Education is for life

Learn Spanish Ireland

Learn Spanish IrelandLearn Spanish IrelandLearn Spanish Ireland
Home
Classes and courses
About us
Contact
Online store
Downloads
Get started
Why learn Spanish
Online learning
Podcasts
Spanish conversation
Spanish classes Ireland
One to one Spanish
Spanish vocabulary
Spanish oral exam guide
Learn Spanish
Spanish grinds Ireland
Spanish online classes
Buy a pack
JC

Learn Spanish Ireland

Learn Spanish IrelandLearn Spanish IrelandLearn Spanish Ireland
Home
Classes and courses
About us
Contact
Online store
Downloads
Get started
Why learn Spanish
Online learning
Podcasts
Spanish conversation
Spanish classes Ireland
One to one Spanish
Spanish vocabulary
Spanish oral exam guide
Learn Spanish
Spanish grinds Ireland
Spanish online classes
Buy a pack
JC
More
  • Home
  • Classes and courses
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Online store
  • Downloads
  • Get started
  • Why learn Spanish
  • Online learning
  • Podcasts
  • Spanish conversation
  • Spanish classes Ireland
  • One to one Spanish
  • Spanish vocabulary
  • Spanish oral exam guide
  • Learn Spanish
  • Spanish grinds Ireland
  • Spanish online classes
  • Buy a pack
  • JC
  • Sign In
  • Create Account

  • Bookings
  • Orders
  • My Account
  • Signed in as:

  • filler@godaddy.com


  • Bookings
  • Orders
  • My Account
  • Sign out


Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • Home
  • Classes and courses
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Online store
  • Downloads
  • Get started
  • Why learn Spanish
  • Online learning
  • Podcasts
  • Spanish conversation
  • Spanish classes Ireland
  • One to one Spanish
  • Spanish vocabulary
  • Spanish oral exam guide
  • Learn Spanish
  • Spanish grinds Ireland
  • Spanish online classes
  • Buy a pack
  • JC

Account


  • Bookings
  • Orders
  • My Account
  • Sign out


  • Sign In
  • Bookings
  • Orders
  • My Account

Spanish idioms and expressions

Conversational Spanish lesson plans, Spanish idioms and expressions

a destiempo - untimely, ill-timed, inopportune 

a dos pasos - very close, within an ace of
a duras penas - scarcely, with great difficulty 

a fin de cuentas - at the end of the day, when all is said and done
a gatas - on all fours
a la carrera - an unthorough, hurried way of doing something. 

a la larga - in the long run 

a la vez - at the same time, simultaneously 

a las espaldas de alguien - behind somebody's back 

a lo mejor - maybe, possibly 

a mano - by hand
a más tardar - at the latest 

a menudo - often, many a time 

a palo seco - without anything to go with it.  

a pesar de - in spite of 

a propósito - by the way 

a punto de - at the brink of 

a rajatabla - inflexibly, rigorously, strictly
a regañadientes - unwillingly, complainingly
a rienda suelta - without any constraint or control, freely
a solas - alone, by one's self 

a toda costa - at all costs
a todas luces - clearly, evidently
a todo trapo - in grand style
a tutiplén - profusely, copiously
a última hora - at the last moment 

ahuecar el ala - to clear off, to hit the road
al aire libre - outdoors 

al fin y al cabo - finally, at the end of the day, when all is said and done 

al menos - at least 

al pie de la letra - to the letter, to a T
al revés - upside down, topsy turvy 

andar de capa caída - to be in low spirits, depressed 

andarse por las ramas - to beat around the bush
apretarse el cinturón - to cut expenses, to live on a shoestring 

aquí hay gato encerrado - there's something fishy going on here, I smell a rat
armar un jaleo - to make a fuss 

ave nocturna - night person, night owl 

bailar al son que tocan - to dance to whatever music happens to be playing, to follow the current, to agree with anything
bajársele los humos a alguien - to be taken down a peg  

