Spanish idioms are not only a fun way to learn vocabulary, they’re also essential to comprehending everyday conversations and written materials. Idioms are everywhere, not only in refranes (sayings) and the wisdom of proverbs, but also in the Spanish phrases we use to describe our experiences in the world around us.
Understanding idioms can be a process. If you immerse yourself in Spanish, you’re likely to hear these common idioms in authentic contexts. Rosetta Stone can help you understand the way people really speak Spanish, from the most basic greetings to talking about the weather, relationships, and more.
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What is an idiom?
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a specific meaning that goes beyond the literal meaning of the individual words. Like Spanish slang, they are understood through experience and through the lens of culture.
You’ve been burning the candle at both ends. You slept like a log, straight through your alarm. Now in a panic, you’re running around like a bull in a china shop trying to get your ducks in a row before an important meeting. Your dog is going bananas.
Imagine you want to learn English, but with a limited understanding of the English language, you’ve read the previous paragraph. Reading about candles, logs, ducks, and bananas probably got quite confusing. But if you are familiar with these English expressions, you could perfectly visualize the situation. Such is the power of idioms.
Why learn Spanish idioms?
Many Spanish idioms will translate closely enough to English idioms, or will be simple enough to understand, but there are certainly some that you wouldn’t be able to guess. Like in English, Spanish idioms can help you:
- Avoid confusion and embarrassment;
- Expand your vocabulary;
- Catch the tone or underlying humor in a situation;
- Speak with more depth and detail;
- Fit in with Spanish speakers;
- Have fun while learning sophisticated structures.
It’s all about having fun with the language and making progress. If you get confused by a Spanish idiom, you’re not alone. Simply ask, “what do you mean” in Spanish, and your conversation partner can explain what they meant another way.
Spanish idioms with food
Learning Spanish food vocabulary is one of the most rewarding aspects of practicing Spanish. Equipped with the proper vocabulary, you’ll be able to use these popular Spanish language idioms.
Pan comido (piece of cake)
If a task is perfectly simple and uncomplicated, English speakers call it a “piece of cake.” In Spanish, it’s pan comido, or “eaten bread.”
- Creo que actualizar mi móvil es complicado, pero para mi hijo es pan comido. = I think updating my phone is hard, but for my son it’s a piece of cake.
Dar la vuelta a la tortilla (to mix things up a bit)
In cooking, you’ll need to dar la vuelta (flip over) many types of foods, like un filete (a steak/a tenderloin) or un panqueque (pancake). When it comes to la tortilla, while you could be speaking literally about a Spanish omelet or a Mexican tortilla in a pan, Spanish-speakers could also mean “to change things around” or “mix things up” in a situation. It often refers to making a significant change.
- Hemos hablado mucho, pero ya es hora de dar la vuelta a la tortilla. = We’ve talked a lot, but now it’s time to mix things up a bit.
Estar en su salsa (to be in one’s element)
If someone is en su salsa (in their sauce) they are perfectly content and comfortable in the situation. One might say they are “in their element.”
- En la clase de mates, está en su salsa. = In Math class, she’s in her element.
Other Spanish food idioms
There are dozens of expressions related to food, as it’s such a significant part of life and culture. They might not help you order food in Spanish, but they can help you impress your conversation partners.
| Spanish Idiom | Literal English Meaning | English Idiom/Concept |
| comerse el coco | to eat up the coconut | to fret or worry excessively about something |
| cortar el bacalao | to cut the codfish | to be the one in charge or who gives the orders |
| estar hasta en la sopa | to even be in the soup | When someone is seemingly being talked about everywhere. |
| mala leche | bad milk | a bad mood/rotten luck (can be used in a vulgar sense) |
| no importar un pepino/rábano/pimiento | to not matter a cucumber/radish/pepper | When someone “couldn’t care less” or it doesn’t bother them at all. |
Spanish idioms with animals
Man’s best friend seems to be a popular theme for idiomatic phrases Spanish-speakers love to use, but don’t forget the gatos (cats).
A otro perro con ese hueso (I’m not buying it)
Tell someone you don’t believe them at all by saying a otro perro con ese hueso (to another dog with that bone). You can say it sarcastically, like “yeah, right.” It’s like saying “go try that on someone else.”
- ¿No tuviste tiempo suficiente? A otro perro con ese hueso. Siempre hay excusas.= You didn’t have enough time? I’m not buying it. There are always excuses.
