Verb conjugation

echar el pie atrás

to step back; to pull back

Usage

A colloquial idiom, common in parts of Latin America, meaning to back out of a commitment or go back on one's word. Conjugate echar and keep the rest fixed: echó el pie atrás. Informal.

Examples

Todos iban a firmar, pero él echó el pie atrás. — They were all going to sign, but he backed out.
No eches el pie atrás ahora que ya empezamos. — Don't back out now that we've started.
Echaron el pie atrás a última hora. — They pulled out at the last minute.

Common mistake

Treating it as a literal movement phrase or conjugating the whole chunk as one word; only echar changes. The usual neutral equivalent is retractarse or echarse atrás.

Simple tenses

Imperative (imperativo)

tú	-
nosotros	-
vosotros	-

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "echar el pie atrás" mean?

"echar el pie atrás" means "to step back; to pull back".

What is the Imperative (imperativo) of "echar el pie atrás"?

The imperative (imperativo) of "echar el pie atrás" is: tú -, nosotros -, vosotros -.

dársela-echar-echar el pie atrás-echar la araña-echar pata