'Broke' in Spanish: How to Translate It Correctly for Money, Objects, and News
By Chloe Bennett
When an English speaker says, "I cannot go out tonight, I am broke," they are describing liquidity rather than personal destruction. In standard Spanish, the most universal, neutral translation for this temporary state is estar sin dinero or estar sin un centavo (literally, "to be without a cent"). In formal economic discussions or legal proceedings, an individual or business experiencing legal insolvency relies on bancarrota or quiebra comercial.
Street-level financial slang in Spanish operates under hyper-local codes:
In Mexico and parts of Central America, speakers use estar quebrado, though it carries an anglicized undertone in certain southern zones. More authentic Mexican Spanish slang for broke relies on colorful idioms: andar bruja (literally, "walking witch"), andar sin un quinto, or estar en la chilla. Saying "Ando bien bruja, no me alcanza para la cuenta" signals immediately that payday remains days away.
Across the Southern Cone, particularly in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, people lean heavily on estar seco ("to be dry") or estar pelado slang. In Colombia and Venezuela, estar limpio ("to be cleaned out") or estar pelado conveys that someone's bank balance sits at zero.
Travelers in Spain encounter an entirely distinct street vocabulary. The classic European Spanish idiom is estar sin blanca, referencing the blanca, an ancient silver-copper coin minted during the reign of King Philip II in the 14th century. Alternatively, youths in Madrid and Barcelona frequently say no tener pasta, where pasta functions as the standard Peninsular slang for cash.
Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.
