How would you say "it is what it is" in Spanish?
I have heard:
- eso es
- eso sí que es
I assume the first one is an abbreviation of the second. However, is it an acceptable abbreviation, or is it not something people say?
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"It is what it is" translates to "eso sí que es" in Spanish. My dad always told me this little joke. When said out loud, "eso sí que es" sounds like you are spelling the word S-O-C-K-S.– Jordan CimminoOct 8, 2019 at 23:31
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6 Answers
"Es lo que hay" might be the phrase you're looking for. It is often used to express resignation, sometimes ironically.
I assume the question mark is not part of the phrase you want to translate: "It is what it is." /lit. Es lo que es./
Spanish has many variations, according to the place where you are speaking it.
In Argentina: Both "Eso es." /lit. That is./ and "Eso sí que es." (with the accent on the "i") /lit. That does be./ could be used to express agreement with something someone just said, like saying "That's it.".
If you tried using it after someone says, for instance, "LAPD gave me a 100USD ticket because the Hollywood sign appeared on the background of my livestream and I didn't have a license from the company that copyrighted it.", then noone would understand. People would expect you to say something more after it, at least an adjective. It would be literally like saying "That is.".
Here in Argentina, a good translation of "It is what it is." is "Así son las cosas." /lit. That's the way things are./.
"Es lo que hay." /lit. It is what there is.; fig. It is what is available./ would work but it's use is better suited for the case where there are many options and you get one that is not amongst the better ones:
-Alice: So... either Trump or Clinton's wife are going to rule the USA for 4 years?
-Bob: Es lo que hay.
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"Así son las cosas" sounds just right to me. Occasionally it could be "Así es" instead. Feb 19, 2018 at 18:21
I have always heard it said as, Así es. Especially when asking elders advice about things... they'll say Así es joven.
This is my opinion is the best translation for That's just the way it is which I know is not the exact phrase you spoke about, but both our phrases have the same meaning.
It is what it is vs That's just the way it is
translating to...
Así es
"It is what it is" is literally translated to "Es lo que es". Maybe there is a phrase in Spanish with similar meaning which is used in situations where the English phrase "it is what it is" is used, but I don't think it is very common.
If you are fond to decorate your Spanish, you can use a very famous refrán variants here:
Eso son lentejas, si quieres las tomas y si no las dejas.
Yo lo traduciría así (español mexicano): Ni modo.
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This does not provide an answer to the question. Once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post; instead, provide answers that don't require clarification from the asker. - From Review– mdeweyAug 7, 2023 at 15:57