Significado
To be very surprised or amazed by something unexpected.
Contexto cultural
In Spain, the phrase is often associated with the 'sacristy' or 'grandmother' register, but it's widely used by all ages to express a specific kind of 'moral' shock. While understood, Mexicans might more often say '¡No manches!' or '¡Me quedé de a seis!' for surprise, keeping 'hacerse cruces' for more traditional or older speakers. In the Río de la Plata region, 'quedarse de una pieza' or 'no poder creerlo' are common, but 'hacerse cruces' appears in literature and formal speech to denote scandal. Colombians might use '¡Válgame Dios!' alongside 'hacerse cruces' to emphasize the religious undertone of the shock.
Use with Subjunctive
Whenever you say 'Me hago cruces de que...', the next verb should be in the subjunctive (e.g., 'venga', 'sea', 'haya').
Don't forget the 'SE'
Without the reflexive 'se', the phrase loses its idiomatic meaning. It's 'Me hago', not 'Hago'.
Significado
To be very surprised or amazed by something unexpected.
Use with Subjunctive
Whenever you say 'Me hago cruces de que...', the next verb should be in the subjunctive (e.g., 'venga', 'sea', 'haya').
Don't forget the 'SE'
Without the reflexive 'se', the phrase loses its idiomatic meaning. It's 'Me hago', not 'Hago'.
Add 'y bendiciones'
For extra emphasis, say 'Me hago cruces y bendiciones'. It makes you sound very native and extra shocked.
Not just for Catholics
Don't worry about being religious. Using this phrase shows you understand Spanish culture, not necessarily Spanish religion.
Teste-se
Fill in the blank with the correct reflexive form of 'hacerse cruces'.
Cuando vi el precio de la gasolina, yo ______ ______.
The subject is 'yo', so the reflexive pronoun must be 'me' and the verb 'hice' (past tense).
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly to express surprise?
Select the correct option:
Option A correctly uses the reflexive form and 'de que' + subjunctive to express surprise.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural response.
A: ¿Sabías que el jefe se ha comprado un avión privado? B: ¡¿Qué?! ________.
This expresses the appropriate level of shock at the news.
Match the situation to the feeling of 'hacerse cruces'.
In which situation would you 'hacerse cruces'?
'Hacerse cruces' is for unbelievable or shocking news.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosCuando vi el precio de la gasolina, yo ______ ______.
The subject is 'yo', so the reflexive pronoun must be 'me' and the verb 'hice' (past tense).
Select the correct option:
Option A correctly uses the reflexive form and 'de que' + subjunctive to express surprise.
A: ¿Sabías que el jefe se ha comprado un avión privado? B: ¡¿Qué?! ________.
This expresses the appropriate level of shock at the news.
In which situation would you 'hacerse cruces'?
'Hacerse cruces' is for unbelievable or shocking news.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasSlightly, but it's still very common in daily speech, especially when expressing scandalized surprise.
Yes, but it usually implies a level of 'unbelievability'. For a simple good surprise, '¡Qué bien!' is better.
'Hacerse cruces' is more about the mental disbelief, while 'quedarse de piedra' is about the physical shock.
No, it's purely a figure of speech now.
Yes, though it might be slightly more common in Spain. In LatAm, it's often used by older generations.
No, the idiom is always plural: 'cruces'.
It's neutral. You can use it with friends or in a semi-formal meeting to express genuine amazement.
Usually 'de' or 'con', but it can also stand alone as an exclamation: '¡Me hago cruces!'
Translating it literally as 'I make crosses', which makes no sense in English.
Probably not. It's a bit too emotional for a professional interview.
Frases relacionadas
Quedarse de piedra
synonymTo be stunned/turned to stone
No dar crédito
synonymTo not believe one's eyes/ears
Estar patidifuso
similarTo be dumbfounded
Hacer la cruz a alguien
contrastTo cross someone off
Poner el grito en el cielo
builds onTo complain loudly
