Spanish Conversation · Level 51
74 words
Spanish word
lío
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈlio/
Meaning
- masculine nounmess
Example
¡Qué lío con este horario!
What a mess with this schedule!
More examples
No me metas en ese lío, por favor.
Don't get me into that mess, please.
Core concept
A knotted heap of ropes and scattered papers.
Common phrases
meterse en un lío
get into trouble
hacer un lío
make a mess
un lío de papeles
a jumble of papers
Similar words
confusión: Mental or informational muddle that prevents clear decisions.
desorden: Scattered, untidy arrangement of items creating a visible mess.
embrollo: Intricate tangle of circumstances that makes resolution difficult.
caos: Complete collapse of order with pervasive confusion and disruption.
Definition in Spanish
Situación de confusión, desorden o problema que dificulta entender, organizar o resolver algo.
Word origin
Derived from the Spanish verb liar 'to tangle' and ultimately from Latin ligare 'to bind', the noun lío evokes things tangled together and so a confused or troublesome situation.
Usage tips
- Often used as the exclamation '¡Qué lío!' to signal confusion or sympathy, and it commonly names a complicated problem as well as a physical mess.