Hacer borrón y cuenta nueva

to start with a clean slate; **to start with a clean slate**; **to wipe the slate clean**; **to make a fresh start**; **to turn the page**

Hacer borrón y cuenta nueva means to forget past mistakes, disagreements or problems and start again without holding on to what happened before.

The expression usually conveys forgiveness, reconciliation or the decision to begin afresh.

Two friends may hacer borrón y cuenta nueva after an argument.

A company may decide to hacer borrón y cuenta nueva after changing its management.

Someone may simply choose to forget previous failures and move on.

The idiom emphasises a fresh start rather than denying that past events occurred.

• forgive someone
• reconcile after an argument
• leave past problems behind
• begin a new stage
• decide not to dwell on previous mistakes

The expression comes from accounting.

A borrón was an ink blot or correction made in handwritten records.

When an account became unusable or needed to begin again, a new account was opened.

This practical procedure gradually became a metaphor for giving people and situations a second chance.

Spanish culture places considerable value on reconciliation.

Rather than remaining trapped by old conflicts, speakers often encourage others to hacer borrón y cuenta nueva.

The expression reflects the belief that relationships can sometimes be repaired by consciously deciding to move forward.

Several everyday Spanish expressions come from the world of accounting and commerce.

Even in the digital age, metaphors based on handwritten ledgers remain alive in everyday speech.

Hacer borrón y cuenta nueva is one of the clearest examples of how the language preserves traces of older ways of working.

Do not translate the idiom literally.

English speakers would not naturally say:

Let's make a blot and a new account.

Instead, use expressions such as:

• Let's start with a clean slate.
• Let's make a fresh start.
• Let's turn the page.

Each captures the same underlying idea of beginning again.