This one’s SUPER common in Mexico, and it’s actually a phrase that I puzzled over for years!
I remember asking a pal what it meant and being told that it’s basically a way of setting up a hypothetical situation… but I was sure that there was a bit more to it than that!
Turns out, you CAN use it to set up a hypothetical situation (a bit like the English picture this or imagine that), but you’ll also hear it in other contexts too!
👉 picture this / imagine that
💡 You’ll normally hear haz de cuenta que used with the indicative, NOT the subjunctive.
Why?
Because the indicative makes the situation feel more real, like you're stepping inside the scene.
The subjunctive makes it sound more detached and hypothetical.
And for storytelling we want vivid!
You’ll hear native speakers telling stories in the present tense for the exact same reason!
🌪️ When to whip it out
Whenever you want the listener to picture something:
Haz de cuenta que ganas un billón de dólares…
Imagine you win a billion dollars …
Haz de cuenta que no dije nada.
Let’s pretend I didn’t say anything.
Haz de cuenta que llegas y antes de entrar tienes que mostrar tu identificación.
So basically, you arrive and before going in you have to show your ID.
It can also be used to visualize a situation or objects in a certain way (a bit like you can think of it like or kinda like):
Haz de cuenta que es como iTunes para los productos Mac.
You can think of it like a kind of iTunes for Mac products.
Haz de cuenta como unos mallones en forma de jean.
Kinda like leggings in the form of jeans.
⚠️ Tone
✅ Extremely common!
🌵 Sounds VERY, VERY, VERY Mexican in everyday speech.