Spanish Expressions for Social Rights
In Spanish, idiomatic expressions offer a vivid way to express protest, resistance and solidarity. If you want to talk about social justice in Spanish, these idioms aren’t just colorful, they’re powerful. But you don’t have to be talking politics to use them, hey’re also great for everyday situations when you disagree with something, feel strongly about an issue, or want to speak up. Whether you’re calling out injustice or just standing your ground, these expressions help you say it with impact.
Here are four essential expressions, explained with examples and grammar insights. They are all used both in European and Latin American Spanish:
1. Poner el grito en el cielo
2. No quedarse de brazos cruzados
3. Estar en pie de lucha
4. Luchar por tus derechos
Poner el grito en el cielo
Literal meaning: To put the scream in the sky
Real meaning: To strongly protest or be outraged about something.
✅ When is it used?
When someone reacts strongly to an injustice or unexpected bad news. It’s emotionally charged—used when people feel wronged or shocked. Although it’s perfect for this context of social injustice, this phrase is also common to hear in everyday conversation whenever someone reacts strongly about something.
🔍 Examples:
Los ciudadanos ponen el grito en el cielo cada vez que suben los precios de la luz.
(People raise hell every time electricity prices go up.)
La comunidad ha puesto el grito en el cielo por los recortes en salud pública.
(The community has cried out against the cuts in public healthcare.)
Si eliminan las becas estudiantiles, la gente pondrá el grito en el cielo.
(If they cut student scholarships, people will go ballistic.)
Cuando le dijeron a mi abuela que habían perdido su paquete, puso el grito en el cielo.
(When they told my grandma they had lost her package, she hit the roof.)
No quedarse de brazos cruzados
Literal meaning: To not stay with arms crossed
Real meaning: To take action instead of doing nothing.
✅ When is it used?
To encourage participation and avoid passivity, especially in collective causes.
🔍 Examples:
Ante la injusticia, no podemos quedarnos de brazos cruzados.
(In the face of injustice, we can’t just stand by.)
Yo no me quedaría de brazos cruzados si despidieran a mis compañeros.
(I wouldn’t sit idly by if they fired my coworkers.)
¡No te quedes de brazos cruzados, actúa!
(Don’t just stand there—do something!)
Mi compañero se enfermó y yo no me quedé de brazos cruzados; hablé con el jefe para reorganizar el trabajo.
(My coworker got sick and I didn’t just sit there; I talked to the boss to rearrange the workload.)
Estar en pie de lucha
Literal meaning: To be on foot for battle
Real meaning: To be actively fighting for a cause.
✅ When is it used?
Used by activists, unions and collectives to show ongoing resistance.
🔍 Examples:
Seguimos en pie de lucha por una vivienda digna.
(We remain in the fight for decent housing.)
Estuvimos en pie de lucha durante meses hasta lograr un cambio.
(We were on our feet fighting for months until we achieved change.)
Aunque le dijeron que no había solución, sigue en pie de lucha para arreglar el problema con su contrato de alquiler.
(Even though they told her there was no solution, she’s still fighting to fix the problem with her rental contract.)
Luchar por tus derechos
Literal meaning: To fight for your rights
Real meaning: To stand up for your legal and social entitlements.
✅ When is it used?
This is a direct call to action, classic and universally understood.
🔍 Examples:
Estamos luchando por nuestros derechos laborales.
(We are fighting for our labor rights.)
Si todos lucharan por sus derechos, el sistema sería más justo.
(If everyone fought for their rights, the system would be fairer.)
Seguiré luchando por mis derechos aunque sea difícil.
(I will keep fighting for my rights even if it’s hard.)
Useful Grammar Tools for Talking About Social Rights
🔹 Modal Verbs (Poder, Deber, Querer)
To speak clearly and powerfully about social rights, you need the right tools, not just the facts, but also the language that expresses agency, obligation and desire. That’s where modal verbs come in. They help you say not just what is, but what should be, what could be and what we want to change.
Poder (can, to be able to):
Podemos cambiar el sistema si actuamos juntos.
(We can change the system if we act together.)
Deber (should, must):
Debemos exigir una educación pública de calidad.
(We must demand quality public education.)
Querer (to want):
Queremos una sociedad más equitativa.
(We want a more equitable society.)
For a more comprehensive knowledge of modal verbs, here’s an introduction and a list of lessons:
Modal verbs
🔹 Desires & Hypotheticals: Me gustaría…
To propose ideas or express hopes without sounding confrontational, phrases like me gustaría (I would like) are especially effective. They keep the tone respectful while still making powerful points. Great for making respectful suggestions or expressing future-oriented goals:
Me gustaría que todos tuvieran acceso a atención médica.
(I would like everyone to have access to healthcare.)
Nos gustaría vivir en una sociedad más justa.
(We would like to live in a fairer society.)
Pair this with subjunctive for more complex structures:
Me gustaría que el gobierno escuchara más a los ciudadanos.
(I would like the government to listen more to the citizens.)
More on this? Here’s our focus lesson:
The conditional simple + que + the imperfect subjunctive (wish, advice, feelings)
🚀 Bonus idiomatic expressions to expand your activist Spanish
Here´s a comprehensive list of verbs, expressions and phrases that´ll help you express yourself in the context of social rights in Spanish:
Social rights vocabulary
More practice on this topic
Would you like to explore more on the topic of “social rights”?
You can try these different activities:
Fill-in-the-gaps:
Rigoberta Menchú (B2)
Reading and listening:
La lucha contra el acoso escolar (B2)
Writing challenge (for Premium users):
The evolution of women’s rights (B1)
Dictation (for Premium users):
El empoderamiento a través del deporte (B1)
Author info
After working in the travel industry for ten years in Seville, Inma moved to the UK to give a little twist to her life. Since then she's been teaching Spanish as a foreign language to adults for over 15 years in different settings, private lessons, secondary schools and online. Inma is a coffee lover and also loves exploring new places with her family in beautiful Warwickshire, where she lives.