Dejar en ascuas
backTo leave someone on glowing embers.
to leave someone in suspense; **to leave someone in suspense**; **to keep someone on tenterhooks**; **to leave someone hanging**; **to keep someone waiting**; **to keep someone guessing**
Dejar en ascuas (a alguien) means to leave someone in suspense, to keep someone on tenterhooks, to leave someone hanging, to keep someone in suspense, or to leave someone anxiously waiting for an answer.
No me dejes en ascuas y dime qué pasó.
Don't leave me in suspense—tell me what happened.
Nos dejó en ascuas hasta el último momento.
He kept us on tenterhooks until the very end.
Llevo días en ascuas esperando la respuesta.
I've been anxiously waiting for the answer for days.
El final del capítulo nos dejó en ascuas.
The end of the episode left us hanging.
It usually refers to uncertainty that causes impatience or anxiety.
- postpones important news
- refuses to reveal the ending of a story
- delays an answer
- keeps others waiting for a decision
- creates suspense intentionally or unintentionally
The expression comes from the image of standing on glowing embers.
Just as someone on hot embers cannot remain calm or comfortable, a person who is en ascuas cannot relax because they are waiting anxiously for important information.
The metaphor has remained virtually unchanged for centuries.
The expression is frequently used when talking about:
- examination results;
- medical diagnoses;
- election outcomes;
- sports competitions;
- television series and novels.
It often conveys both curiosity and emotional tension.
Spanish has several expressions describing uncertainty and suspense:
- Dejar en ascuas → to leave someone in suspense.
- Tener en vilo → to keep someone in suspense.
- Estar en el aire → to remain uncertain.
- Quedarse con la duda → to be left wondering.
Among them, dejar en ascuas is one of the most expressive because it compares emotional uncertainty to the physical discomfort of standing on burning embers, making the listener immediately understand the feeling of restless anticipation.
Do not translate the expression literally.
English speakers would never say:
He left me on glowing embers.
Instead, use expressions such as:
- He left me in suspense.
- She kept me on tenterhooks.
- They left us hanging.
- He kept us guessing.
Choose the translation according to the degree of suspense.
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