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Spanish · Vocabulary · B1–C2

Spanish idioms and what they really mean

An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its words. Estar en las nubes means “to be in the clouds”, but what it says is “to be daydreaming”. Idioms carry much of the colour of spoken Spanish. Each one here has its literal words, its real meaning, the closest English idiom and an example you can play.

The bodyFoodAnimalsEveryday situationsWork and effort
Check yourself
ESTAR EN LAS NUBES WHAT IT SAYS “to be in the clouds” WHAT IT MEANS to be daydreaming English: to have your head in the clouds Spanish uses estar, because daydreaming is a passing state.
Many Spanish idioms paint a picture English also uses, with a small twist. Others have no English match at all, which makes them worth learning as whole units.
THE VERB CHANGES; THE IMAGE STAYS FIXED · TOMAR EL PELO (TO PULL SOMEONE’S LEG) ¿Metomasel pelo?meh TOH-mahs el PEH-lohAre you pulling my leg?Nostomaronel pelo.nos toh-MAH-ron el PEH-lohThey pulled our leg.
Learn each idiom with its verb in the infinitive (tomar el pelo), then conjugate it like any other verb. Swap the fixed words and the idiom disappears.

The body

Spanish builds many idioms on parts of the body, often where English uses objects.

tomarto-takeelthepelohair
toh-MAR el PEH-loh Means: to tease, to pull someone’s leg English: to pull someone’s leg
¡Me estás tomando el pelo!meh es-TAHS toh-MAHN-doh el PEH-loh You’re pulling my leg! Estar + -ando for an action happening now.
costarto-costunanojoeyedeoflathecaraface
kos-TAR oon OH-hoh deh lah KAH-rah Means: to be very expensive English: to cost an arm and a leg
El piso cuesta un ojo de la cara.el PEE-soh KWES-tah oon OH-hoh deh lah KAH-rah The flat costs an arm and a leg. English pays with limbs; Spanish with an eye.
nonottenerto-havepeloshairsenonlathelenguatongue
noh teh-NAIR PEH-los en lah LEN-gwah Means: to speak one’s mind bluntly English: not to mince one’s words
Mi abuela no tiene pelos en la lengua.mee ah-BWEH-lah noh TYEH-neh PEH-los en lah LEN-gwah My grandmother doesn’t mince her words. Usually said with admiration rather than criticism.
echarto-throwunaamanohand
eh-CHAR OO-nah MAH-noh Means: to help out English: to give a hand
¿Me echas una mano con la mudanza?meh EH-chas OO-nah MAH-noh kon lah moo-DAHN-thah Can you give me a hand with the move? Echar (to throw) appears in many idioms.
serto-beuñanailyandcarneflesh
sair OO-nyah ee KAR-neh Means: to be inseparable English: to be as thick as thieves
Ana y Marta son uña y carne.AH-nah ee MAR-tah son OO-nyah ee KAR-neh Ana and Marta are inseparable. Ser, because it describes what their friendship is.

Food

Food idioms are everywhere in Spanish conversation, from bread to oranges.

serto-bepanbreadcomidoeaten
sair pahn koh-MEE-doh Means: to be very easy English: to be a piece of cake
El examen fue pan comido.el ek-SAH-men fweh pahn koh-MEE-doh The exam was a piece of cake. Fue: the preterite of ser, for a completed event.
lathemediahalfnaranjaorange
lah MEH-dyah nah-RAHN-hah Means: one’s other half, partner English: one’s better half
Te presento a mi media naranja.teh preh-SEN-toh ah mee MEH-dyah nah-RAHN-hah Let me introduce my other half. From the idea that two halves make a whole fruit.
estarto-becomolikeunafideonoodle
es-TAR KOH-moh oon fee-DEH-oh Means: to be very thin English: to be as thin as a rake
Después del viaje estaba como un fideo.des-PWES del BYAH-heh es-TAH-bah KOH-moh oon fee-DEH-oh After the trip he was as thin as a rake. Estar for a state; the imperfect for description in the past.
darto-givecalabazaspumpkins
dar kah-lah-BAH-thas Means: to turn someone down English: to give someone the brush-off
Le pidió salir y le dio calabazas.leh pee-DYOH sah-LEER ee leh DYOH kah-lah-BAH-thas He asked her out and she turned him down. Also used for failing someone in an exam.
nonotimportarto-matterunapepinocucumber
noh eem-por-TAR oon peh-PEE-noh Means: to not matter at all English: to not give a fig
Me importa un pepino lo que diga.meh eem-POR-tah oon peh-PEE-noh loh keh DEE-gah I couldn’t care less what he says. Diga is subjunctive: what he says is unknown.

Animals

Animals turn up in some of the most vivid Spanish expressions.

