Idioms exist in every language, but they are usually only understood by native speakers or people with a really good command of the language in question. Would you like to take your Spanish to the next level and step up your game? It is piece of cake if you practice! In this blog post, we will show you ten common Spanish idioms that will help you increase your vocabulary and your fluency, killing two birds with one stone. Are you ready? Keep on reading!
Idiom: “a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own”.
“Se ha dado vuelta la tortilla y ahora es él quien me llama y escribe a diario” / “Now the tables have turned and it’s him the one who calls and texts daily”.
By saying this, you are implying that it used to be you who used to call and write but now it is the opposite way around.
“¿Ese vestido es nuevo?” “No! ¡Es del año de la pera!”
“Ya no me apetece ir a la fiesta. Su actitud me he puesto de mala leche” / “I don’t want to go to the party anymore. His attitude has put me in a bad mood”.
Have you ever been in a situation in which the person you like talks to you and you instantly blush? That is exactly what “ponerse como un tomate” means!
“Cuando recibió las flores en la oficina, ¡se puso como un tomate!” / “When she received the flowers at the office, she went so red!
“Mi amiga está como una cabra, ¡quiere tirarse en paracaídas!” / “My friend is totally crazy. She wants to go parachuting!”
Do you remember Dori, the blue tang fish from Finding Nemo that couldn’t remember things for more than 10 seconds? She literally had “memoria de pez”, though this idiom is usually used to refer to people with a bad memory.
“¿No me has traído el libro? ¡Pero si te lo recordé hace media hora! Tienes memoria de pez…” / “Didn’t you bring the book? I reminded you to do so half an hour ago! You have such a bad memory…”
“Mi hermano está rebelde e insoportable. “Está en plena edad del pavo!” / “My brother is acting out and being unbearable. He is such a teenager!”
“¡Estoy agotado! Anoche no pegué ojo” / “I’m exhausted! Last night I didn’t sleep a wink”
For example: “Estoy hasta las narices de ser la única que trabaja en el proyecto” / “I’m up to here with being the only that works on this Project”.
We all have this one friend who is really direct and doesn’t hesitate when it comes to saying the truth, even if it is a bit harsh, don’t we? That is exactly what this expression means!
“Si le preguntas a ella, seguro que te dirá la verdad. No tiene pelos en la lengua”. / “If you ask her she’ll probably tell you the truth. She doesn’t mince her words”.
Here’s a bit of a bonus with the idioms with the verb “montar“:
Do you know any other Spanish idioms? Share them with us! Follow us on Facebook and leave a comment!
If you are planning on coming to Madrid, why not take full advantage of the experience and sign up for Spanish classes? You can find detailed descriptions on all of LAE Madrid’s courses here.