Spanish idioms

Agreement: fine, understood, let’s do that.

English: OK, fine

Vale, nos vemos a las ocho.OK, see you at eight.

In Spain it comes up in almost every conversation; in Latin America you will hear bueno, listo or dale instead.

A flat denial of what the other person has just suggested.

English: not at all, far from it

¿Estás enfadado? — ¡Qué va!Are you cross? — Not in the slightest!

Something goes without saying.

English: of course

Por supuesto que puedes venir.Of course you can come.

A guess that something may well be the case.

English: maybe, perhaps

A lo mejor llega mañana.Maybe he’ll get here tomorrow.

Unlike quizá, it is always followed by the indicative, never the subjunctive.

Introduces a rewording of what has just been said.

English: I mean, in other words

Llegó tarde, o sea que no lo vimos.He got there late, so in other words we didn’t see him.

Offers a reason that is also an apology.

English: the thing is

No voy, es que estoy muy cansada.I’m not coming — the thing is, I’m shattered.

Softer than a bare porque: the reason is offered rather than stated.

Whatever was just said, this still holds.

English: anyway, in any case

De todos modos, gracias por avisar.Anyway, thanks for letting me know.

A refusal that is not open to discussion.

English: out of the question

¿Prestarle el coche? Ni hablar.Lend him the car? Out of the question.

Relief that things did not turn out worse.

English: thank goodness, just as well

Menos mal que llevabas paraguas.Just as well you had an umbrella with you.

It makes no difference to someone.

English: not to mind, to be all the same

Me da igual, elige tú.I don’t mind — you choose.

Built like gustar: the thing is the subject and the person is the indirect object.

Introduces a style, a mood or an intention.

English: like, sort of

Salimos en plan tranquilo, sin planes.We went out, just taking it easy, no plans.

Very Spanish and very young — fine among friends, out of place in a job interview.

Disbelieving dismissal of what someone has said.

English: come off it

¡Venga ya! Eso no puede ser.Come off it! That can’t be right.

Something holds as long as nothing gets in the way.

English: in principle, all being well

En principio entregamos el viernes.All being well, we’ll deliver on Friday.

Like English «in principle», it sounds like more of a promise than it is: the door is left open.

Within a short period of time.

English: in the short term

A corto plazo no habrá cambios.There won’t be any changes in the short term.

To know how things stand with something.

English: to be in the loop

Te mantengo al tanto del proyecto.I’ll keep you in the loop on the project.

To get something started or running.

English: to launch, to get something going

Han puesto en marcha el nuevo sistema.They’ve brought the new system into service.

To carry something out from start to finish.

English: to carry out

Llevaron a cabo el estudio en tres meses.They carried out the study in three months.

To bear something in mind when deciding.

English: to take into account

Hay que tener en cuenta el presupuesto.We have to take the budget into account.

To assume something without asking.

English: to take for granted

Di por hecho que vendrías.I took it for granted that you’d come.

No later than the time given.

English: at the latest

Lo tendrás el lunes a más tardar.You’ll have it by Monday at the latest.

To stress a point explicitly.

English: to lay emphasis on

Hizo hincapié en los plazos.He laid particular emphasis on the deadlines.

You like someone as a person.

English: to like someone, to get a good impression

Tu hermana me cae muy bien.I really like your sister.

Built like gustar: the person who is liked is the subject — literally «your sister falls well to me».

You cannot put up with something any longer.

English: to be fed up to the back teeth

Estoy hasta las narices de esperar.I’m fed up to the back teeth with waiting.

Someone is exceptionally kind.

English: to be an angel

Tu vecina es un cielo.Your neighbour is an angel.

Someone is in a foul temper, or is downright spiteful.

English: to be in a foul mood; to be nasty

Hoy tiene mala leche, mejor no le preguntes.He’s in a foul mood today — better not ask him.

Two meanings, and the tone decides which: a passing bad mood or real malice.

To pull yourself together and get going.

English: to get your act together

Ponte las pilas, queda una semana.Get your act together, there’s one week left.

Literally «to put your batteries in».

You have no idea at all.

English: not to have a clue

No tengo ni idea de dónde está.I haven’t got a clue where it is.

Your mind is somewhere else entirely.

English: to be miles away

Perdona, estaba en las nubes.Sorry, I was miles away.

To fool someone as a joke.

English: to pull someone’s leg

¿Me estás tomando el pelo?Are you pulling my leg?

Literally «to take the hair»: Spanish goes for the hair where English goes for the leg.

You feel the absence of someone or something.

English: to miss

Echo mucho de menos a mi familia.I miss my family a lot.

In Latin America people say extrañar — one word instead of three.

Two people get along with each other.

English: to get on well

Me llevo bien con mis compañeros.I get on well with my colleagues.

