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How to Say "to meddle" in Spanish

English → Spanish

interferir

/een-tehr-feh-REER//inteɾfeˈɾiɾ/

verbB1
Use 'interferir' when you want to express the idea of intruding or getting involved in a situation or decision where your involvement is not wanted or needed.
A person placing their hand over a puzzle that two other people are trying to complete together.

Examples

No quiero interferir en tus decisiones personales.

I don't want to interfere in your personal decisions.

Mi trabajo nuevo interfiere con mis clases de la tarde.

My new job clashes with my afternoon classes.

Deja de interferir; ellos pueden resolverlo solos.

Stop meddling; they can solve it themselves.

The 'E' to 'IE' Change

For most present tense forms, the middle 'e' changes to 'ie' when you stress it (e.g., Yo interfiero). It stays 'e' when you don't stress that part (e.g., Nosotros interferimos).

Preposition 'En'

When talking about getting involved in a situation or someone's life, you almost always use the word 'en' after interferir.

Using 'Con' instead of 'En'

Mistake: “No quiero interferir con tu vida.”

Correction: No quiero interferir en tu vida. While 'con' is used for signals or schedules, 'en' is the standard for personal/social interference.

meterse

meh-TEHR-seh/meˈteɾ.se/

verbB2informal
Choose 'meterse' when someone is being nosy or prying into matters that don't concern them, often implying a more personal or intrusive kind of meddling.
An illustration showing a third person intruding physically into a private conversation between two other people.

Examples

No te metas en mis asuntos, por favor.

Don't meddle in my business, please.

Siempre se mete en discusiones que no le corresponden.

He always gets involved in arguments that don't concern him.

Use with 'en'

When 'meterse' means 'to interfere,' it is almost always followed by the preposition 'en' (in/into): 'meterse en algo' (to get into something).

meter

/meh-TEHR//meˈteɾ/

verbB1informal
Use 'meter' (often in the reflexive form 'meterse') to describe interfering in someone else's business or problems, especially when it's unwanted or inappropriate.
A stylized drawing of a person stepping across a dashed line to join two other figures who are actively working on assembling a large, colorful jigsaw puzzle.

Examples

No te metas en mis problemas, por favor.

Don't get involved in my problems, please.

Ella se metió a estudiar medicina el año pasado.

She started studying medicine last year. (She 'got into' studying it.)

¿Por qué siempre te tienes que meter en lo que no te importa?

Why do you always have to butt into what doesn't concern you?

The Self-Action Verb (Reflexive)

When 'meterse' is used, it means the subject is doing the action to themselves or for themselves. You need the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se).

Key Prepositions

Use 'meterse EN' for getting involved in a situation or trouble, and 'meterse A' for starting a new activity or profession.

Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun

Mistake: “No mete en eso.”

Correction: No te metas en eso. (You must include the 'te' to make it mean 'get involved' or 'interfere'.)

Meter vs. Interferir

Learners often confuse 'meter'/'meterse' and 'interferir'. While both can mean to get involved where you shouldn't, 'meterse' is more common for personal interference and being nosy, whereas 'interferir' is broader and can apply to more formal situations or decisions.

Related Translations

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