Spanish Idioms In English

Has one of your Spanish-speaking friends admitted to being “without white”? Or perhaps “in
leathers”? These strange phrases are idioms, and understanding them will greatly improve your
Spanish!

27 Most Common Spanish Idioms

This post contains 27 of the most common Spanish idioms that you should be familiar
with!

Tomar el pelo

Actual Meaning: To pull someone’s leg
The phrase “Tomar el pelo” literally means “to take the hair,” and it is used when someone is
intentionally tricking or making fun of someone else. So, if a friend tells you he has won $10
million, you might respond,
Example: “Me estás tomando el pelo.” (You’re trying to pull my leg.)

Ser pan comido

Actual Meaning: To be a piece of cake
“Ser pan comido” literally translates “to eat bread,” and it means that something is very simple.
It’s the equivalent of saying something is a piece of cake in English.
Example: “El trabajo es pan comido,” for example. (This is a simple task.)

Estar como una cabra

Actual Meaning: To be a little crazy
“Estar como una cabra” is a common Spanish idiom for when someone does something strange
or out of the ordinary. The literal translation of this phrase is “to be like a goat,” and the English
equivalent is “to be a little crazy this evening”:
Example: “Esta noche estás como una cabra.” (You’re a little crazy tonight.)

No tener pelos en la lengua

Actual Meaning: To be straightforward / To tell it like it is
“No tener pelos en la lengua” literally means “not to have hairs on your tongue.”
Example: “Mi amigo, no tiene pelos en lengua” means “my friend is a straight shooter who
always speaks their mind.” (This is how my friend describes it.)

Tirar la casa por la ventana

Actual Meaning: To spare no expense
“Tirar la casa por la Ventana” translates literally as “throwing the house through the window,”
and it implies that no expense has been spared or that money is no object:
Example: “Tiré la casa por ventana cuando compré mi nuevo coche.” (I made no compromises
when purchasing my new car.)

Quedarse de piedra

Actual Meaning: To be stunned
“Quedarse de piedra” literally means “to remain as a stone,” and it means to be amazed. In
other words, you’re so taken aback by something that you freeze:
Example: “Me quedé de piedra cuando me dije la historia.” (I was taken aback when he told me
the story.)

Lo dijo de labios para fuera

Actual Meaning: To say something you didn’t mean
“Lo dijo de labios para fuera” translates literally as, “he said it from the lips outwards,” and it
means that someone did not mean what they said:
Example: “Lo dijo de labios fuera cuando dijo que era culpable.” (When he said he was guilty,
he didn’t mean it.)

Estar hecho un ají

Actual Meaning: To be very angry
“Estar hecho un aj” literally translates as “to be made a chilli,” and it means to be extremely
angry about something:
Example: “No le gustó el resultado. Está hecho un ají.” (He wasn’t pleased with the outcome.
He’s furious.)

Empezar la casa por el tejado

Actual Meaning: To put the cart before the horse
“Empezar la casa por el tejado” literally translates as “starting the house by the roof,” and it
implies having things in the wrong order or putting the cart before the horse.
Example: “Si empezáramos construcción sin fondos, estamos empezando la casa por el
tejado.” (Starting construction without funds would be like putting the cart before the horse.)

Tener un humor de perros

Actual Meaning: Being in a bad mood
“Tenemos un humour de perros” literally translates as “to have a dog’s mood,” and it means “to
be in a bad mood”:
Example: “Ellos tienen un humour de perros porque los exámenes en la universidad no
aprobaron.” (They’re upset because they didn’t pass their university exams.)

Estar más sano que una pera

Actual Meaning: To be fit as a fiddle
“Estar más sano que una pera” translates literally as “to be healthier than a pear.” “Mi abuela
tiene 85 aos, pero está más sana que una pera,” the English equivalent, means that someone
feels great and is very healthy:
Example: “Mi abuela tiene 85 aos, pero está más sana que una pera.” (My grandmother is 85
years old, but she’s fit as a fiddle.)

Se me hace agua la boca

Actual Meaning: To make one’s mouth water / To be mouthwatering

“Se me hace agua la boca” phrase is a common Spanish idiom that means “it makes my mouth
water,” which means that a particular food or meal is so delicious that it causes saliva to flow
into a person’s mouth:
Example: “Se me hace agua boca solo pensar en la paella.” (Just thinking about paella makes
my mouth water.)

Tiene más lana que un borrego

Actual Meaning: To be loaded, to be rich
“Tiene más lana que borrego” translates as “he has more wool than a lamb,” and it denotes a
wealthy individual:
Example: “Él pagó la cuenta en restaurante porque tiene más lana que un borrego”. (Because
he’s flush with cash, he paid the bill in the restaurant.)