At irregular, fairly rare intervals.

English: every now and then

De vez en cuando salimos a cenar.Every now and then we go out for dinner.

Only just before the end or the deadline.

English: at the last minute

Lo canceló a última hora.He cancelled at the last minute.

Very quickly indeed.

English: in the blink of an eye

Lo arregló en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.He fixed it in the blink of an eye.

Without warning, all at once.

English: all of a sudden

De golpe se quedó todo a oscuras.All of a sudden everything went dark.

Step by step, without hurrying.

English: little by little

Poco a poco vas mejorando.Little by little you’re getting better.

Once enough time has gone by.

English: in the long run

A la larga sale más barato.In the long run it works out cheaper.

As early as at all possible.

English: as soon as possible

Llámame en cuanto antes puedas.Call me as soon as you can.

The usual form is cuanto antes, without en; en cuanto on its own means «as soon as».

To keep putting off an answer or a decision.

English: to fob someone off

Me está dando largas desde marzo.He’s been fobbing me off since March.

Something is extraordinarily expensive.

English: to cost an arm and a leg

La reparación costó un ojo de la cara.The repair cost an arm and a leg.

English pays with an arm and a leg, Spanish with an eye.

You have no money left.

English: to be skint, to be broke

A final de mes estoy sin blanca.By the end of the month I’m skint.

The blanca was an old coin; the word has outlived the coin.

It pays off once everything is added up.

English: to work out cheaper, to pay

Comprar el abono sale a cuenta.The season ticket works out cheaper.

Well below the usual price.

English: at a knockdown price

Lo compré a precio de saldo.I got it at a knockdown price.

You have to spend less.

English: to tighten your belt

Este año hay que apretarse el cinturón.This year we’ll have to tighten our belts.

The effort is well repaid.

English: to be worth it, to be worthwhile

Vale la pena ver esa exposición.That exhibition is well worth seeing.

To spend lavishly without counting the cost.

English: to push the boat out

Para la boda tiraron la casa por la ventana.They really pushed the boat out for the wedding.

Literally «to throw the house out of the window».

In equal shares between two people.

English: to go halves, fifty-fifty

Pagamos la cena a medias.We went halves on the dinner.

The same phrase also means «half-finished»: dejar algo a medias, to leave something half-done.

To come straight to the point.

English: to get to the point

Vamos al grano: ¿cuánto cuesta?Let’s get to the point: how much is it?

To overlook something on purpose.

English: to turn a blind eye

El portero hizo la vista gorda.The doorman turned a blind eye.

To say or do something clumsy.

English: to put your foot in it

Metí la pata delante de todos.I put my foot in it in front of everyone.

Pata is an animal’s leg or paw, not a human foot — part of the joke.

To get something exactly right.

English: to hit the nail on the head

Diste en el clavo con esa pregunta.You hit the nail on the head with that question.

The same nail as in English.

To be completely worn out.

English: to be shattered, to be knackered

Después del turno estaba hecho polvo.After the shift he was shattered.

Literally «to be made dust».

Very close, in time or in space.

English: just around the corner

El invierno está a la vuelta de la esquina.Winter is just around the corner.

To become realistic.

English: to come back down to earth

Hay que poner los pies en el suelo.We need to come back down to earth.

To be crazy, in an affectionate way.

English: to be as mad as a hatter

Está como una cabra, pero es buena gente.He’s as mad as a hatter, but he’s a good sort.

Literally «to be like a goat».

To make a nuisance of yourself.

English: to pester, to be a pain

El niño dio la lata toda la tarde.The child pestered us all afternoon.

To pretend not to understand.

English: to play dumb

Cuando le preguntaron, se hizo el sueco.When they asked him, he played dumb.

Literally «to play the Swede».

Saying things straight out, without softening them.

English: not to mince your words

Habla sin pelos en la lengua.He doesn’t mince his words.

Usually after hablar or decir las cosas; as a verb it is no tener pelos en la lengua, literally «to have no hairs on your tongue».

To be unnecessary or out of place.

English: to be uncalled for

Ese comentario estaba de más.That remark was uncalled for.

In case something happens.

English: just in case

Llévate el paraguas, por si acaso.Take the umbrella, just in case.

When you look beneath the surface.

English: deep down, at heart

En el fondo tiene razón.Deep down he’s right.

To bring a topic up for discussion.

English: to put on the table, to raise

Puso el problema sobre la mesa.He put the problem on the table.

To see how the pieces fit together.

English: to put two and two together

Ató cabos y entendió lo que pasaba.He put two and two together and understood what was going on.

Literally «to tie loose ends».

To be the one who sets the tone and decides.

English: to call the shots

En la reunión llevó la voz cantante.She was the one calling the shots in the meeting.

Literally «to carry the singing voice» — the melody, while the others only accompany.

