Hacer de las suyas
To do one's own things.
to be up to one's old tricks; **to be up to one's old tricks**; **to get up to one's usual mischief**; **to pull one's usual tricks**; **to cause trouble**; **to be at it again**; **to do one's thing** (only in some contexts)
Hacer de las suyas means to do one's usual mischief, to get up to one's usual tricks, or to behave in one's characteristic troublesome way.
Juan ya está haciendo de las suyas otra vez.
Juan is up to his old tricks again.
Los niños han estado haciendo de las suyas toda la tarde.
The kids have been getting up to their usual mischief all afternoon.
El perro ha vuelto a hacer de las suyas.
The dog has been up to its old tricks again.
En cuanto llegó, empezó a hacer de las suyas.
As soon as he arrived, he started causing trouble.
Cuando se enfada, hace de las suyas.
When he gets angry, he starts causing trouble.
It is generally used when someone does something typically annoying, mischievous, disruptive or unexpected, especially something the speaker has come to expect from that person.
A common construction is:
Ya está haciendo de las suyas.
→ He's up to his old tricks again.
- causes trouble again
- behaves mischievously
- does something annoying or disruptive
- repeats a characteristic bad habit
- acts in a way that is typical of them
- creates problems in a familiar or predictable way
The expression is based on the pronoun suyo, meaning "one's own".
Las suyas refers elliptically to the things that belong to or characteristically come from that person.
Thus:
hacer de las suyas
literally suggests "doing his/her own things", but the omitted noun is understood from context.
Over time, the expression became associated particularly with actions that are typical of someone's troublesome or mischievous behaviour.
The expression does not necessarily describe serious wrongdoing.
Its tone can range from mildly critical to affectionate.
Critical
El jefe volvió a hacer de las suyas.
→ The boss was up to his old tricks again.
Affectionate
Los niños están haciendo de las suyas.
→ The kids are getting up to their usual mischief.
Humorous
Mi gato ha hecho de las suyas mientras estaba fuera.
→ My cat has been up to its usual tricks while I was away.
The context and tone determine how negative the expression sounds.
The expression is part of a broader Spanish pattern in which suyo can refer to someone's characteristic behaviour:
Cada uno a lo suyo.
→ Everyone minding their own business.
Hacer de las suyas.
→ Get up to one's usual tricks.
Volver a las suyas.
→ Go back to one's usual ways.
In hacer de las suyas, however, the phrase has acquired a particularly strong association with mischief or trouble.
Do not translate:
Está haciendo de las suyas.
as:
He's doing his own things.
Natural translations include:
He's up to his old tricks.
He's at it again.
He's getting up to his usual mischief.
He's causing trouble again.
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