barrer para casa - to act advantageously, to promote one's interests without consideration of others 

bicho raro - an odd (human) one
borracho como una cuba - drunk as a skunk
borrón y cuenta nueva - to forget the past and start anew 

brillar por su ausencia - to be conspicuous by one's absence
buscar una aguja en un pajar - to look for a needle in a haystack
buscarle a alguien las cosquillas - to provoke somebody
buscarle tres pies al gato - to look for trouble, to complicate things unnecessarily

cabeza de chorlito - scatterbrain
cada hijo de vecino - all and sundry, everyone
caer bien/ mal - to be likeable/ not to be likeable
caer como moscas - to die/ drop like flies
calado hasta los huesos - soaked through
cerrar algo a cal y canto - to seal shut 

cerrar el pico - to shut one´s trap 

chapado a la antigua - old-fashioned   

como pez en el agua - to be in one's element, at home

como quien oye llover - it’s like water off a duck’s back
como si fuera poco - as if it that weren't enough
con el sudor de su frente - by the sweat of his brow (hard earned)
con pelos y señales - in all detail
consultar algo con la almohada - to sleep on something
contra viento y marea - come wind or high water 

costar un ojo de la cara - to cost an arm and a leg
cuando las ranas críen pelos - when pigs learn to fly 

cuatro gatos - hardly anybody   


dar a luz - to give birth 

dar algo por bueno - to approve of something, to accept 

dar de sí - said of clothes and shoes, to give; said of people, to give of oneself, to be accommodating 

dar en el clavo - to hit the nail on the head, to get something right
dar gato por liebre - to cheat, to deceive by giving something of similar appearance but inferior quality
dar la lata - to bother, to be a pain in the neck
dar la tabarra - to pester, to bug 

dar luz verde - to give the go ahead 

dar por sentado - to take something for granted 

dar una de cal y una de arena - to apply a policy of carrot and stick   

dar a algo el visto bueno - to give one's approval 

darle a alguien mala espina algo - to have one´s suspicions aroused by something
darse por vencido - to give up 

darse prisa - to hurry 

de buenas a primeras - unexpectedly, suddenly, without notice
de golpe - all at once, suddenly 

de higos a brevas - very rarely, once in a blue moon
de nuevo - again 

de par en par - wide open
de perlas - marvelously, excellently
de pronto - suddenly 

de una vez por todas - once and for all 

dejar en paz a alguien - to leave somebody alone 

dejar plantado a alguien - to stand somebody up 

descubrir la pólvora - to realize something evident, to proclaim as news something which is already common knowledge 

desde luego - of course 

deshacerse en atenciones - to bend over backward for somebody
devanarse los sesos - to rack one's brains
dormir a pierna suelta, dormir como un lirón - to sleep like a log

echar leña al fuego - to add fuel to the fire, to aggravate an already difficult situation
empezar la casa por el tejado - to do things in the wrong order, to put the cart before the horse
empinar el codo - to drink too alcohol (too much)
en cueros - naked, in the buff
en el séptimo cielo - exultant, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine
en fila india - in single file, in Indian file
en menos que canta un gallo - in an instant
en un abrir y cerrar de ojos - in a flash
endeudado hasta los ojos - up to one's ears in debt 

entre la espada y la pared - trapped in a delicate situation, between the Devil and the deep blue sea
estar (loco) como una cabra - to be as mad as a hatter, to be as nutty   as a fruit-cake 

estar de buenas - to be in a good mood 

estar de malas o de mala leche - to be in very bad humor
estar en ascuas - to be on tenterhooks
estar en boca de todos - to be on everyone's lips, to be the talk of the town
estar en la flor de la edad - to be in the prime of life
estar en la luna, estar en las nubes - to have one's head in the clouds 

