Learn Spanish Expressions with Spark Spanish/Aprender frases hechas con Spark
At Spark we encourage our students to use authentic Spanish expressions by giving them an “expresión del día” and promoting the use of it throughout the day to gain extra points in the Bursting Bubbles booklet, our innovative Spanish challenges booklet which is designed to help students achieve more during their learning experience on our Spanish Courses.
Have a look below at our list of expresiónes del día to help you Spark your Spanish!:
Al pan pan y al vino vino – Call a spade a spade.
Armarse la gorda – All hell broke loose.
Arrieritos somos y en el camino nos encontraremos – You may be on top now, but I will have the last laugh.
¡A vivir que son dos días! – To live everyday like it’s your last!
Caerse de un guindo – To be easily taken in.
Chuparse el dedo – To be naive or silly!
Chuparse los dedos – Finger Lickin´good!
Coger el toro por los cuernos – Grab the bull by it´s horns.
Comer de gorra – To eat on the house.
Comerse la cabeza – To rack one´s brain.
Con la boca abierta – Jaw dropper.
Cortar de raíz – Nip in the bud.
Costar un ojo de la cara – Lost an arm and a leg.
Cuando se cierra una puerta, se abre una ventana – When one door closes, another one opens.
Dar en el clavo – To hit the nail on the head.
Dar mil vueltas a alguien/algo – To run rings round someone.
Dar una vuelta – To look around.
De higos a brevas – Once in a blue moon.
¡De ninguna manera! – No way!
De ‘pe’ a ‘pe’ – From cover to cover.
Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres – Apples do not fall far from the tree.
Echar flores a alguien – To compliment someone.
Echar un vistazo – To take a look.
Entrar por el ojo – To catch someones eye.
Estar a dos velas – To be out of pocket.
Estar colgado – Mental mental chicken oriental/to be crazy/wacky.
Estar como una cabra – To be nuts.
Estar como una cuba – To be drunk as a skunk.
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Estar con la rueda cuadrada – To have a blue day.
Estar en ascuas – To be on tenterhooks/to be in a state of suspense
Estar en el chasis – To be very skinny.
Estar en las nubes – To have your head in the clouds.
Estar hasta el cuello – To be in a pickle.
Estar hasta las narices – To be up to your eyeballs.
Estar más pa’ ca’ que pa’ llá’ – To be neither here nor there.
Estar piripi – To be tipsy.
¡Estás loco/a de remate! – He’s a crazy cat.
Esto pasa de castaño a oscuro – This is beyond a joke.
Esto va viento en popa – This is plain sailing.
Hacer la pelota – To suck up.
Hacer la vista gorda – To turn a blind eye.
Hacer ojitos – To flutter your eyelashes.
Hacer piña – To stick together.
Hacerse el sueco – To turn a blind eye.
Hoy me he levantado con el pie izquierdo – I got up on the wrong side of the bed.
Irse volando – To be in a rush.
Jugar con fuego – To play with fire.
Le falta un tornillo – He’s got a screw loose.
Llevarse a alguien al huerto – To lead someone on.
Llevarse el gato al agua – To win after persistence.
Lavarse las manos – To wash your hands of something.
¡Madre del amor hermoso! – Sweet mother of Mary!
Más claro que el aqua – Crystal clear.
Me lo ha contado un pajarito – A little birdy told me.
Meter la pata – To put one’s foot in it.
Meterse en un berenjenal – To get into a sticky situation.
Mirar por encima del hombro – To look down on someone.
Montarse una película – To make a scene.
Ni fu ni fa – Whatever!
Ni harto vino – Not in a million years!
Ni me va ni me viene – I don´t care.
No dar pie con bola – It´s not my day.
No es oro todo lo que reluce – All that glistens is not gold.
No hay mal que por bien no venga – Every cloud has a silver lining!
¡No me digas! – Don’t tell me!
No pegar ojo – To not sleep a wink.
No tener nada que ver con… – Has nothing to do with.
No tengo ni idea – I have no idea.
No tiene dos dedos de frente – A sandwich short of a picnic.
¡Qué daño! – What a pain!
¡Qué fuerte! – That’s amazing/awesome.
Quien mucho corre pronto para – Pace yourself.
Pasa página – To turn over a new leaf.
Pasar la noche en blanco – To be up all night.
Pasarlo bomba – To have a great time.
Patirse de risa – Dying with laughter.
Ponerse rojo como un tomate – To be as red as a tomato.
Romper el hielo – To break the ice.
Sacarle chispas a algo – To make sparks fly.
Salir a pedir de boca – To turn out fine.
Ser el perejil de todas las salsas – To be the life and soul.
Ser más bueno que el pan – To be kindness itself.
Ser más viejo que Matusalén – Older than God.
Ser un cabezota – To be stubborn/big-headed.
Ser un muermo – To be dull.
Ser un rollo – To be a bore.
Ser un sol – To be a great person.
Ser uña y carne – Like birds of a feather/inseparable.
Ser pan comido – Piece of cake.
Ser pan para hoy, hambre para mañana – To be a drop in the ocean.
Si no lo veo, no lo creo – Seeing is believing.
Taza, taza.. Cada uno pa’ su casa – Time to go home folks!
Tener buena pinta – To look good.
Tener los pies en el suelo – To have one’s feet on the ground.
Tener todo manga por hombro – Something is shambles.
Tirar la casa por la ventana – To push the boat out.
Tomar el pelo – To pull one’s leg.
¡Vale! Si tu lo dices…. – Fine! If you say so….
¡Vamos al lío! – Let’s get to work!
Venir en son de paz – To come in peace.
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Remember to keep checking back every week as we update our list with more expressions!
Do you have an expression to share? Or is there an expression in your language that you would like the Spanish translation of? Leave a comment below!
If you would like to see Spanish to French translations of these expressions, click here!