To remain undecided.

English: to be left up in the air

La decisión quedó en el aire.The decision was left up in the air.

To be reliably at one’s post, whatever happens.

English: to be always at your post, to keep at it

Lleva veinte años al pie del cañón.He’s been keeping at it for twenty years.

Literally «at the foot of the cannon».

To say openly what is really at stake.

English: to put your cards on the table

Puso las cartas sobre la mesa desde el principio.She put her cards on the table from the start.

To refuse to listen, on purpose.

English: to turn a deaf ear

Hicieron oídos sordos a la objeción.They turned a deaf ear to the objection.

Paired just as in English: hacer la vista gorda is the blind eye, hacer oídos sordos the deaf ear.

Under heavy time pressure.

English: against the clock

Trabajaron a contrarreloj toda la semana.They worked against the clock all week.

In cycling, a contrarreloj is a time trial.

With a view to something coming up.

English: with a view to, looking ahead to

De cara al año que viene, hay que decidir.Looking ahead to next year, a decision has to be made.

To get a project through to success.

English: to see something through, to pull something off

Sacó el proyecto adelante sin ayuda.He saw the project through without any help.

To approve something officially.

English: to give the go-ahead

El jefe dio el visto bueno el viernes.The boss gave the go-ahead on Friday.

Called into question, open to doubt.

English: in question, in doubt

Puso en tela de juicio el resultado.He called the result into question.

Almost always with poner: poner en tela de juicio, to call into question.

In broad outline, leaving out the detail.

English: in broad strokes, broadly speaking

Lo explicó a grandes rasgos.He explained it in broad strokes.

Introduces an example close at hand.

English: to take an example close to home; look no further than

Sin ir más lejos, ayer pasó lo mismo.Only yesterday, the same thing happened.

Literally «without going any further».

To give up because it is no longer possible.

English: to throw in the towel

Después de tres intentos tiró la toalla.After three attempts he threw in the towel.

To go ahead without a hitch.

English: to go like clockwork

El traslado fue sobre ruedas.The move went like clockwork.

Literally «to go on wheels».

To tell someone the latest.

English: to bring someone up to date, to fill someone in

Ponme al día antes de la reunión.Fill me in before the meeting.

To close a matter for good.

English: to shelve, to close the file on

Dieron carpetazo al asunto en marzo.They closed the file on the matter in March.

From carpeta, a folder: the -azo is the thud of it being slapped shut.

To help out briefly.

English: to lend a hand

¿Me echas una mano con las cajas?Can you lend me a hand with the boxes?

Right where the work is being done.

English: on site, on the spot

El ingeniero decide a pie de obra.The engineer makes the decisions on site.

From building sites; now used for any work that cannot be judged from behind a desk.

To end up getting what you wanted after all.

English: to get your own way

Insistió tanto que se salió con la suya.He kept on until he got his own way.

To blush with embarrassment.

English: to go red, to blush

Se puso rojo cuando lo dijeron.He went red when they said it.

To look ill or tired.

English: to look unwell, to look rough

Tienes mala cara, ¿has dormido?You look rough — have you slept?

To be in a bad temper.

English: to be in a bad mood

Está de mal humor desde el lunes.He’s been in a bad mood since Monday.

To be barely able to believe something.

English: not to believe your ears (or eyes)

No daba crédito a lo que oía.He couldn’t believe his ears.

To freeze with surprise.

English: to be stunned, to be gobsmacked

Se quedó de piedra al verlo.He was stunned when he saw it.

Literally «to be left as stone».

To have become suspicious.

English: to smell a rat

Desde entonces tiene la mosca detrás de la oreja.Ever since, he’s smelt a rat.

Literally «to have the fly behind the ear».

To get on well with someone straight away.

English: to hit it off

Hicieron buenas migas desde el primer día.They hit it off from day one.

To drive someone to distraction.

English: to drive someone up the wall

Ese ruido me saca de quicio.That noise drives me up the wall.

The quicio is the part of a door frame the door turns in: taken out of it, nothing works.

To show no compassion.

English: to have a heart of stone

No tiene corazón de piedra, solo está cansado.He hasn’t got a heart of stone, he’s just tired.

To be beside yourself with anger or impatience.

English: to hit the roof

Cuando lo supo se subía por las paredes.When he found out, he hit the roof.

Literally «to climb up the walls».

To be spiteful, or in a very sour mood.

English: to be in a stinking mood; to have a mean streak

Hoy tiene mala uva, mejor no preguntes.He’s in a stinking mood today — better not ask.

Literally «to have bad grape»; close in meaning to tener mala leche, and just as informal.

To be kind-hearted through and through.

English: to have a heart of gold

Su padre es un trozo de pan.Her father has a heart of gold.

