5 frases útiles que puedes usar cada día

What does “qué rollo” mean in Spanish?

Qué rollo is a common way to complain that something is boring or a hassle. A rollo is literally a “roll” (like a roll of paper), but in everyday Spanish it also means a long, dull, tiring thing — a boring talk, a chore, a wait. So qué rollo is like saying “what a drag” or “how boring” — a quick way to complain that something is dull or a hassle.

This is mostly heard in Spain, though it travels. The clip lists it as one of five daily phrases: Qué rollo. You will also meet vaya rollo (“what a bore”) and menudo rollo (“such a drag”). Careful: tener un rollo con alguien means a casual fling, a different sense of the word.