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“No se vale”: A Useful Spanish Expression for “That’s Not Fair!”
How to use no se vale and similar expressions in sports, school, friendships, and everyday life.
Spanish speakers often say ¡No se vale! when something seems unfair, dishonest, or against the rules. Children learn it early, but adults use it too. It can sound serious, funny, dramatic, or playful depending on the situation.
The closest English expressions are That’s not fair!, That doesn’t count!, That’s cheating!, or You can’t do that!. The best translation depends on what happened.
What does no se vale mean?
No se vale means “that is not allowed” or “that is not fair.” It comes from the verb valer, which can mean “to count,” “to be valid,” or “to be allowed.”
For example, se vale hacer tres preguntas means “you are allowed to ask three questions.” So no se vale hacer trampa means “you are not allowed to cheat.”
In normal conversation, people often just say ¡No se vale! without saying exactly what rule was broken. Everyone understands that the speaker thinks something is unfair.
The most common forms
| Spanish expression | English meaning | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| ¡No se vale! | That’s not fair! / That’s not allowed! | The basic expression. It can be serious, playful, or dramatic depending on your voice. |
| Eso no se vale. | That’s not fair. / You can’t do that. | The most common full version. Say it when reacting to something a person did. |
| No se vale hacer trampa. | Cheating is not allowed. | Useful when explaining a rule. |
| No se vale cambiar las reglas. | You can’t change the rules. | Useful during a game, competition, or argument. |
| Así no se vale. | That’s not fair that way. / You can’t do it like that. | This means that the way the other person is acting is unfair. |
| ¿Sí se vale? | Is that allowed? / Does that count? | Use it when you want to check the rules first. |
| Aquí no se vale gritar. | You are not allowed to shout here. | A general rule for a place, game, classroom, or group. |
| Todo se vale. | Anything goes. | The opposite idea: there are no limits or rules. |
| En el amor y la guerra todo se vale. | All is fair in love and war. | A well-known saying. People often use it as a joke. |
In sports and games
Sports and children’s games are very common places to hear no se vale. Players say it when someone cheats, changes the rules, gets an unfair advantage, or does something that should not count.
¡No se vale empujar!
You can’t push! / No pushing!
Eso no se vale: estabas viendo mis cartas.
That’s not fair: you were looking at my cards.
¿Sí se vale usar el celular durante el juego?
Are you allowed to use your phone during the game?
Ganaste porque hiciste trampa. ¡No se vale!
You won because you cheated. That’s not fair!
At school and at home
Children say no se vale all the time with brothers, sisters, parents, classmates, and friends. Adults may also say it as a joke when one person gets special treatment.
¡No se vale! A ella sí la dejaron salir y a mí no.
That’s not fair! They let her go out, but they did not let me.
Profe, no se vale: él copió mi respuesta.
Teacher, that’s not fair: he copied my answer.
No se vale usar la calculadora en este examen.
You are not allowed to use a calculator on this test.
Eso no se vale, tú escogiste el programa ayer.
That’s not fair, you chose what to watch yesterday.
With friends, family, and relationships
You can also use eso no se vale when there is no real game or written rule. For example, you may say it when a friend disappoints you, when someone changes plans, or when a person knows they can make you say yes.
Me dijiste que venías y ahora cancelas. Eso no se vale.
You told me you were coming, and now you are cancelling. That’s not fair.
¡No se vale hacerme reír cuando estoy tratando de estar serio!
It’s not fair to make me laugh when I’m trying to be serious!
Eso no se vale: tú sabes que no puedo decirte que no.
That’s not fair: you know I can’t say no to you.
In these examples, the person is saying something like: “You know this is difficult for me, and you are using that against me.”
Which countries use no se vale?
No se vale is very common in Mexico. You can also hear it in Venezuela and other parts of Latin America. In Mexican Spanish, se vale is a normal informal way to say “it is allowed.”
In Spain, people often say no vale instead of no se vale. A child in Spain may say ¡No vale!, while a child in Mexico may naturally say ¡No se vale!.
Both expressions have the same basic idea: “That is not allowed,” “That does not count,” or “That is not fair.” If you are learning Mexican Spanish, no se vale is a very useful expression to know.
No se vale vs. no vale
| Expression | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ¡No se vale! | That’s not fair! / That’s not allowed! | Especially common in Mexico and many parts of Latin America. |
| ¡No vale! | That doesn’t count! / That’s not fair! | Very common in Spain and understood everywhere. |
| No está permitido. | It is not permitted. | More formal. You may see this on signs, rules, or official instructions. |
| Eso no es justo. | That is not fair. | Use this when the main idea is unfairness, not a specific rule. |
A simple rule to remember
Use no se vale when something feels unfair or against the rules. It is perfect for games, sports, siblings, friends, and casual complaints.
Use no está permitido when you want to sound official. Use eso no es justo when you mainly want to say that something is unfair. And if you are in Spain, remember that no vale may sound more natural than no se vale.
References
Usage notes for se vale and no se vale are based on the Diccionario del Español de México and general reference discussions of regional Spanish use. The simplified version keeps the important distinction: **no se vale** is especially common in Mexican Spanish for something unfair or not allowed, while **no vale** is very common in Spain. [dem.colmex](https://dem.colmex.mx/ver/valer)