Literally «to be a piece of bread»; also heard as ser un pedazo de pan.

To have a gift for something.

English: to have a way with, to have a knack for

Tiene buena mano con los niños.She has a way with children.

Someone gets on your nerves as a person.

English: not to be able to stand someone

Ese tipo me cae gordo.I can’t stand that bloke.

The opposite of caer bien, and built the same way round: the person you dislike is the subject — literally «he falls fat on me».

To feel completely at ease in a situation.

English: to be in your element

En el escenario está como pez en el agua.On stage she’s in her element.

English keeps only the other half of the image: a «fish out of water» is someone who is not at ease.

To lose self-control.

English: to lose your temper, to fly off the handle

Perdió los estribos y gritó.He lost his temper and shouted.

The estribos are stirrups: lose them and you no longer sit firmly in the saddle.

To lie awake all night.

English: not to sleep a wink

No pegué ojo en toda la noche.I didn’t sleep a wink all night.

To cry without holding back.

English: to cry your eyes out

Lloró a moco tendido al final de la película.She cried her eyes out at the end of the film.

The image is crude — moco is snot — but the phrase is everyday.

Quite suddenly, with no transition.

English: overnight

Cambió de opinión de la noche a la mañana.He changed his mind overnight.

At the proper time — or, looking back, at the time.

English: in due course; at the time

Ya lo diremos en su momento.We’ll tell you in due course.

It looks both ways: forwards it means «in due course», backwards «at the time».

Only just in time.

English: with no time to spare

Llegamos con el tiempo justo.We got there with no time to spare.

Very often — annoyingly so.

English: every five minutes

Se rompe cada dos por tres.It breaks down every five minutes.

Literally «every two times three»; the English exaggerates just as freely.

In a moment.

English: in a jiffy

Lo resolvió en un santiamén.He sorted it out in a jiffy.

From the closing words of the sign of the cross, Spiritu Sancti, amen — the time it takes to say them.

Over a long period of time.

English: in the long term

A largo plazo no compensa.In the long term it doesn’t pay.

For a very long time.

English: for ages

No lo veo desde hace siglos.I haven’t seen him for ages.

Literally «for centuries» — the same everyday exaggeration as English «ages».

From one day to the next, without warning.

English: from one day to the next

Cerraron la tienda de un día para otro.They closed the shop from one day to the next.

When the time for it has come.

English: all in good time

Se sabrá a su debido tiempo.All will be revealed in good time.

Only very rarely.

English: once in a blue moon

Nos vemos de higos a brevas.We see each other once in a blue moon.

The fig tree crops twice a year: the brevas in early summer, the higos in late summer.

To be about to arrive.

English: to be due any minute

Tranquilo, el tren está al caer.Don’t worry, the train is due any minute.

Back when it was current.

English: at the time, back then

En su día fue una decisión razonable.At the time it was a sensible decision.

Soon, in a short while.

English: shortly, before long

Dentro de poco empieza el curso.The course starts shortly.

At a time that does not suit.

English: at an unearthly hour, at odd hours

Llamó a deshora y nadie contestó.He rang at an unearthly hour and nobody answered.

With no warning, right from the start.

English: out of the blue

De buenas a primeras me pidió el coche.Out of the blue he asked me for the car.

To pay for something with your own money.

English: to pay out of your own pocket

Puso mil de su bolsillo.He paid a thousand out of his own pocket.

To be worth nothing at all.

English: not to be worth a penny

Ese coche no vale un duro.That car isn’t worth a penny.

The duro was an old five-peseta coin; the phrase outlived the currency.

To work out whether the money will stretch.

English: to do the sums

Hicieron números antes de decidir.They did the sums before deciding.

With no prospect of being paid back.

English: non-repayable

La ayuda fue a fondo perdido.The aid was a non-repayable grant.

To end up costing someone dearly.

English: to cost someone dear

Esa decisión salió cara.That decision cost them dear.

To leave someone very little freedom.

English: to keep someone on a short leash

El banco los ata en corto desde entonces.Ever since, the bank has kept them on a short leash.

The same image as in English — literally «to tie short», as with a horse’s reins.

At a very high price.

English: for a small fortune

Vendieron el terreno a precio de oro.They sold the land for a small fortune.

Literally «at the price of gold».

To split the bill equally between everyone.

English: to split the bill

Pagamos la cena a escote.We split the bill for dinner.

Any number of people; a medias is between two.

To have a great deal of money.

English: to be loaded, to be rolling in it

Su tío está forrado.His uncle is loaded.

Literally «lined», like a coat — and the lining is money.

To spend money on something pointless.

English: to throw money down the drain

Comprar eso es tirar el dinero.Buying that is throwing money down the drain.

In several part payments.

English: in instalments

Compraron la lavadora a plazos.They bought the washing machine in instalments.