Say to Pronounce Correctly in Spanish

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How to Break Up With Your Latino Lover

If you want to break up with your “novia” (girlfriend) or “novio” (boyfriend), then you should know what to say, depending on the context of the breakup. There are lots of reasons why you might want to break up with your formerly significant others. Perhaps one of you or both of you seek independence. Perhaps there is infidelity, or maybe you simply just don’t feel the same way about your partner, due to external and internal changes. Maybe the two of you are no longer physically compatible or sexually interested in one another. There might even have been disrespect or abuse. Or maybe it’s just time to move on. Regardless of the reasons, it is now time to seek closure. How do you say good-bye to your Latino lover?

“Hasta luego” doesn’t have the same time of connotation as a finality. If you want to breakup, you have to be more forceful and blunt. If it’s a more formal good-bye, then try “adiós” to suggest a neutral breakup. Although you might think that “adiós” is for a regular good-bye, it isn’t. Nobody really says “adiós” anymore nowadays, except for the old people, “los viejitos”. “Adiós” simply means that the two of you won’t be seeing each other for a very long time or possibly even forever. It is a good way to say your final farewells if things weren’t too bad between the two of you. If, however, your significant other has taken advantage of your generosity, a common complaint among gringos and other foreigners, then perhaps the term you are looking for “hasta nunca,” which means “until never.” A better translation of that would be “see you in hell.”

To say “break up” in Spanish, you can also try a few different versions. “Tronar” is a colloquial among youngsters. “Cortar” is also a more colloquial form of the verb. “Dejar” means “to leave.” “Terminar,” though, is rather formal. So depending on the situation, pick one of these three verbs. If you don’t know how to conjugate these verbs, try some sample sentences below to get you started. All of them mean “I broke up with my girlfriend,” more or less. If you want to say “boyfriend,” the word is “novio.”

Rompí con mi novia. I broke up with my girlfriend.
Corté con mi novia. I cut short with my girlfriend.
Lo dejé con mi novia. I left my girlfriend.
Mi novia y yo somos terminados. My girlfriend and I are finished.

Although relationships are great and all, sometimes they are just not meant to last. If that is the case, be sure to know what to say and how to say it. Sometimes, it’s better to put an end to things and just your farewells and good-byes. If you don’t think you have the guts to say it, practice a bit by yourself until you become more familiar with the words. Remember, even though Spanish is a language, to become good at it, you have to be able to use it every day. To achieve fluency, don’t be afraid to try out your Spanish skills.