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Note: Gana in these examples is not the same as the verb ganar (to earn, to win, to gain) and its nouns ganancia, ganador, etc.
When students first hear the word gana, they usually think it means desire or wish. But in reality, gana and its plural ganas appear in many different expressions, some very polite and others very emotional, strong and rude. This noun can express motivation, boredom, anger, or even defiance — depending on how it’s used and what tone the speaker gives it.
Grammatically, gana is a feminine noun, often used in plural form (las ganas) to express a person’s desire or willingness to do something. For example, tengo ganas de dormir means I feel like sleeping or I want to sleep.
However, in other situations, gana can express almost the opposite — lack of motivation or even rebellion — like haz lo que te dé la gana, which means do whatever you feel like or do as you please. If you want to sound even more exasperated, haz lo que se te dé tu regalada gana, do whatever you please!
Below is a table with several common and colorful expressions using gana and ganas in daily Spanish.
Table: Common Expressions with “Gana” and “Ganas”
| Spanish Expression | Literal Translation | Meaning / English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Tengo ganas de dormir | I have desire to sleep | I feel like sleeping |
| No tengo ganas | I don’t have desire | I don’t feel like it / I’m not in the mood |
| No se me da la gana | It doesn’t give me the desire | I don’t feel like it (angry tone) |
| Haz lo que te dé la gana | Do what gives you the desire | Do whatever you want (angry) |
| Cuando te dé la gana | When it gives you the desire | Whenever you feel like it (angry) |
| Pero qué ganas de molestar | What desire to bother | What a need to bother / How annoying (angry) |
| Tener pocas ganas (de) | To have few desires | Not to feel like doing something, I´m not really in the mood (not angry) |
| Estar desganado / sin ganas | To be without desire | To feel unmotivated / tired / bored |
| Me dieron ganas de llorar | They gave me desire to cry | I suddenly felt like crying |
| tengo ganas de ir al baño | It gives me the desire to go to the restroom | I need to use the restroom (very important, among family and friends) |
| Lo hizo con ganas | He did it with desire | He did it willingly / with a lot of effort, energies |
| Lo hizo de mala gana | He did it of bad desire | He did it reluctantly / unwillingly |
| Me entraron ganas de reír | Desires to laugh entered me | I felt like laughing |
| Se me quitaron las ganas | The desires left me | I lost interest |
| ¡Qué ganas tengo de verte! | What desire I have to see you! | I can’t wait to see you! (Italians: Non vedo l’ora di vederti). |
| Sin ganas | Without desire | Without energy / without enthusiasm |
| Me mata las ganas | It kills my desire | It ruins my mood |
| Hazlo si tienes ganas | Do it if you have desire | Do it if you feel like it |
The expressions no se me da la gana or haz lo que te dé la gana are very emphatic. They express irritation or defiance, and they’re often used when someone insists too much. Meanwhile, de mala gana means doing something unwillingly — maybe because you were forced to do it.
When someone says estoy desganado, it usually means they are tired, discouraged, or simply not in the mood for anything. It can also describe how someone feels physically — like having no appetite or no energy.
The word ganas is used constantly in everyday Spanish and is full of emotion. Whether you feel muchas ganas (a lot of desire) or ninguna gana (none at all), this small noun helps Spanish speakers express their inner mood better than almost any other word.
Children say: tengo ganas de hacer pipí, popó, etc. So it’s very important!
Mexican American singer Ángela Aguilar is not easy to understand, she runs words over, and at the end of this short video, she says in an annoyed manner that she will work with whomever she pleases. Con quien se me pegue mi regalada gana.
@trendofficiial Con quien seme de mi regalada gana😂#angelaaguilar #memes #mebale
