Using the Spanish expression "no salirle algo a alguien"

Learn about the Spanish expression "no salirle a alguien bien algo"

In Spanish the verbal structure "salir(le) algo a alguien" is almost always used in the negative to express that someone can't do something/ doesn't achieve/manage to do something/can't work out something, after having tried for some time.

Here are some examples:

Notice that it's normally used with an indirect object pronoun, indicating the person who is struggling to perform this action. In this sense, this structure works the same way as the verb gustar. The verb salir is conjugated for the noun:

There are other uses of the verb salir with the indirect object pronoun that have a slightly different meaning but the idea of "not being able to do something" is still there. For example:

Salir de alguien [una idea] is also used idiomatically to express that it was someone's idea to do something:

We also use it followed by bien/mal to mean something going well/smoothly or the opposite. For example:

To say that something turned out well or badly,  or to use a more specific adjective, we can also use this structure:

Salir is used in lots of idiomatic expressions. Here is a list with some of these expressions:

Spanish expressions with "salir"