Echar agua al mar

Actual Meaning: To do something pointless / To put a drop in the bucket
“Echar agua al mar” literally translates as “to throw water into the sea,” a Spanish idiom used in
some Spanish-speaking regions to indicate that something is pointless:
Example: “Tratar de convencerla como echar agua al mar. Ella nunca va a cambiar.” (It’s
pointless to try to persuade her. She isn’t going to change.)

Estar en la edad del pavo

Actual Meaning: To be at that awkward age
This literally means “to be of turkey age,” which perfectly fits the idiomatic meaning because it is
used to say “at that awkward age:”
Example: Miguel, tienes 35 años ya, deja hacer el tonto. ¡Ya no estás en edad del pavo! —
Miguel, you’re 35 years old; stop acting like a fool. You’re no longer at that awkward age!

Darle la vuelta a la tortilla

Actual Meaning: To turn the tide
While this phrase can refer to flipping a tortilla while cooking, it can also mean to turn the tide
around:
Example: Íbamos perdiendo, pero le dimos vuelta la tortilla y al final ganamos. — We were
losing, but we turned things around and won.

No hay color

Actual Meaning: There is no comparison
This literally means “no color,” but it really means that something cannot be compared:
Example: Mi coche es mucho más rápido que tuyo. ¡No hay color! — My car is significantly
faster than yours. There isn’t a comparison!

Estar sin blanca

Actual Meaning: To be broke
This literally translates to “be without white,” but Blanca was a Spanish coin in the 16th century,
so this phrase is more commonly used to indicate a lack of money:
Example: He gastado todos ahorros para comprar un coche y ahora estoy sin blanca. — I
spent all of my savings on a car and am now bankrupt.

Llover a cántaros

Actual Meaning: To rain cats and dogs
To rain on pitchers is a literal translation. To rain cats and dogs in English
So, this phrase literally means “to rain on pitchers,” but it’s more commonly translated as “it’s
raining cats and dogs.”
Example: Estaba lloviendo a cántaros, así que fuimos al concierto. — We didn’t go to the
concert because it was raining cats and dogs.

Acostarse con las gallinas

Actual Meaning: To go to bed early
This literally means “to sleep with the hens,” but it refers to someone who sleeps very early:

Example: Son las 4 de la tarde ya estás cansado. Me parece que hoy vas a acostar con las
gallinas. — You’re already tired at 4 p.m. I believe you’ll be going to bed early today.

Ser un ave nocturna

Actual Meaning: To be a night owl
While this technically means “to be a night bird,” you can probably guess that it means “night
owl” in English:
Example: Me gusta estudiar por la noche. Soy un ave nocturna. — I enjoy studying late at
night. I am a night person.

Ser como buscar una aguja un pajar

Actual Meaning: To be like looking for a needle in a haystack
Searching for a needle in a straw loft is a literal translation. It is similar to looking for a needle in
a haystack in English. This expression almost directly translates as “like looking for a needle in
a haystack.”

Example: Hay unas 2.000 personas aquí. Encontrar a María a ser como buscar una aguja en
un pajar. — There are approximately 2,000 people in this room. Finding Mara will be like
searching for a needle in a haystack.

Dar a luz

Actual Meaning: To give birth
To give light is the literal translation. English translation: to give birth. This is a humorous
expression that literally means “to give to light,” but it is actually used to describe someone
giving birth:
Example: Lucía dio a luz a segundo hijo hace unas horas — Luca recently gave birth to her
second child.

Estar en cueros

Actual Meaning: To be naked
To be in leathers/skins is a literal translation. English translation: to be naked. Although its literal
meaning is “to be in leathers,” Spanish speakers use this to say “to be naked.”
Example: Juan siempre está en cueros. — Juan is 24/7 naked.

Despedirse a la francesa

Actual Meaning: To take a French exit
Despedirse a la Francesa literally means “to say goodbye like the French,” but it is also referred
to as the “French exit,” or leaving without saying goodbye. You’ve probably heard of an Irish
farewell — it’s the same thing.
Example: Pepe se ha despedido a la francesa y ahora tengo que pagar toda la cuenta. —
Pepe took the French Exit, and now I have to pay the entire bill.

No hay tutía

Actual Meaning: No way
There is no solution, no remedy, in literal terms. No way, not happening, forget about it, no dice,
nothing happening.
Example: No irás a fiesta, ¡no hay tutía! — No way you are not going to the party!

Encontrar tu media naranja

Actual meaning: to find the love of your life.
This phrase literally translates to “to find your half orange.”
Example: Carlos encontró su media naranja y se casó. (Carlos found the love of his life and got
married.)

Final Words: Why Learn Spanish Idioms?

Idioms are necessary for speaking a language fluently, and Spanish is no exception.
Remember, there are hundreds of Spanish idioms, and while some are shared by many
Spanish speakers, others are only found in one or a few countries throughout the Spanish-
speaking world. So, there are even idioms that are only spoken in certain parts of the world.
You will have a head start on sounding more fluent now that you’ve learned some of the most
common Spanish idioms!