Mantenerse en sus trece
To remain on one's thirteen.
to stand one's ground; **to stand one's ground**; **to stick to one's guns**; **to stand firm**; **to refuse to budge**; **to stick to one's position**; **to dig one's heels in**
Mantenerse en sus trece means to stand one's ground, to stick to one's position, to refuse to give in, or to remain stubbornly convinced of something.
Le hemos explicado que está equivocado, pero se mantiene en sus trece.
We've explained that he's wrong, but he refuses to budge.
Aunque todos le aconsejaron que cambiara de opinión, siguió en sus trece.
Even though everyone advised him to change his mind, he stuck to his guns.
No hay manera de convencerlo: se mantiene en sus trece.
There's no way of convincing him; he simply won't budge.
El gobierno se mantuvo en sus trece y no aceptó el acuerdo.
The government stood firm and refused to accept the agreement.
Por más que se lo expliques, él sigue en sus trece.
No matter how much you explain it to him, he sticks to his position.
It describes someone who does not change their mind despite pressure, arguments or contrary evidence.
It can therefore be neutral when someone is firmly defending a position, but it often has a slightly critical sense of stubbornness.
- refuses to change their mind
- maintains the same opinion despite arguments
- refuses to compromise
- persists in a decision
- stubbornly insists that they are right
- continues with the same position despite pressure
It belongs to the living, colloquial layer of the language, where a striking phrase is enough to make it stick.
One popular explanation connects trece with an old expression involving the number thirteen as a symbol of persistence or obstinacy.
Another traditional theory relates it to historical references to thirteen coins or a monetary amount in contexts where someone refused to alter an agreement.
Neither explanation is sufficiently certain to be regarded as a definitive origin.
What is clear is that the expression became established with the figurative meaning of persisting stubbornly in one's position.
The expression is often used with a mildly critical tone.
Compare:
Se mantuvo firme en su decisión.
→ He stood firm in his decision.
This can sound positive.
Whereas:
Se mantuvo en sus trece.
→ He stubbornly refused to change his mind.
The second often suggests that the speaker thinks the person's persistence is excessive or unreasonable.
There are several Spanish expressions that describe refusing to change one's position:
- Mantenerse en sus trece → stubbornly stick to one's position.
- No dar su brazo a torcer → refuse to give in.
- No bajarse del burro → refuse to admit that one is wrong.
- Seguir erre que erre → keep insisting on the same thing.
- Tener la cabeza dura → be hard-headed.
They overlap considerably, but mantenerse en sus trece focuses particularly on persisting in an opinion or position despite attempts to make someone change it.
Do not translate:
Se mantiene en sus trece.
as:
He remains on his thirteen.
Natural translations include:
He refuses to budge.
He sticks to his guns.
He stands his ground.
He won't change his mind.
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