Llevar las de perder

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/ʝe·ˈβaɾ las ðe peɾ·ˈðeɾ/

To have the ones to lose.

Frequency

ConversationVery common

JournalismCommon

LiteraryOccasional

AcademicRare

In English

to be likely to lose; **to be likely to lose**; **to be at a disadvantage**; **to have the odds against you**; **to be on the losing side**; **to be fighting a losing battle**; **to be up against it**

Meaning

Llevar las de perder means to be likely to lose, to be at a disadvantage, or to have little chance of succeeding.

Examples

Si te enfrentas a él, llevas las de perder.

If you take him on, you're likely to lose.

Con ese presupuesto llevamos las de perder.

With that budget, we're at a disadvantage.

Si vamos a juicio sin pruebas, llevamos las de perder.

If we go to court without evidence, the odds are against us.

En una discusión con ella, siempre llevo las de perder.

In an argument with her, I'm always on the losing side.

El equipo visitante lleva las de perder.

The visiting team is at a disadvantage.

It is used when the circumstances indicate that someone is more likely to suffer defeat or failure than to succeed.

A common construction is:

Llevar las de perder.

→ To be likely to lose / to be at a disadvantage.

Used when

is facing a difficult opponent
has poor chances of winning
is in a weak position in an argument or dispute
is likely to suffer negative consequences
has circumstances working against them
is clearly at a disadvantage

Origin

The expression is traditionally associated with games of cards, where different cards or combinations give players better or worse chances.

The phrase llevar las de perder therefore evokes the idea of holding the cards that make defeat more likely.

The modern figurative meaning is firmly established.

Cultural note

The expression does not necessarily mean that defeat is certain.

It means that the person or side is at a disadvantage and has poorer prospects than the opponent.

Compare:

Lleva las de perder.

→ The odds are against him.

with:

Ha perdido.

→ He has lost.

The first refers to the probability or expectation of defeat; the second describes an outcome that has already happened.

Did you know?

There is a direct opposite:

Llevar las de ganar.

→ To be likely to win / to have the odds in one's favour.

For example:

Con esa experiencia, llevas las de ganar.

→ With that experience, you've got the odds in your favour.

The two expressions form a useful pair:

llevar las de ganar ↔ llevar las de perder

They allow Spanish speakers to describe someone's relative chances of success or failure without saying that the result is already decided.

For English speakers

The plural las may seem strange to English speakers.

In the fixed expression:

llevar las de perder

las does not refer to a specific feminine plural noun that needs to be translated literally. It forms part of the traditional idiom.

A natural English translation should therefore focus on the meaning:

The odds are against him.

She's at a disadvantage.

We're likely to lose.