How do you use "When pigs fly" in a sentence?

He'll apologize when pigs fly. Sure, I'll lend him money—when pigs fly. Pigs will fly before she agrees to that.

When pigs fly

Q: What does "When pigs fly" mean?

Never; something that will never happen Used to express extreme skepticism that something will ever occur. Since pigs cannot fly, the condition can never be met, so the thing will never happen.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: Never; something that will never happen

绝不可能；永远不会发生的事

Nunca; algo que jamás sucederá

ありえない、絶対に起こらない

절대 일어나지 않을 일, 있을 수 없는 일

Used to express extreme skepticism that something will ever occur. Since pigs cannot fly, the condition can never be met, so the thing will never happen.

用来表达对某事极度怀疑，认为绝不可能发生。因为猪不会飞，所以这个条件永远无法满足，事情也就永远不会发生。

Se usa para expresar un escepticismo extremo de que algo vaya a ocurrir. Como los cerdos no pueden volar, la condición nunca se cumplirá y, por tanto, nunca sucederá.

何かが起こることに対する極端な懐疑を表す。豚は飛べないので、その条件は決して満たされず、したがってそれは決して起こらない。

어떤 일이 절대 일어나지 않을 것이라는 극도의 회의감을 표현할 때 사용된다. 돼지는 날 수 없으므로 조건이 충족될 수 없고, 따라서 그 일은 절대 일어나지 않는다는 뜻.

Examples

He'll apologize when pigs fly.
他道歉？除非太阳从西边出来
Pedirá disculpas cuando las ranas críen pelo
彼が謝るなんてありえない
그가 사과한다고? 해가 서쪽에서 뜨겠다.
Sure, I'll lend him money—when pigs fly.
当然借给他钱——除非猪会飞
Claro, le presto dinero... cuando los cerdos vuelen
いいよ、貸してあげる——ありえないけどね
그래, 돈 빌려줄게—돼지가 하늘을 날면.
Pigs will fly before she agrees to that.
她同意那件事的可能性为零
Volarán los cerdos antes de que ella acepte
彼女がそれに同意するなんて絶対にありえない
그녀가 그걸 동의하는 건 절대 있을 수 없는 일이다.

Pronunciation

/wen pɪɡz flaɪ/

Usage Guide

Context: disbelief, skepticism, impossibility

Tone: sarcastic, dismissive

✓ Do Say

When pigs fly
绝不可能
Cuando las ranas críen pelo
ありえない
있을 수 없는 일
Pigs will fly before...
……绝不可能发生
Volarán los cerdos antes de que...
…するなんてありえない
그런 일은 절대 없을 거야

✗ Don't Say

Sarcastic and dismissive
带有讽刺和轻蔑的语气
Expresión sarcástica y despectiva
皮肉で突き放した表現
비꼬고 무시하는 뉘앙스

Common Mistakes

None—universally understood

Origin & History

The concept of flying pigs as an absurdity dates back centuries in various cultures. The English phrase emerged in the 17th century as a way to express complete disbelief.

Etymology: From impossibility of pigs flying

First recorded: 17th century

Cultural Context

Era: 17th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Pink Floyd flying pig; Common saying

Regional notes: Universal. Scottish version: 'pigs might fly.'

Variations

When pigs flyPigs might flyIf pigs could fly