Spanish Phrase
No te disperses tanto.
Meaning
Literally, ‘Don’t disperse yourself so much.’ In everyday speech it means ‘Don’t get so distracted’ or ‘Stay focused, please.’ The phrase carries a friendly, slightly urgent tone.
When to use
Use it in informal contexts when you want to remind a friend, colleague, or a younger person to keep their attention on the task at hand—e.g., before a meeting, while studying, or during a group activity.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Notedispersestanto
Negación (No)
‘No’ precedes the verb to make a negative command; it turns the affirmative imperative into a prohibition.
Pronombre reflexivo (te)
‘te’ is the second‑person singular reflexive pronoun, required because ‘dispersarse’ is a reflexive verb.
Imperativo negativo (disperses)
‘disperses’ is the present subjunctive form of ‘dispersar’ used for the negative command (imperative).
Adverbio de grado (tanto)
‘tanto’ intensifies the request, meaning ‘so much’ or ‘that much’.
🗨In Conversation
No te disperses tanto, que la reunión empieza en cinco minutos.
Don’t get so distracted, the meeting starts in five minutes.
¡Lo sé! Ya estoy concentrado.
I know! I’m already focused.
✕Common Mistakes
No te dispersas tanto.
‘Dispersas’ is the present indicative; the negative command requires the subjunctive form ‘disperses’.
No te disperses mucho.
‘Mucho’ is acceptable, but ‘tanto’ is the idiomatic choice when stressing degree.
No te disperses tanto
Missing the period or exclamation mark can change the tone; in spoken practice, a firm tone conveys the warning.
↔Alternatives
No te distraigas tanto.
Don’t get so distracted.
Mantén la concentración.
Keep your concentration.
No pierdas el foco.
Don’t lose focus.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, giving direct advice with ‘No te …’ is perfectly natural among peers, but it’s considered informal. If you need a more polite tone (e.g., with a boss), you could say ‘Por favor, mantenga la concentración.’ Also, ‘dispersarse’ is less common than ‘distraerse’ in some regions, so you’ll hear both forms.