Cantarle las cuarenta

to give someone a piece of your mind; **to give someone a piece of your mind**; **to tell someone off**; **to call someone out**; **to confront someone**

Cantarle las cuarenta (a alguien) means to speak to someone very frankly, usually to express anger, criticism or disappointment.

The speaker openly points out the other person's mistakes instead of remaining silent.

The expression suggests a direct and often uncomfortable conversation.

• finally confronts another person
• tells someone off
• expresses accumulated frustration
• criticises someone's behaviour face to face
• refuses to remain silent any longer

The expression comes from the traditional Spanish card game tute.

In certain situations, a player announces a combination of the king and the knight of the same suit, known as las cuarenta, to score forty points.

Because this announcement had to be made clearly and confidently, the phrase gradually became associated with speaking openly and without hesitation.

Today, most speakers know the expression but are unaware of its connection with card games.

Cantar las cuarenta does not simply mean complaining.

It implies addressing the other person directly.

Instead of talking behind someone's back, the speaker says exactly what they think to that person's face.

For this reason, the expression often carries a sense of courage as well as confrontation.

This is one of the many Spanish idioms that originated in traditional card games.

Although millions of Spaniards still say:

Le canté las cuarenta.

very few could explain why the number forty appears in the expression.

The game has largely faded from everyday life.

The idiom has not.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

I sang him the forty.

Instead, use expressions such as:

• I gave him a piece of my mind.
• I told him off.
• I confronted him.

Choose the translation according to the strength of the confrontation.