El mismo perro con distinto collar (same dog, different collar)
Say that something is el mismo perro (the same dog) con distinto collar (with a different collar) when a change is merely superficial, but not one that matters.
- La nueva aplicación cuesta más, pero es el mismo perro con distinto collar. = The new application costs more, but it’s the same thing as always.
Perro que ladra no muerde (all bark, no bite)
Similar to “all bark, no bite,” perro que ladra (a dog that barks) no muerde (doesn’t bite) refers to someone who might “talk a big game,” but is full of empty threats and is unlikely to cause you any real problems.
Other Spanish animal idioms
Every dog has its day, and almost every animal has its Spanish idiom. If you want to try out an idiom in Spanish, examples include many words you probably already know. For a challenge, you can even practice them in various Spanish verb tenses.
| Spanish Idiom | Literal English Meaning | English Idiom/Concept |
| a caballo regalado no se le mire el diente | a horse given as a gift is not looked at its tooth | “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”/If someone gives you something for free, don’t look for faults or flaws in it. |
| acostarse con las gallinas | to go to bed at the same time as the chickens | to go to bed early |
| buscarle tres pies al gato | to look for three feet on the cat | “to split hairs”/to overcomplicate matters |
| cuando las ranas críen pelo | when frogs grow fur | “when pigs fly”/The event is highly unlikely to ever occur. |
| cuatro gatos | four cats | very few people |
| dar gato por liebre | to give cat for hare | to “rip someone off”/to deceive |
| gato encerrado | closed in/locked up cat | “something’s fishy here.”/Something is hidden and suspicious |
| matar dos pájaros de un tiro | to kill two birds with one shot | to accomplish two tasks with the effort of one |
| matar el gusanillo | to kill the little worm | to take the edge off your hunger/to have a little snack to hold you over |
| no ver tres en un burro | to not see three on one donkey | “to be blind as a bat.”/To have poor vision. |
| por si las moscas | in case of flies | “just in case.”/Whether it’s flies or another unexpected circumstance, you can be prepared. |
| ser la oveja negra | to be the black sheep | to be the one who causes trouble or doesn’t fit in. |
Idioms in Spanish with colors
Learn Spanish colors to describe purchases, favorites, and to express yourself using these Spanish idioms.
Ver todo color de rosa (to see everything with rose-colored glasses)
To see everything with “rose-colored glasses” in English is a similar expression that means to be very cheerful or optimistic, perhaps to a fault. The direct translation is “to see all in pink.”
- Está enamorado y ve todo color de rosa. = He’s in love and sees everything with rose-colored glasses.
No hay color (no comparison/no contest)
The idiom no hay color means that two things are so different you can’t even compare them, or one is vastly superior to another.
- Comida rápida o casera, no hay color. = Fast food or homemade, no contest.
No todo lo que brilla es oro (not all that glitters is gold)
Some things are simply too good to be true. Just because it’s shiny or fascinating doesn’t make it a good idea.
- Me gustaría cambiar de trabajo, pero el mío es estable y seguro. Además, no todo lo que brilla es oro. = I would like to change jobs, but mine is steady and reliable. Besides, not everything that glitters is gold.
Other idioms in Spanish with colors
Brighten up your speech using these colorful expressions.
| Spanish Idiom | Literal English Meaning | English Idiom/Concept |
| dar en el blanco | to hit in the white | “to hit home”/to hit the target |
| estar rojo como un tomate | to be red like a tomato | to blush |
| pasar la noche en blanco | to spend the night in white | “to not sleep a wink.”/To not get any sleep. |
| ponerse morado | to put yourself purple | “to pig out”/to enjoy a meal or food to an extreme degree |
| tener luz verde | to have the green light | to have approval or the permission to do something |
Spanish idioms relating to love and relationships
There are idioms relating to romance as well as your personal connections with others. Brush up on these expressions when you’re ready to say “I love you” in Spanish.
Media naranja (soulmate)
The literal meaning is “half orange.” Imagine the fruit cut in half with one clean slice. You can fit both halves together to make a whole orange. This is the image of finding one’s media naranja, or perfect match, usually in a romantic sense. In English, we might say “soulmate” or “better half.”
- ¿Crees que voy a encontrar a mi media naranja en la universidad? = Do you think I’m going to meet my soulmate in college?
Dar calabazas (to give the brush-off)
If you show interest in someone romantically but they don’t return your attention, you may say that they’ve “given you the brushoff.” If someone gives you pumpkins in Spanish, it’s a way of saying that they communicated that they aren’t interested.
