Today we will learn 3 different ways to say “I’m in a rush” in Spanish.” You will also learn how to say “hurry up” in Spanish and how to say “don’t rush me” in Spanish. It never ceases to amaze me how the Spanish language has so many ways to say the same phrase. It is not uncommon for the Spanish language to have several ways to say a phrase that we only have one or two ways to say the English counterpart.

Here are 3 different ways to say “I am in a rush” or “I am in a hurry” in Spanish:

1. Tengo prisa – I am in a rush/hurry.

And of course if you want to say “you are in a rush,” you will say:

Tienes prisa.

You are in a rush.

And to ask the question…

¿Tienes prisa?

Are you in a rush?

“Tener prisa” is probably the most common way to say “to be in a rush/hurry.”

2. Tengo apuro – I am in a rush/hurry.

In one of my Spanish language only dictionaries, I found this example sentence under the Spanish verb “apurar.”

“Apurémonos para llegar antes que los demás,” dije a mis compañeros de equipo.

“Let’s hurry in order to arrive before everyone else,” I told my team mates.

3. Tengo afán – I am in a rush/hurry.

“Tener afán” seems to be a phrase that you will only hear in Colombia. “Tengo afán” is in fact the only way that I have heard people say “I am in a rush” in Medellin, Colombia. But of course they would also understand you if you said “tengo prisa” or “tengo apuro. And in Colombia if you want to say “you are in a rush,” you will say:

Tienes afán.

You are in a rush.

And to ask the question…

¿Tienes afán?

Are you in a rush?

Here are some related phrases:

Date prisa – Hurry up.

Apúrate – Hurry up.

No me apures – Don’t rush me.

No me des prisa – Don’t rush me.

No me afánes – Don’t rush me.

The last one is only used in Colombia.

Now you know 3 different ways to say “I’m in a rush” in Spanish.” And you also know how to say “hurry up” in Spanish and how to say “don’t rush me” in Spanish. This concludes today’s Spanish lesson on colloquial or conversational Latin American Spanish.