Spanish Expression · Intermediate
por los pelos
by a hair's breadth / by the skin of one's teeth
Pronunciation: por los PÉ-los
Meaning
To succeed or escape from a situation by a very small margin, almost failing.
Example
Llegamos al aeropuerto por los pelos antes de que cerraran el embarque.
We arrived at the airport by the skin of our teeth before they closed boarding.
Common mistakes & tips
- Practice por los pelos out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
- Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
- Pay attention to context: this is a intermediate-level Spanish expression.