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Verb conjugation

calársela

to be lucky; to strike it lucky; to gain benefits or money

Usage

A lexicalized reflexive phrase (calarse + la, referring to an implied hardship) meaning to put up with something, take the blame, or grit your teeth through an unpleasant situation without complaint. Colloquial, heard especially in Mexico, Peru, and other Latin American countries.

Examples
  • Nadie me ayudó, así que me la tuve que calar sola.Nobody helped me, so I had to grit my teeth and deal with it alone.
  • Se la calaron sin quejarse cuando les cancelaron el vuelo.They put up with it without complaining when their flight got canceled.
  • Prefiero avisar antes que calármela después.I'd rather speak up beforehand than have to just put up with it later.
Common mistake

The clitic la doesn't refer to any specific noun in the sentence — it's a fixed part of the idiom, not a real direct object a learner needs to trace back to something mentioned earlier, unlike calar's ordinary transitive uses.

Often confused with aguantar.

Simple tenses

Imperative (imperativo)

cálatela
nosotroscalémonosla
vosotroscaláosla

Other

Gerund (gerundio)

calándosela

Infinitive (infinitivo)

calársela

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "calársela" mean?

"calársela" means "to be lucky; to strike it lucky; to gain benefits or money".

What is the Imperative (imperativo) of "calársela"?

The imperative (imperativo) of "calársela" is: tú cálatela, nosotros calémonosla, vosotros caláosla.