ir al grano
verbCEFR B2
What does “ir al grano” mean in English?
to get to the point, to cut to the chase
to get to the point, to cut to the chase (direct speech; voy al grano signals intentional directness)
Example sentences
Voy al grano: el proyecto necesita una inyección de capital urgente o tendremos que cerrarlo.
I'll get straight to the point: the project needs an urgent capital injection or we'll have to shut it down.
Si no te importa, ve al grano; no tenemos mucho tiempo.
If you don't mind, get to the point; we don't have much time.
El informe va al grano desde la primera página, lo que se agradece.
The report gets to the point from the first page, which is refreshing.
How to use it
Ir al grano (literally 'to go to the grain') means 'to get to the point', 'to cut to the chase'. It is used to signal that the speaker intends to be direct, or to request that someone else stop wasting time. Construction: ir al grano (intransitive). Common in openings of talks, presentations, or direct conversations. Often paired with voy al grano: 'Voy al grano: necesito tu respuesta hoy'. Contrast with andarse por las ramas (its opposite).
Common mistake
Ir al grano is directional (motion verb ir + destination al grano), not reflexive — unlike andarse por las ramas. Don't substitute *llegar al grano (wrong collocation) or *ir a lo directo. The article is fixed: always al grano, never *a grano.