estar al loro

What does “estar al loro” mean in English?

1. to be switched on, to be clued up

   to be switched on, to be clued up (informal: active vigilance and awareness; primarily Peninsular)

Example sentences

• Si no estás al loro, en este sector te quedan desfasado en cuestión de semanas.

  If you're not switched on in this sector, you're out of date within weeks.

• Está siempre al loro de lo que dicen sus competidores en redes sociales.

  He's always keeping an ear to the ground on what his competitors are saying on social media.

• Ten el oído al loro: si escuchas algo interesante en la reunión, avísame.

  Keep your ear to the ground: if you hear anything interesting in the meeting, let me know.

How to use it

Estar al loro (colloquial, from loro = parrot, alluding to a parrot that always picks up what's being said) means 'to be clued up', 'to be switched on', 'to keep one's ear to the ground'. It is decidedly informal and more dynamic than estar al tanto — it implies active vigilance and quick uptake, not just passive awareness. Use with caution in formal contexts. Common in Spain; understood across Hispanic varieties but primarily Peninsular.