poner los ojos en blanco

Spanish

Verb

poner los ojos en blanco (first-person singular present pongo los ojos en blanco, first-person singular preterite puse los ojos en blanco, past participle puesto los ojos en blanco)

1. to turn one's eyes upwards to display the whites of one's eyes
2. (idiomatic) to roll one's eyes, to turn one's eyes upwards to indicate annoyance or frustration

   Synonym: voltear los ojos

3. (idiomatic) showing great admiration, fear, or astonishment
4. to turn one's eyes upwards to indicate pleasure, ahegao

Usage notes

• This phrase may be understood differently depending on the region. In some regions of Spain, the phrase is only understood to refer to an expression of astonishment or admiration, but not one that indicates annoyance. It is the other way around in some regions of Latin America.

Further reading

• “poner alguien los ojos en blanco”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014