90 Authentic Spanish Idioms That Will Get You Mistaken For A Native Speaker

You can measure your success in learning Spanish or any other language by how well you understand and use its idioms.

Idioms are phrases that have a figurative meaning, often very different from the literal translation of the words. Idioms are sometimes strange, often funny, and can be quite confusing to non-native speakers.

Think about the following phrases in English and imagine how they would sound to someone learning English.

• Friends like that are a ten a penny
• I just had to bite the bullet
• Don't get bent out of shape over it!

You probably know exactly what the sentences are trying to convey. But the meaning is not readily apparent with the words alone.

Spanish, like English, has a whole slew of idiomatic expressions and phrases that can add colour to your speech…if you can understand them.

How To Learn Spanish Idioms

And going back to the list of English idioms, how did you learn what those phrases mean?

Chances are good you just know them through hearing them over and over in context.

That's also the trick when it comes to idioms in Spanish.

There's no substitute for hearing, reading, and saying idioms hundreds of times in authentic conversation to truly master their usage in Spanish. But before you can try them out yourself, it helps to know what they mean.

That's where this post comes in!

Here are 90 Spanish idioms, including the most common and some of the most memorable you will come across in the Spanish-speaking world.

Yes, this list will help you master Spanish idioms. But I hope it will also be fun to read. The literal translations of many idioms are just plain funny.

See if you can guess the meaning to any of these idioms before reading the translation!

7 Spanish Idioms (And What They Really Mean)

The first 7 idioms on this list are also explained at length in the Fluent Spanish Academy YouTube video below. Click to hear the pronunciation and detailed descriptions of each.

#1 Ser Pan Comido

• literal translation: bread to be eaten
• what it means: to be easy or simple
• English equivalent: a piece of cake

ejemplo: Este examen es pan comido. (This exam is a piece of cake)

#2 Acostarse Con Las Gallinas

• literal translation: to go to bed with the chickens
• what it means: to go to bed early

ejemplo: Ya eres muy aburrido, ahora solo te acuestas con las gallinas (You are so boring, you only go to bed early now)

#3 Andarse Por Las Ramas

• literal translation: to walk around the branches
• what it means: to avoid the subject
• English equivalent: to beat around the bush

ejemplo: Se anda por las ramas. Aún no me ha confirmado nada (He's beating around the bush. He still hasn't confirmed anything.)

#4 Peor Es Nada

• literal translation: worse is nothing
• what it means: better than nothing

ejemplo: Esperaba tener más que una semana de vacaciones, pero peor es nada. (I was hoping to get more than a week of holidays, but it's better than nothing.)

#5 Tal Para Cual

• literal translation: such for which
• what it means: very similar
• English equivalent: like two peas in a pod

ejemplo: Sandra e Ismael son tal para cual (Sandra and Ismael are like two peas in a pod)

#6 Quemarse Las Cejas

• literal translation: to burn your own eyebrows
• what it means: to stay up late working on something
• English equivalent: to burn the midnight oil

ejemplo: No sé por qué te quemaste las cejas, yo te dije que sería fácil (I don't know why you worked so hard. I told you it would be easy)

#7 Buscarle Tres Pies Al Gato

• literal meaning: to look for three legs on the cat
• what it means: to go looking for trouble

ejemplo: No le busques tres pies al gato. Sabes que tienes que hablar primero con tu novia (Don't go looking for trouble. You know you have to talk to your girlfriend first)

Pretty fun, right?

Idioms make you sound less like you're speaking from a textbook and more like a native speaker. They use colourful language and can add variety and personality to your conversations.

Some idioms are more common in some areas or have slightly different meanings from place to place, so always take your cues from the native speakers you associate with.

Don't be afraid to ask if you need an idiomatic expression explained…but also don't be surprised if your Spanish-speaking friends have to think for a minute before they can explain what an idiom means.

Ready for more idioms? Then keep reading…

83 More Spanish Idioms To Liven Up Your Speech

Now that you have a feel for what idioms are like in Spanish, here are 83 more colourful idioms you can use to impress your friends.

You can learn these Spanish idioms (and more) in the video below. Otherwise keep scrolling to read all about them.

#1 Con Las Manos En La Masa

• literal translation: with hands in the dough
• what it means: to be caught in the act of misbehaving
• English equivalent: to be caught red-handed

#2 ¿Qué Le Hace Una Mancha Más Al Tigre?