estar frito - to be in dire straits, to be toast 

estar hasta la coronilla - to be fed up ...or... to be up to one's neck in something
estirar la pata - to die, to kick the bucket
exhalar el último suspiro - to die, to give up the ghost 

faltarle un tornillo a alguien - to have a screw loose  

fresco como una lechuga - fresh as a daisy  

fulano de tal - a certain person  

gajes del oficio - occupational hazards, the risks and inconveniences inherent to a trade or profession ganarse el pan - to earn one's bread and butter  

gastar saliva - to speak uselessly, to waste one’s breath  

importarle a alguien un bledo algo - to care not a wit for something or somebody, “I couldn’t care less”  

ir de la ceca a la meca - to run about all over the place  

ir de mal en peor - to go from bad to worse  

ir por lana y salir trasquilado - this is said when we expect to obtain a benefit and instead suffer a loss  

irse al garete - to spoil, to go down the drain 

irse con la música a otra parte - to take one's song and dance elsewhere, to take one´s act elsewhere 

irse o despedirse a la francesa - to leave without saying good-bye  

irse por los cerros de Úbeda - to ramble, to digress  

írsele a uno el santo al cielo - this is used when one forgets what one was just about to say or do  

jugarse el pellejo – to risk one’s skin or life  

la prudencia es la madre de la ciencia – discretion is the better part of valor  

las palabras se las lleva el viento – actions speak louder than words  

llegar como agua en mayo – to be just what is needed  

llegar y besar el santo – to attain swiftly and luckily a goal which is usually demanding in terms of time and effort  

llevar la procesión por dentro – to suffer greatly without showing it, to hide one´s feelings  

llevarse como el perro y el gato – to fight like cats and dogs  

llevarse el secreto a la tumba – to take a secret to one's deathbed  

llevarse un chasco – to suffer a sudden, surprising, unexpected or unforeseen reverse or disappointment  llorar a lágrima viva– to cry very intensely, to cry one´s eyes out  

mandar a freír espárragos, mandar a la porra – to send somebody packing, to tell somebody to get lost mantener a raya – to keep or hold something or somebody at bay, to keep someone at arm’s length mantener un tira y afloja – to bargain alternating severity and flexibility, to alternate truculent and soothing attitudes  

mantenerse en sus trece – to stick to one’s guns  

más terco que una mula – as stubborn as a mule  

más vale estar sólo que mal acompañado – solitude is better than bad company  

más vale maña que fuerza – brain is better than brawn  

más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando – abird in the hand is worth two in the bush  

más vale tarde que nunca – better late than never  

matar dos pájaros de un tiro – to kill two birds with one stone  

matar la gallina de los huevos de oro – to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs  

media naranja – better half, soulmate  

meter la pata – to put one’s foot in it  

meterse en camisas de once varas – to bite off more than one can chew, that is, to get entangled in a situation one cannot resolve  

meterse en el sobre – to hit the hay/go bed  

meterse en la boca del lobo – to enter into a dangerous situation, to enter the lion’s den  

meterse en un berenjenal – to get oneself into trouble, to get oneself into a real jam  

morderse la lengua – to bite one´s tongue – to keep oneself from saying something indiscreet or compromising   

morir con las botas puestas – to pass away when still active and at work, to die with one’s boots on  

mosquita muerta – a persons who appears to be of placid temperament but, in the face of opportunity, acts in ways we wouldn´t have expected of them  

mover cielo y tierra – to move heaven and earth, to go to great lengths in pursuit of a goal  

mucho ruido y pocas nueces – all mouth and no trousers

nacer de pie - to be born lucky

nadar contra la corriente - to go against the grain

ni carne ni pescado - neither one thing, nor the other, neither fish nor fowl

JOIN our online lessons now. First one is free!

Copyright © 2019 Spanish School Rathfarnham - All rights reserved.

  • Classes and courses
  • Contact
  • Spanish classes Ireland

Powered by

Cookies policy

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this page, you accept our use of cookies.


DeclineAccept and close