Bedeutung
To be crying profusely or uncontrollably.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The legend of 'La Llorona' is a central part of Mexican folklore. She is a ghostly woman who wanders near rivers crying for her lost children. This makes the concept of 'llorar' very culturally significant. During Holy Week (Semana Santa), statues of the Virgin Mary (La Dolorosa) are often depicted with crystal tears, representing her crying 'a mares' for her son. This religious imagery reinforces the idiom. Tango lyrics are famous for their 'melancolía'. Many tangos describe men and women 'llorando a mares' over lost loves or the passing of time in the streets of Buenos Aires. Telenovelas (soap operas) are a major cultural export. They rely heavily on 'llorar a mares' to convey drama. If a character doesn't cry intensely, the scene isn't considered emotional enough.
Use it for laughter too!
Don't just use this for sadness. Saying 'Lloré a mares de la risa' makes you sound very native and positive.
Always plural
Remember it's always 'mares' (plural). Saying 'llorar a mar' is a common mistake that sounds very 'foreign'.
Bedeutung
To be crying profusely or uncontrollably.
Use it for laughter too!
Don't just use this for sadness. Saying 'Lloré a mares de la risa' makes you sound very native and positive.
Always plural
Remember it's always 'mares' (plural). Saying 'llorar a mar' is a common mistake that sounds very 'foreign'.
Embrace the drama
In Spanish, being dramatic with your language is often expected. Don't be afraid to use 'a mares' even if you only cried a little bit—it shows you're engaged!
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.
Cuando mi hermana vio el final de la película, ________ a mares.
We need the past tense (preterite) for a completed action in the past.
Which of these is the correct idiomatic expression?
Ayer estuve...
The idiom specifically uses 'mares' (seas).
Choose the best response for the dialogue.
Speaker A: ¿Por qué tienes los ojos tan rojos? Speaker B: ________
The idiom is used for emotional responses, not physical states like hunger or cold.
Match the situation to the most likely use of 'llorar a mares'.
Situation: You just won a gold medal after years of hard work.
Winning a medal causes overwhelming joy.
Match the Spanish idiom to its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are the closest cultural equivalents.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenCuando mi hermana vio el final de la película, ________ a mares.
We need the past tense (preterite) for a completed action in the past.
Ayer estuve...
The idiom specifically uses 'mares' (seas).
Speaker A: ¿Por qué tienes los ojos tan rojos? Speaker B: ________
The idiom is used for emotional responses, not physical states like hunger or cold.
Situation: You just won a gold medal after years of hard work.
Winning a medal causes overwhelming joy.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
These are the closest cultural equivalents.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNot at all! It's a very standard, expressive idiom used by people of all ages.
Probably not. In a professional setting, it's better to be more literal and say 'llorar mucho' or 'estar muy afectado'.
Mostly yes, but you could personify an animal or a character in a book using it.
'Llorar como un niño' implies crying in a loud, perhaps slightly immature way. 'Llorar a mares' just focuses on the amount of tears.
It is used equally and understood perfectly in both regions.
No, that's not a standard idiom. Stick to 'mares'.
You can say 'Deja de llorar a mares' or 'Para de llorar a mares'.
Yes, 'soltar el grifo' (to turn on the tap) is a more slangy way to say someone started crying a lot.
Yes, just add 'de alegría' (of joy) at the end.
It is always 'a mares'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Llorar como una Magdalena
similarTo cry very much and very dramatically.
Llorar a lágrima viva
synonymTo cry intensely and sincerely.
Llorar a moco tendido
specialized formTo cry messily (ugly cry).
Llover a mares
builds onTo rain very heavily.
