A veces es difícil porque no tiene pelos en la lengua').