serto-belatheovejasheepnegrablack
sair lah oh-BEH-hah NEH-grah Means: to be the one who doesn’t fit in a family or group English: to be the black sheep
Mi primo es la oveja negra de la familia.mee PREE-moh es lah oh-BEH-hah NEH-grah deh lah fah-MEE-lyah My cousin is the black sheep of the family. The adjective follows the noun: oveja negra, “sheep black”. Ser, because it describes who he is.
serto-beunagallinahen
sair oon gah-YEE-nah Means: to be a coward English: to be chicken
No seas gallina, ¡salta!noh SEH-as gah-YEE-nah, SAHL-tah Don’t be chicken, jump! No seas: a negative command uses the subjunctive.
cuatrofourgatoscats
KWAH-troh GAH-tos Means: hardly anyone English: one man and his dog
En la fiesta había cuatro gatos.en lah FYES-tah ah-BEE-ah KWAH-troh GAH-tos There was hardly anyone at the party. Había: the imperfect of hay, for background description.
estarto-becomolikepezfishenineltheaguawater
es-TAR KOH-moh peth en el AH-gwah Means: to be completely at ease English: to be in one’s element
En la cocina está como pez en el agua.en lah KOH-thee-nah es-TAH KOH-moh peth en el AH-gwah In the kitchen she’s in her element. English has the opposite: a fish out of water.
matarto-killdostwopájarosbirdsdewithunonetiroshot
mah-TAR dos PAH-hah-ros deh oon TEE-roh Means: to achieve two things at once English: to kill two birds with one stone
Así mato dos pájaros de un tiro.ah-SEE MAH-toh dos PAH-hah-ros deh oon TEE-roh That way I kill two birds with one stone. Almost identical to English, with a shot instead of a stone.

Everyday situations

Idioms for luck, effort, time and money.

estarto-beeninlasthenubesclouds
es-TAR en las NOO-bes Means: to be daydreaming English: to have one’s head in the clouds
Perdona, estaba en las nubes.pair-DOH-nah, es-TAH-bah en las NOO-bes Sorry, I was miles away. Estar, because it is a passing state.
tirarto-throwlathecasahouseporthroughlatheventanawindow
tee-RAR lah KAH-sah por lah ben-TAH-nah Means: to spare no expense English: to push the boat out
Para la boda tiraron la casa por la ventana.PAH-rah lah BOH-dah tee-RAH-ron lah KAH-sah por lah ben-TAH-nah They pushed the boat out for the wedding. Por for movement through something: see por and para.
nonotpegarto-stickojoeye
noh peh-GAR OH-hoh Means: to not sleep a wink English: not to sleep a wink
No pegué ojo en toda la noche.noh peh-GEH OH-hoh en TOH-dah lah NOH-cheh I didn’t sleep a wink all night. Preterite pegué, for a finished night.
ponerseto-put-oneselflasthepilasbatteries
poh-NAIR-seh las PEE-las Means: to get going, to get one’s act together English: to pull one’s socks up
¡Ponte las pilas, que llegamos tarde!PON-teh las PEE-las, keh yeh-GAH-mos TAR-deh Get a move on, we’re going to be late! Ponte: the tú command of ponerse.
aatlathetercerathirdvagoeslathevencidadefeated
ah lah tair-THEH-rah bah lah ben-THEE-dah Means: third time lucky English: third time lucky
He suspendido dos veces, ¡a la tercera va la vencida!eh soos-pen-DEE-doh dos BEH-thes, ah lah tair-THEH-rah bah lah ben-THEE-dah I’ve failed twice; third time lucky! Vencida refers to la vez, “the time that wins”.

Work and effort

Expressions you will hear in offices, classrooms and meetings.

serto-bepanbreaddeofcadaeverydíaday
sair pahn deh KAH-dah DEE-ah Means: to be very common English: to be an everyday occurrence
Los retrasos son pan de cada día.los reh-TRAH-sos son pahn deh KAH-dah DEE-ah Delays happen all the time. From the Lord’s Prayer: “our daily bread”.
consultarto-consultconwithlathealmohadapillow
kon-sool-TAR kon lah al-moh-AH-dah Means: to sleep on it English: to sleep on it
Déjame consultarlo con la almohada.DEH-hah-meh kon-sool-TAR-loh kon lah al-moh-AH-dah Let me sleep on it. Almohada is one of many Spanish words from Arabic, beginning al-.
irto-goalto-thegranograin
eer al GRAH-noh Means: to get to the point English: to cut to the chase
Vamos al grano: ¿cuánto cuesta?BAH-mos al GRAH-noh: KWAHN-toh KWES-tah Let’s get to the point: how much is it? Vamos is both “we go” and “let’s go”.
meterto-put-inlathepatapaw
meh-TAIR lah PAH-tah Means: to put one’s foot in it English: to put one’s foot in it
Metí la pata con su nombre.meh-TEE lah PAH-tah kon soo NOHM-breh I put my foot in it with her name. Pata is an animal’s leg or paw, used jokingly for people.
darto-giveenoneltheclavonail
dar en el KLAH-boh Means: to be exactly right English: to hit the nail on the head
Has dado en el clavo.AHS dah-DOH en el KLAH-boh You’ve hit the nail on the head. Has dado: present perfect, for something just done.

Same idea, different country

Many everyday expressions change across the Spanish-speaking world. These are among the most used, and the most likely to be heard on a first trip.

MeaningSpainMexicoArgentina
That’s great / cool¡Qué guay!keh GWAI¡Qué padre!keh PAH-dreh¡Qué copado!keh koh-PAH-doh
OK, fineValeBAH-lehÓrale / VaOH-rah-leh / BAHDaleDAH-leh
Mate, friendtío / tíaTEE-oh / TEE-ahgüeyGWAYche / boludocheh / boh-LOO-doh
To workcurrarkoo-RRARchambearcham-beh-ARlaburarlah-boo-RAR
Money (informal)la pastalah PAHS-tahla lanalah LAH-nahla guitalah GHEE-tah

Check yourself

What does each idiom really mean? Pick one answer.

Es pan comido.
Me estás tomando el pelo.
Había cuatro gatos.
Metí la pata.
Cuesta un ojo de la cara.

Where to go next

Next guideGraded readingShort texts where these idioms appear in context. Next guideSer and estarWhy idioms choose one or the other. Next guideFood and drinkThe literal side of pan, naranja and pepino. Course mapSpanish hubThe full course map.