hacer una montaña de un grano de arena
Lemma Details
Translation: to make a mountain out of a molehill; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate a minor issue
Part of Speech: idiom
Etymology: This Spanish idiom is a direct equivalent of the English expression 'to make a mountain out of a molehill.' It literally translates as 'to make a mountain from a grain of sand.' The imagery in both languages conveys the same concept of transforming something tiny (a grain of sand/molehill) into something enormous (a mountain), representing the human tendency to exaggerate minor problems.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
No hagas una montaña de un grano de arena, solo llegó diez minutos tarde.
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill, he was only ten minutes late.
Mi madre siempre hace una montaña de un grano de arena cuando cometo el más mínimo error.
My mother always makes a mountain out of a molehill when I make the slightest mistake.
Mnemonics
- Visualize someone literally piling sand to build a mountain to remember this expression about exaggeration.
- Think of 'arena' (sand) as the small problem and 'montaña' (mountain) as the exaggerated reaction.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This idiom is widely used across Spanish-speaking countries in everyday conversation. It's often used to criticize someone who is overreacting to a minor problem or to advise someone not to worry excessively about something trivial.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While both idioms refer to exaggeration, 'hacer una montaña de un grano de arena' focuses on making small issues seem bigger, while 'ahogarse en un vaso de agua' emphasizes being overwhelmed by minor problems.
Confused word:
No te ahogues en un vaso de agua, este problema tiene solución.
Don't get overwhelmed by a minor issue, this problem has a solution.
Notes: Both idioms are commonly used to advise against overreaction, but with slightly different connotations.
Mnemonic: Think of 'mountain/sand' for external exaggeration versus 'drowning/water' for internal overwhelm.