Spanish Expressions You Can't Guess
Everyday Spanish idioms and slang from Spain whose meaning you'd never work out from the words.
Spaniards speak in images: things are 'bread already eaten', people are 'like a goat', and expensive things cost 'an eye from your face'. Add colloquial words like curro, chollo, guiri and molar, and textbook Spanish stops helping. These cards follow a working day, an evening at home with a flatmate and a Saturday chat about the night before.
- 1
Eso es pan comido, de verdad.
Honestly, that's a piece of cake.
- 2
Lo hacemos en un pispás.
We'll knock it out in no time.
- 3
Venga, ponte las pilas.
Come on, get your act together.
- 4
¡Me estás tomando el pelo!
You're pulling my leg!
- 5
Metí la pata hasta el fondo.
I really put my foot in it.
- 6
Mira, este piso es un chollo.
Look, this flat is a real bargain.
- 7
Tengo un montón de curro.
I've got loads of work.
- 8
Ese grupo mola mucho.
That band is so cool.
- 9
¡Flipé con el concierto!
The concert blew me away!
- 10
Está como una cabra.
He's completely nuts.
- 11
Estoy hasta las narices del ruido.
I'm sick to death of the noise.
- 12
La reunión fue un rollo.
The meeting was such a drag.
- 13
Me importa un pimiento.
I couldn't care less.
- 14
Me quedé frito en el sofá.
I conked out on the sofa.
- 15
Tiraron la casa por la ventana.
They went all out.
- 16
Marta no tiene pelos en la lengua.
Marta doesn't mince her words.
- 17
¡Deja de darme la lata!
Stop pestering me!
- 18
Aquí todo cuesta un ojo de la cara.
Everything here costs an arm and a leg.
- 19
¿Estás en las nubes?
Are you daydreaming?
- 20
Estaba lleno de guiris.
It was full of tourists.