Spanish Phrase
¡Mi colega derramó café por todas partes!
Meaning
The speaker exclaims that a coworker accidentally spilled coffee all over the place, expressing surprise, mild frustration, or amusement at the mishap.
When to use
Use this exclamation in informal conversations at work, in a coffee break chat, or when recounting a funny office incident. It’s perfect for describing a sudden, messy accident.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Micolegaderramócaféportodaspartes
Mi (possessive adjective)
‘Mi’ is a singular, gender‑neutral possessive adjective that agrees with the noun it modifies (colega).
colega (noun)
‘Colega’ can refer to a male or female coworker; it stays the same for both genders.
derramó (preterite)
Third‑person singular preterite of ‘derramar’ (to spill). The accent on the final ‘ó’ marks the past‑simple tense.
café (masculine noun)
‘Café’ is masculine; note the acute accent on the e, which affects pronunciation.
por (preposition)
‘Por’ introduces the manner or location of the action – here ‘por todas partes’ = ‘everywhere’.
todas partes (agreement)
‘Todas’ is a feminine plural adjective that must agree with the feminine plural noun ‘partes’.
🗨In Conversation
¡Mi colega derramó café por todas partes!
My colleague spilled coffee everywhere!
¡Qué desastre! ¿Quieres que te ayude a limpiar?
What a disaster! Do you want me to help you clean up?
✕Common Mistakes
Mi colega derramó café todo partes.
‘Todo’ must agree in gender and number with ‘partes’; the correct form is ‘todas partes’. Also, the verb must stay ‘derramó’.
Mi colega derramó café por todo partes.
‘Todo’ is singular; you need the plural feminine ‘todas’ to match ‘partes’.
Mi colega derramó el café por todas partes.
Adding the article ‘el’ isn’t wrong, but it changes the nuance to a specific cup of coffee; the original phrase is more general.
↔Alternatives
Mi compañero derramó café por todas partes.
My coworker spilled coffee everywhere.
Se nos cayó el café por todas partes.
The coffee fell everywhere on us.
¡Se ha derramado café por todo el sitio!
Coffee has been spilled all over the place!
Cultural Tip
Coffee is a staple in many Spanish‑speaking offices, so a coffee spill is a familiar, often humorous scenario. Remember to keep the opening and closing exclamation marks (¡ !); they are mandatory in Spanish and convey the speaker’s emotion. In some regions, ‘colega’ is more common than ‘compañero’ for a work peer.