Poner patas arriba / Estar patas arriba

/po·ˈneɾ ˈpa·tas a·ˈri·βa es·ˈtaɾ ˈpa·tas a·ˈri·βa/

To put (something) paws/legs upwards.

Frequency

ConversationCommon

JournalismCommon

LiteraryOccasional

AcademicRare

In English

to turn something upside down; **to turn something upside down**; **to turn something inside out** (when searching); **to throw everything into chaos**; **to be in complete disarray**; **to be upside down**

Meaning

Poner patas arriba means to turn something upside down, leave it in complete disorder or throw everything into chaos.

Examples

Los niños han puesto la casa patas arriba.

The children turned the house upside down.

Dejaron toda la oficina patas arriba.

They left the whole office in complete disarray.

Busqué las llaves y puse el dormitorio patas arriba.

I turned the bedroom upside down looking for my keys.

Desde que empezó la obra, todo está patas arriba.

Ever since the renovation started, everything has been chaotic.

Estar patas arriba means to be in a state of total disorder or confusion.

Used when

a room is completely messy
someone searches everywhere for something
a house is in chaos during renovations
an event completely disrupts normal life
an organisation or country is in turmoil

Origin

The expression comes from the image of an animal lying on its back with its legs pointing upwards.

Such a position suggests that the normal order has been completely reversed.

Spanish extended this vivid image to describe places, situations and even entire societies that have been thrown into disorder.

Cultural note

The expression is used both literally and figuratively.

A bedroom may be patas arriba because clothes are scattered everywhere.

A political crisis may also leave a country patas arriba.

The image works equally well for physical and abstract disorder.

Did you know?

Spanish often uses parts of the body in idiomatic expressions:

Patas arriba → in complete disorder.
De pies a cabeza → from head to toe.
Con los pies en la tierra → with one's feet on the ground (realistic).

Body imagery is one of the richest sources of everyday Spanish idioms.

For English speakers

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

The house is paws up.

Instead, choose expressions such as:

The house is upside down.
The house is a complete mess.
Everything is in chaos.
They turned the place upside down.