Spanish word of the day: Estar en las nubes

What does estar en las nubes mean?

Estar en las nubes (idiomatic expression) – Literally “to be in the clouds,” this common Spanish idiom means to be distracted, daydreaming, or lost in thought. It’s used when someone isn’t paying attention to what’s happening around them because their mind is elsewhere.

Example sentences with estar en las nubes

• Perdón, no escuché lo que dijiste; estaba en las nubes.
  ☁️🤔 Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said; I was daydreaming.

• Mi hijo siempre está en las nubes durante las clases.
  👦✏️☁️ My son is always lost in thought during class.

• ¡Deja de estar en las nubes y concéntrate en el trabajo!
  🛑💭💼 Stop daydreaming and focus on your work!

This idiom uses the verb estar. If you need to remember how to conjugate it, our conjugation tables can help with that!

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Estar en las nubes in context

You’ll hear estar en las nubes in everyday Spanish whenever someone is spaced out, distracted, or simply not present in the moment. It’s a gentle, sometimes humorous way to point out that someone’s attention has drifted away—maybe because they’re thinking about something exciting, worrying about something else, or just letting their imagination wander.

If you want to sound natural in Spanish, use estar en las nubes to describe those moments when you or someone else is mentally checked out or lost in their own world. It’s a relatable phrase for anyone who’s ever caught themselves daydreaming instead of paying attention.