Quedarse pajarito

to be freezing; **to be freezing**; **to be absolutely freezing**; **to be chilled to the bone**; **to be frozen stiff**; **to be cold as ice**

Quedarse pajarito means to get extremely cold, to be freezing cold, or to become chilled to the bone.

It is normally used when someone has been exposed to cold weather or a cold environment for long enough to feel thoroughly chilled.

A common construction is:

Me estoy quedando pajarito.

→ I'm freezing.

• they are very cold
• they have been outside in cold weather
• they are waiting somewhere without adequate heating
• they have become chilled after being wet
• they want to complain humorously about the cold

The expression is based on a humorous metaphor.

A pajarito, a small bird, is imagined as a tiny creature particularly vulnerable to cold. Someone who is extremely cold is therefore figuratively reduced to a little bird shivering in the cold.

The expression belongs to a broader group of Spanish colloquialisms that use animals to describe physical states or behaviour.

Quedarse pajarito is normally used for cold, but it can also carry a humorous or affectionate tone.

Ponte algo encima, que te vas a quedar pajarito.

→ Put something on or you'll freeze.

It is especially natural when speaking to children or family members.

Spanish has several highly visual ways of saying that someone is very cold:

• Quedarse pajarito → be freezing.
• Quedarse helado → become frozen / be shocked.
• Estar como un témpano → be extremely cold.
• Morirse de frío → be absolutely freezing.

The particularly interesting feature of quedarse pajarito is that the tiny bird provides the image of a creature shivering and vulnerable to the cold.

Do not translate:

Me he quedado pajarito.

as:

I've become a little bird.

The natural translation is:

I'm freezing.

I'm absolutely freezing.

I'm chilled to the bone.