Comerle la oreja
To eat someone's ear.
to bend someone's ear; **to bend someone's ear**; **to work on someone**; **to talk someone into something**; **to wear someone down**; **to keep whispering in someone's ear**
Comerle la oreja means to bend someone's ear, to work on someone, to talk someone into something, to whisper in someone's ear repeatedly, or to influence someone through constant talking.
Lleva semanas comiéndole la oreja para que cambie de trabajo.
He's been working on him for weeks to change jobs.
Me estuvo comiendo la oreja toda la noche.
She bent my ear all evening.
No le comas la oreja al niño.
Don't keep influencing the child like that.
Al final le comieron la oreja y aceptó.
In the end they wore him down and he agreed.
It often implies persistence rather than outright deception.
- repeatedly tries to persuade another person
- keeps insisting on an idea
- influences someone's opinion
- pressures someone through conversation
- constantly talks about the same thing until the other person gives in
The expression probably comes from the image of someone speaking so continuously and so closely to another person's ear that it is as though they were eating it.
The exaggerated metaphor emphasises persistence rather than volume.
Over time, it became a common way of describing psychological influence achieved through repeated conversation.
The expression does not necessarily imply dishonesty.
Someone can comerle la oreja simply by enthusiastically recommending a film, a holiday destination or a new hobby.
However, it often suggests that the listener eventually gives in because of the speaker's persistence.
Spanish has several expressions describing persuasion through speech:
- Comerle la oreja → to bend someone's ear.
- Vender la moto → to sell someone a line.
- Dorarle la píldora → to flatter someone for personal gain.
- Convencer a base de insistir → to persuade through persistence.
Among them, comerle la oreja is perhaps the closest equivalent to the English to bend someone's ear, because both expressions focus on the relentless talking that gradually changes another person's mind.
Do not translate the expression literally.
English speakers would never say:
He ate my ear.
Instead, use expressions such as:
- He bent my ear.
- She worked on me.
- They talked me into it.
- He wore me down.
Choose the translation according to whether the emphasis is on persuasion, repetition or influence.
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