Llevarse un chasco

/ʝe·ˈβaɾ·se un ˈt͡ʃas·ko/

To get a disappointment.

Frequency

ConversationVery common

JournalismCommon

LiteraryOccasional

AcademicRare

In English

to be disappointed; **to be disappointed**; **to get a nasty surprise**; **to suffer a let-down**; **to have one's hopes dashed**; **to be in for a disappointment**

Meaning

Llevarse un chasco means to be disappointed, to get a nasty surprise, to suffer a let-down or to have one's hopes dashed.

Examples

Me llevé un chasco enorme.

I was hugely disappointed.

Se llevó un buen chasco cuando vio las notas.

He got quite a shock when he saw his exam results.

Nos llevamos un chasco con el hotel.

We were very disappointed with the hotel.

Pensaba que sería mejor, pero me llevé un chasco.

I expected it to be better, but it was a real let-down.

It describes the feeling that follows an unexpected disappointment.

Used when

expects good news but receives bad news
is disappointed by an event or experience
discovers that reality is worse than expected
fails to obtain something they hoped for
realises they have been mistaken

Origin

The comparison it rests on is intuitive, and that intuitiveness is precisely its strength.

The word has been used in Spanish for centuries to describe an unpleasant surprise, deception or failed expectation.

Over time, llevarse un chasco became the standard expression for experiencing disappointment after expecting something much better.

Cultural note

A chasco is usually more than simple sadness.

It implies that expectations were relatively high before reality proved otherwise.

For this reason, the expression often appears after:

holidays,
purchases,
examinations,
interviews,
sporting events,
or personal relationships.

Did you know?

Spanish distinguishes between several kinds of disappointment:

Llevarse un chasco → to suffer an unexpected disappointment.
Quedarse con la miel en los labios → to miss out at the very last moment.
Llevarse un disgusto → to receive upsetting news.
Desilusionarse → to become disillusioned.

Among them, llevarse un chasco is the one most closely associated with the frustration of discovering that reality falls far short of what had been expected.

For English speakers

Do not translate the noun chasco literally.

Instead, translate the whole expression using natural English phrases such as:

to be disappointed
to get a nasty surprise
to suffer a real let-down
to have one's hopes dashed

The best translation depends on the degree of disappointment.