When you are recounting a series of unfortunate events and want to say that things went from bad to worse, use encima ("on top of that"). While it literally refers to physical location, it is frequently used to pile on negative details or add a complaint that makes a bad situation even worse.
It is usually paired with the conjunction y (y encima).
| Today the wait has been awful, and on top of that we have missed the train. | Hoy la espera ha sido pésima y encima hemos perdido el tren. |
| The road is longer than I thought, and on top of that we have hit a huge pothole. | La carretera es más larga de lo que pensaba y encima hemos pillado un bache enorme. |
Sometimes, it is separated by commas or follows a semicolon for emphasis.
| A terrible downpour is falling and, on top of that, there is an enormous pothole. | Cae un diluvio terrible y, encima, hay un bache enorme. |
Complaining with style
To really sell your complaint, Spanish has excellent vocabulary to describe how bad things are. You can use strong adjectives like pésimo (awful) or lamentable (pathetic, regrettable), and verbs like amargar (to ruin or to sour).
| Yesterday she ruined the party for us, and on top of that she was rude, even though she is my friend. | Ayer nos amargó la fiesta y encima fue grosera, y eso que es mi amiga. |
| The downpour has ruined the excursion for us, and on top of that it is cold. | El diluvio nos ha amargado la excursión y encima hace frío. |
The last straw
When a situation is simply unacceptable and cannot get any worse, you can cap off your rant with the phrase es el colmo (it is the last straw).
| The service has been pathetic, and on top of that the waiter has been rude; it is the last straw. | El servicio ha sido lamentable y encima el camarero ha sido grosero; es el colmo. |
| The boss's decision is unacceptable and it is the last straw; on top of that, I feel helplessness. | La decisión de la jefa es inaceptable y es el colmo; encima, siento impotencia. |