- No me interesa nada. Le di calabazas. = He doesn’t interest me at all. I brushed him off.
Dar el sí/dar el sí quiero (to tie the knot)
If you’re looking for a way to say casarse (to get married) that sounds more like “to say I do,” use this expression, which translates directly to “to give the yes, I want to.” This expression, sí, quiero is common in marriage ceremonies.
Other Spanish expressions for relationships
Get to the heart of the matter with these Spanish idioms for love and friendship.
| Spanish Idiom | Literal English Meaning | English Idiom/Concept |
| el príncipe azul | the blue prince | “prince charming”/knight in shining armor.the perfect man |
| ser uña y carne | to be fingernail and flesh | “to be joined at the hip.”/where two friends or partners are inseparable |
| tener un flechazo | to have an arrow wound | to have an intense crush/to have been struck by Cupid’s arrow. |
Weather-related idioms in Spanish
The familiar idiom “raining cats and dogs” in English doesn’t apply here. One of these options would be best in Spanish.
Llover a cántaros/llover a mares (to rain hard/to pour)
The literal translation of cántaro is a jug or pitcher, and mar is an ocean or sea. Either way, you’re likely to be empapado/empapada (soaking wet) before long.
- No vamos a dar un paseo ahora. Llueve a cántaros. = We’re not taking a walk now. It’s pouring.
Hacer un frío que pela (to be freezing cold)
Literally translated, “it’s making a cold that peels,” evokes the kind of cold that feels like it’s damaging to your skin.
Estar en las nubes (to be in the clouds)
This expression doesn’t really have to do with weather, but it’s an idiom that means “to daydream.” In addition, las nubes (clouds) is a great vocabulary word to know when talking about weather conditions.
Llover sobre mojado (when it rains it pours)
This meaning of “to rain on top of wet” is similar to the English expression “when it rains, it pours.” In other words, bad luck tends to come in waves.
Idioms in Spanish with parts of the body
There are almost as many idioms as there are partes del cuerpo (parts of the body). Learning idioms in Spanish can help reinforce this topic so you’ll never forget the difference between el ojo (the eye) and la oreja (the ear).
| Spanish Idiom | Literal English Meaning | English Idiom/Concept |
| con las manos en la masa | with the hands in the dough | “caught red-handed”/to be caught in the moment of wrong-doing |
| costar un ojo de la cara | to cost an eye from the face | “to cost an arm and a leg.”/to be expensive |
| dormir a pierna suelta | to sleep with a loose leg | “to sleep like a log”/to sleep comfortably |
| estar hasta las narices | to be up to the nostrils | “to have had it up to here.”/to be frustrated |
| hablar por los codos | to talk through the elbows | “to talk up a storm.”/to be very talkative |
| (no) pegar ojo | to (not) stick an eye | to fall asleep/to not sleep a wink |
| no tener pelos en la lengua | to not have hair on the tongue | to not have a filter/to say too much without thinking or being considerate |
| quemarse las pestañas | to burn the eyelashes | “to burn the midnight oil.”/to stay up all night studying or working |
| tomar el pelo | to take the hair | “to pull one’s leg”/to joke or kid around |
Other essential Spanish idioms
You’ll hear some of these Spanish idioms and their English equivalents often, and some more rarely, but they can truly ir al grano (get to the point) and help you communicate.
| Spanish Idiom | Literal English Meaning | English Idiom/Concept |
| ahogarse en un vaso de agua | to drown in a glass of water | “to make a mountain out of a molehill.”/to overreact to a problem |
| andarse por las ramas | to walk out on the branches | to digress/to get off topic |
| de tal palo, tal astilla | from such a stick, such a splinter | “a chip off the old block”/the offspring resembles the parent |
| Estar entre la espada y la pared | to be between the sword and the wall | “to be between a rock and a hard place.”/to be between two difficult situations |
| ponerse las pilas | to put in your own batteries | to get to work/start working hard |
| tirar la toalla | to throw the towel | “to throw in the towel.”/to give up |
Explore more Spanish language and culture with Rosetta Stone
Learning Spanish idioms is about more than the individual words that make up the expression. Similarly, learning Spanish culture is about more than just the language. When you learn Spanish with Rosetta Stone, you have plenty of opportunity to connect with other cultural practices and perspectives, leading you to a deeper understanding of others and ability to communicate.
Rosetta Stone’s live lessons and expert tutors are amazing resources if you’re interested in learning more Spanish idioms, from the classics to those that are trending today.
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