Haven't learned many Spanish idioms? Está bien, "it's better late than never." Some of these idioms will sound weird at first, but don't "throw in the towell," trust me, "it's a piece of cake".
These idioms and more will be in this article.
The goal is to send you away knowing the most common Spanish idioms. I chose these idioms carefully, only picking the ones that are used and understood in every Spanish speaking country.
So, are you ready to add some flavor and elegance to your Spanish?
¡Vamos! (Let's go)
Más vale tarde que nunca: Better late than never
Example sentence:
"Me hubiera gustado terminarlo antes de hoy, pero más vale tarde que nunca, ¿no?"
(I would have liked to have finished it before today, but better late than never, right?"
Estar entre la espada y la pared: To be between a rock and a hard place (in a difficult situation)
Example sentence:
"Al tomar esa decisión me puso entre la espada y la pared"
(Making that decision put me between a rock and a hard place)
No hay mal que por bien no venga: Every cloud has a silver lining
Literal Meaning: There is no bad that good does come for
Example sentence:
"No te preocupes por este retroceso, no hay mal que por bien no venga"
(Don't worry to much about this setback, every cloud has a silver lining)
Matar dos pájaros de un tiro: To kill two birds with one stone
Literal Meaning: To kill two birds with one shot
Example sentence:
"No quería salir esta noche, pero si lo hago podré matar dos pájaros de un tiro"
(I didn't want to go out tonight, but if I do it I'll be able to kill two birds with one stone)
Tomar el pelo: To pull someone's leg (to tease or joke)
Literal Meaning: To take the hair
Example sentence:
"No te creo, ¿me estás tomando el pelo?"
(I don't believe you, are you pulling my leg?)
Más vale prevenir que lamentar: Better safe than sorry
Literal Meaning: Better to prevent than regret
Example sentence:
"Deberíamos usar guantes, más vale prevenir que lamentar"
(We should use gloves, better safe than sorry)
Dar en el clavo: To hit the nail on the head (to be correct)
Literal Meaning: To give in the key
Example sentence:
"Guau, bien hecho, ¡lo diste en el clavo!"
(Wow, well done, you hit the nail on the head!)
Cada loco con su tema: To each his own
Literal Meaning: Every crazy with his subject
Example sentence:
"Esos futbolistas trabajan tan duro, bueno, cada loco con su tema"
(Those soccer players work so hard, well, to each his own)
Ser pan comido: To be a piece of cake (easy)
Literal Meaning: To be eaten bread
Example sentence:
"Las matemáticas son muy faciles para mí, desde que empecé esta clase ha sido pan comido"
(Math is really easy for me, since I started this class it's been a piece of cake)
Estar como pez en el agua: To be in one's element
Literal Meaning: To be like a fish in the water
Example sentence:
"Él está cómodo aquí - está como pez en el agua"
(He is comfortable here - he's in his element)
Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente: You snooze, you lose
Literal Meaning: Shrimp that sleeps, gets taken by the current
Example sentence:
"Debías despertar a las 5, pero bueno, camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente"
(You should have woken up at 5, but well, you snooze, you lose)
A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Example sentence:
"Lo importante es que pensó en ti, a caballo regalado no se le mira el diente"
(The important thing is that she thought of you, don't look a gifted horse in the mouth)
Ser un cero a la izquierda: To be a nobody (not important)
Literal Meaning: To be a zero on the left
Example sentence:
"Ese wey es un cero a la izquerda, no me importa lo que dice"
(That dude is a loser, I don't care what he says)
Echar agua al mar. - To throw water into the sea (meaningless effort).
Example sentence:
"Déjalo así, estás echando agua al mar"
(Let it go, you're throwing water into the sea)
Estar en las mismas. - To be in the same boat.
Literal Meaning: To be in the same(s)
Example sentence:
"Yo te entiendo, hoy en día estamos en las mismas"
(I understand you, these days were in the same boat)
Costar un ojo de la cara. - To cost an arm and a leg.
Literal Meaning: To cost an eye from the face
Example sentence:
"No puedo comprar un nuevo caro, eso me costaría un ojo de la cara"
(I can't buy a new car, that would cost me an arm and a leg)
Tirar la toalla. - To throw in the towel.
Example sentence:
"Ya he visto bastante, voy a tirar la toalla, me rindo"
(I have seen enough, I'm throwing in the towel, I give up)
En boca cerrada no entran moscas. - Silence is golden.
Literal Meaning: In closed mouth, no flies enter
Example sentence:
"Si no hubieras hablado tanto no tendrías este problems, en boca cerrado no entran moscas"
(If you wouldn't have talked so much you wouldn't have this problem, silence is golden)
Ser la oveja negra. - To be the black sheep.
Buscar una aguja en un pajar. - To look for a needle in a haystack
Example sentence:
"Él siempre ha sido la oveja negra de la familia"
(He has always been the black sheep of the family)
Ser un ave nocturna. - To be a night owl
Example sentence:
"No voy a dormir hasta las 3, soy un ave nocturna, ya tú sabes eso"
(I am not going to sleep until 3, I'm a night owl, you know that)
Encontrar tu media naranja. - To find your other half
Literal Meaning: To find your half orange
Example sentence:
"Ella solo quiere encontrar su media naranja, pero hasta ahora nada ha funcionado"
(She just wants to find her other half, but up until now nothing has worked out)
Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando. - A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Literal Meaning: Worth more (a) bird in hand, than 100 flying
Example sentence:
"Disfruta tu esposa, más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando"
(Enjoy your wife, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush)
Ahogarse en un vaso de agua - To make a bigger problem out of something than is necessary.
Literal Meaning: To drown oneself in a glass of water
Example sentence:
"Cálmate, te estás ahogando en un vaso de agua"
(Calm down, you're drowning yourself in a glass of water)
Ver todo color de rosa - To be overly positive.
Literal Meaning: To see everything rose color
Example sentence:
"Esa chica siempre ha visto todo color de rosa"
(That girl has always been overly positive)
La curiosidad mató al gato. - Curiosity killed the cat.
Example sentence:
"Ella no debía haber revisado su cel, la curiosidad mató al gato"
(She shouldn't have had checked his phone, the curiosity killed the cat)