Idioms are a crucial part of any language, adding color and personality to conversations. As you dive into Spanish, you’ll come across countless fun and intriguing expressions, especially if you’re learning the language while living in Spain.
In this post, we’ll explore 15 fascinating Spanish idioms, breaking them down into four key points: their literal translations, actual meanings, English counterparts and, of course, example sentences to see them in action.
Before we begin looking at the kinds of Spanish idioms examples you’ll be taught when taking online Spanish courses or in-person Spanish classes Madrid or elsewhere, let’s ask a general question. What is an idiom? Well, according to the Cambridge Dictionary: “An idiom is a group of words in a fixed order that has a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own.”
In other words, the literal meaning of an idiom is the direct word-for-word translation, which often doesn’t make much sense in another language. The figurative meaning is the actual message conveyed through cultural or contextual usage, and this is what we’re going to learn with the following 15 examples of Spanish expressions.
Literal translation: To be eaten bread
Actual meaning: To be very easy
English counterpart: To be a piece of cake
Example: El examen fue pan comido = The exam was a piece of cake
Literal translation: To not have hairs on the tongue
Actual meaning: To be blunt
English counterpart: To not mince words
Example: Mi abuelo no tiene pelos en la lengua y siempre dice lo que piensa = My grandfather doesn’t mince his words and always says what he thinks
Literal translation: To be like a goat
Actual meaning: To be a little crazy
English counterpart: To be a little nuts
Example: Carlos está como una cabra cuando baila = Carlos acts a little nuts when he dances
Literal translation: To cost an eye from the face
Actual meaning: To be very expensive
English counterpart: To cost an arm and a leg
Example: Ese coche cuesta un ojo de la cara = That car costs an arm and a leg
Literal translation: To be up to the noses
Actual meaning: To be fed up
English counterpart: To be sick and tired
Example: Estoy hasta las narices de este ruido = I’m sick and tired of this noise
Literal translation: To put the paw in
Actual meaning: To make a mistake
English counterpart: To put one’s foot in it
Example: Metí la pata en la reunión y dije algo inapropiado = I put my foot in it in the meeting and said something inappropriate
Literal translation: To put in the batteries
Actual meaning: To get energised
English counterpart: To get one’s act together
Example: Tienes que ponerte las pilas si quieres aprobar el examen = You need to get your act together if you want to pass the exam
Literal translation: To be of bad milk
Actual meaning: To be in a bad mood
English counterpart: To be off
Example: Hoy está de mala leche porque no durmió bien = He’s a bit off today because he didn’t sleep well
Literal translation: To make one’s eyesight fat
Actual meaning: To pretend not to notice something
English counterpart: To turn a blind eye
Example: El profesor se hizo de la vista gorda cuando llegamos tarde = The teacher turned a blind eye when we arrived late
Literal translation: To be a melon
Actual meaning: To be not very bright
English counterpart: To be a bit of a dummy
Example: A veces eres un melón con las matemáticas = Sometimes you’re a bit of a dummy with maths
Literal translation: To not care a cucumber
Actual meaning: To not care at all
English counterpart: To not give a fig
Example: Me importa un pepino lo que digan los demás = I don’t give a fig what others say
Literal translation: Where two eat, three eat
Actual meaning: There’s always room for one more
English counterpart: The more, the merrier
Example: No te preocupes, donde comen dos, comen tres = Don’t worry, the more, the merrier
Literal translation: To see everything in pink
Actual meaning: To see everything positively
English counterpart: To see through rose-tinted glasses
Example: Siempre ve todo color de rosa, aunque las cosas estén mal = She always sees things through rose-tinted glasses, even when things are bad
Literal translation: There’s no colour
Actual meaning: There’s no comparison
English counterpart: There’s no contest
Example: Entre esos dos equipos, no hay color = Between those two teams, there’s no contest
Literal translation: To not strike an eye
Actual meaning: To not sleep
English counterpart: To not sleep a wink
Example: Anoche no pegué un ojo = Last night I didn’t sleep a wink
One of the biggest challenges in learning Spanish idioms is that they don’t follow logical patterns, which means they require memorisation. The good news is that this comes over time, by immersing yourself in Spanish contexts and culture, perhaps by listening to Spanish podcasts or watching Spanish movies. And, if you’re studying Spanish with IH Madrid, these Spanish expressions will become second nature as you continue along your language-learning journey.
