Office Small Talk in Spain
The idioms Spanish colleagues use at the coffee machine, over lunch and at the end of the day.
Spanish offices run on chat: a coffee at the bar downstairs mid-morning, lunch around two, often the menú del día, and in summer many firms switch to jornada intensiva. Colleagues talk about the weekend, long weekends (puentes) and office rumours in very idiomatic, informal Spanish. The cards follow one Monday at a Madrid agency, from the coffee machine to clocking off.
- 1
¡Buenas! ¿Qué tal vas?
Morning! How's it going?
- 2
Liado, como siempre, estoy hasta arriba de trabajo.
Busy as always, I'm snowed under.
- 3
Los lunes se me hacen cuesta arriba.
Mondays are such a drag.
- 4
¿Qué tal el finde? ¿Hiciste algo?
How was the weekend? Did you do anything?
- 5
Nada especial, me quedé en casa tirado en el sofá.
Nothing special, I just lazed around at home on the sofa.
- 6
El café de esta máquina no hay quien se lo beba.
Nobody can drink the coffee from this machine.
- 7
¿Bajamos a tomar un café?
Shall we pop down for a coffee?
- 8
Tengo unas ganas de que llegue el puente...
I can't wait for the long weekend.
- 9
¿Vas a hacer puente el viernes?
Are you taking Friday off to make a long weekend of it?
- 10
Dicen las malas lenguas que van a reorganizar el departamento.
Rumour has it they're going to restructure the department.
- 11
No me tires de la lengua, que me conozco.
Don't get me started, you know what I'm like.
- 12
Otra reunión que podría haber sido un correo, vaya tela.
Another meeting that could've been an email, honestly.
- 13
Siempre está haciendo la pelota al jefe.
He's always sucking up to the boss.
- 14
Venga, en la comida no hablamos de curro.
Come on, no talking shop over lunch.
- 15
¿Os venís a comer al bar de abajo?
Do you two want to come for lunch at the bar downstairs?
- 16
Allí el menú del día está muy bien de precio.
The set menu there is really good value.
- 17
Hoy el día no se acaba nunca.
Today is dragging on forever.
- 18
¿Ya tenéis jornada intensiva?
Are you on summer hours yet?
- 19
¡Hasta mañana, que vaya bien la tarde!
See you tomorrow, have a good afternoon!
- 20
Me piro, que estoy reventado.
Right, I'm off, I'm shattered.