Why idioms matter
Idiomatic expressions are phrases whose meaning can't be guessed from the individual words. Every language has them, and Spanish is especially rich in them. Knowing idioms will help you understand native speakers and sound more natural yourself. Most of these appear regularly in conversation, films, and literature.
Common idioms - body parts
| Spanish | Literal meaning | Actual meaning |
|---|---|---|
| meter la pata | to put your paw in | to put your foot in it / mess up |
| tomar el pelo (a alguien) | to take someone's hair | to pull someone's leg / wind up |
| no tener pelos en la lengua | to have no hair on the tongue | to speak one's mind / be blunt |
| costar un ojo de la cara | to cost an eye from the face | to cost an arm and a leg |
| dar en el clavo | to hit the nail | to hit the nail on the head |
| echar una mano | to throw a hand | to give a hand / help |
| ponerse las pilas | to put in one's batteries | to get one's act together |
| ser uña y carne | to be nail and flesh | to be inseparable / thick as thieves |
Common idioms - food and animals
| Spanish | Literal meaning | Actual meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ser pan comido | to be eaten bread | to be a piece of cake / very easy |
| estar como una cabra | to be like a goat | to be crazy |
| ir al grano | to go to the grain | to get to the point |
| dar calabazas | to give pumpkins | to reject someone (romantically) |
| importar un pepino / pimiento | to matter a cucumber / pepper | to not care at all |
| ser un buitre | to be a vulture | to be opportunistic |
| llevarse como el perro y el gato | to get along like cat and dog | to not get along at all |
| tener memoria de pez | to have fish memory | to have a terrible memory |
Everyday idioms and expressions
| Spanish | English equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|
| estar hecho polvo | to be shattered / exhausted | Después del partido estoy hecho polvo. |
| tener mala pinta | to look dodgy / bad | Ese restaurante tiene mala pinta. |
| quedarse en blanco | to go blank | En el examen me quedé en blanco. |
| estar en las nubes | to have one's head in the clouds | ¡Estás en las nubes! ¿Me escuchas? |
| no dar abasto | to not be able to cope / keep up | Con tanto trabajo, no doy abasto. |
| hacer la vista gorda | to turn a blind eye | El profesor hizo la vista gorda. |
| echar de menos | to miss (someone/something) | Echo de menos a mi familia. |
| pasarlo bomba | to have a blast | En la fiesta lo pasamos bomba. |
| pillar (a alguien) | to catch / get | ¿Me pillas? (Do you get me?) |
| mola / molar | to be cool (Spain, informal) | ¡Esa película mola mucho! |
Colloquial filler words and reactions
| Spanish | Meaning / Use |
|---|---|
| o sea | I mean / that is to say |
| en plan | like / kind of (very common in young Spanish) |
| tío/tía | mate / dude (Spain) |
| ¡Venga! | Come on! / OK! / Let's go! |
| ¡No me digas! | You don't say! / No way! |
| ¡Qué fuerte! | That's crazy! / Wow! |
| ¡Qué va! | No way! / Not at all! |
| ¡Anda! | Wow! / Come on! (surprise) |
| ¡Menudo/a...! | What a...! (emphasis) |
| ¡Flipar! | To be shocked / amazed (Spain) |
Figurative language: common similes
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| dormir como un tronco | to sleep like a log |
| comer como un pajarito | to eat like a bird |
| llover a cántaros | to rain buckets / cats and dogs |
| estar como pez en el agua | to be in one's element |
| ser más lento que una tortuga | to be slower than a tortoise |
| ponerse rojo como un tomate | to go red as a tomato |
Dialogue: catching up with friends
Lucía: ¡Tía! ¿Qué tal? Hace siglos que no te veo.
Sandra: Ya ves, es que no doy abasto con el trabajo. Estoy hecha polvo.
Lucía: ¿Tan mal? Tienes mala pinta, la verdad.
Sandra: Gracias, tía, muy amable. Es que mi jefe está como una cabra. Ayer me pidió que terminara un informe para hoy y yo me quedé en blanco.
Lucía: ¡Qué fuerte! ¿Y qué hiciste?
Sandra: Le eché cara y se lo dije claro. No tengo pelos en la lengua, ya me conoces.
Lucía: ¡Has dado en el clavo! Hay que ponerse las pilas y no dejar que se aprovechen. Pero bueno, vamos al grano - ¿vienes el sábado a la fiesta de Pablo?
Sandra: ¡Claro! Necesito pasarlo bomba por una vez. ¿Va a venir mucha gente?
Lucía: ¡Sí, va a ser pan comido encontrar gente! Todo el grupo viene. ¡Venga, que va a molar!
Translation
Lucia: Mate! How are you? I haven't seen you in ages.
Sandra: Tell me about it, I can't keep up with work. I'm shattered.
Lucia: That bad? You look rough, to be honest.
Sandra: Thanks, mate, very kind. It's that my boss is completely crazy. Yesterday he asked me to finish a report for today and I went blank.
Lucia: That's insane! And what did you do?
Sandra: I faced up to it and told him straight. I don't mince my words, you know me.
Lucia: Spot on! You need to get your act together and not let them take advantage. Anyway, let's get to the point - are you coming on Saturday to Pablo's party?
Sandra: Of course! I need to have a blast for once. Are lots of people coming?
Lucia: Yes, it's going to be easy to find people! The whole group is coming. Come on, it's going to be great!
Practice
Match each idiom to its meaning:
- meter la pata
- costar un ojo de la cara
- quedarse en blanco
- estar como una cabra
- ir al grano
- echar de menos
a) to be crazy b) to miss someone c) to be very expensive d) to go blank e) to mess up f) to get to the point
Answers
- e) meter la pata - to mess up
- c) costar un ojo de la cara - to be very expensive
- d) quedarse en blanco - to go blank
- a) estar como una cabra - to be crazy
- f) ir al grano - to get to the point
- b) echar de menos - to miss someone
Key takeaways
- Idioms can't be translated word for word - learn them as whole phrases.
- Body-part idioms are everywhere: meter la pata, tomar el pelo, echar una mano, dar en el clavo.
- Colloquial fillers (o sea, en plan, tío, ¡venga!) are essential for understanding natural speech.
- Many idioms have near-equivalents in English, which helps memorisation: llover a cántaros = to rain cats and dogs.
- The slang and fillers in this chapter (molar, tío, flipar, en plan) are characteristic of Castilian Spanish as spoken in Spain.