A cada rato
(time phrases)
B1 (¡Ya le agarras la onda!)Used EVERYWHERE 🇲🇽Colloquial 🗯️
🧠 What it means
👉 all the time / constantly
A cada rato is basically a really useful way of saying that something happens over and over again, sometimes to the point of being annoying.
It’s often used when you want to stress that something is constant and repetitive.
💡Since rato means a short while, we're talking about stuff that happens every few minutes or hours, NOT daily.
Ah, and if you want even more emphasis, try a cada ratito!
The diminutive makes it sound like it's happening every two seconds, lol.
🌪️ When to whip it out
Whenever you want to emphasize constant repetition:
Checa el teléfono a cada rato.
He checks his phone all the time.
El bebé se despierta a cada rato en la noche.
The baby wakes up throughout the night.
El jefe está pasando a cada rato.
The boss is coming around every two minutes.
⚠️ Tone
✅ Informal, everyday Mexican Spanish.
✅ Sometimes said with a slightly exasperated tone.
🔁 Similar chunks
A cada ratitoA cada momentoTodo el tiempoSeguidoUna y otra vez
🦜 El Rincón del Cotorreo
Ooh, another curious lil' structure I've never seen before: "tienes que checar las galletas a cada rato O SI NO se queman"
Ruperto dearest, would you please cover this charming little expression as well, porfis?