• literal translation: what is one more stripe to a tiger?
• what it means: a little more won't make a difference

#3 Al Mal Tiempo, Buena Cara

• literal translation: to bad weather, a good face
• what it means: face disappointment and make the best of it
• English equivalent: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade

#4 Tener Memoria De Pez

• literal translation: to have the memory of a fish
• what it means: an inability to remember things

#5 Empezar La Casa Por El Tejado

• literal translation: to start the house with the roof
• what it means: do things out of order
• English equivalent: to place the cart before the horse

#6 Meter La Pata

• literal translation: to put the foot in, as into a trap
• what it means: to make a mistake or mess up

#7 Estar Hasta Las Narices

• literal translation: to be in all the way up to the noses
• what it means: to be fed up with something
• English equivalent: neck-deep, in over your head

#8 Estar Como Una Cabra

• literal translation: to be like a goat
• what it means: to act crazy

#9 Como Llevar Arena A La Playa

• literal translation: like taking sand to the beach
• what it means: to do something pointless

#10 Tirar La Casa Por La Ventana

• literal translation: to throw the house out the window
• what it means: to spare no expense and worry about the bill tomorrow

#11 Dar La Vuelta A La Tortilla

• literal translation: to turn the tortilla around
• what it means: to look at something from another side or to turn the tables
• English equivalent: the other side of the coin, on the other hand

#12 Tener Más Lana Que Un Borrego

• literal translation: to have more wool than a lamb
• what it means: to have lots of money

#13 Quedarse De Piedra

• literal translation: to stay like a stone
• what it means: to be shocked, especially into silence

#14 Hablando Del Rey Del Roma

• literal translation: speaking of the king of Rome
• what it means: when you're talking about someone and they just show up
• English equivalent: speak of the devil

#15 Sin Pelos En La Lengua

• literal translation: without hair on your tongue
• what it means: to speak in a straightforward manner

#16 Echar Agua Al Mar

• literal translation: to throw water into the sea
• what it means: to do something pointless or that makes no difference

#17 Si Mi Abuela Tuviera Ruedas Sería Una Bicicleta

• literal translation: if my grandmother had wheels she would be a bicycle
• what it means: this expression is used as a response when someone is wishing something had happened differently or wishing for something that just won't happen

#18 Una Media Naranja / Encontrar Tu Media Naranja

• literal translation: a half an orange / to find your orange half
• what it means: a soul mate/ to find your soul mate

#19 Bueno Y Barato No Caben En Un Zapato

• literal translation: good and cheap won't fit in the same shoe
• what it means: you get what you pay for

#20 No Tener Pies Ni Cabeza

• literal translation: to have neither feet nor head
• what it means: not making any sense

#21 Camarón Que Se Duerme Se Lo Lleva La Corrientes

• literal translation: sleeping shrimp get carried by the current
• what it means: if you don't do anything, you have no control over what happens
• English equivalent: you snooze, you lose

#22 Estar Hecho Un Ají

• literal translation: to be made into a chile
• what it means: to be or get very angry

#23 Estaban Como Tres En Un Zapato

• literal translation: they were like three in a shoe
• what it means: to be squished in or packed in tight
• English equivalent: packed like sardines

#24 A Fin De Cuentas

• translation: in the end
• example: A fin de cuentas, era una casa con mucho valor. (In the end, it was a house of great value.) 

#25 A La Vuelta De La Esquina

• translation: very near
• example: Un año parece mucho tiempo, pero al final el fin del año siempre está a la vuelta de la esquina. (A year seems like a long time, but the end of the year it’s always  just around the corner)

#26 Ahogarse En Un Vaso De Agua

• translation: to exaggerate a problem or give up too easily
• example: Ahora nos ahogamos en un vaso de agua cuando no tenemos Wi—fi (Nowadays, we feel lost when there is no Wi-fi)

#27 Al Tuntún

• translation: randomly 
• example: Comieron en un restaurante al tuntún. (They ate at a random restaurant.) 

#28 Andar Con Pies De Plomo

• translation: to be cautious 
• example: Tenían que andar con pies de plomo. (They had to be very cautious)

#29 Andarse Con Rodeos

• translation: To not be focused on a matter /To be distracted
• example: No me voy a andar con rodeos. También tengo una historia que contarte. (I am not going to get distracted. I also have a story to tell you.)

#30 Apretarse El Cinturón

• translation: To tighten one’s purse straps 
• example: Pero sí que necesitaba apretarse un poco el cinturón, porque el dinero no crecía en los árboles. (But she did need to tighten her purse straps, since money does not grow on trees.)

#31 Arrimar El Hombro

• translation: Pitch in / to help someone
• example: Quería arrimar el hombro. (He/She wanted to pitch in / help.)

#32 Así Como Así

• translation: too easily/ carelessly/ just like that
• example: Como comprenderá, no puedo dar el dinero a alguien así como así. (As you can understand, I can’t give the money to someone just like that.)

#33 Caer En Saco Roto

• translation: To fall on deaf ears
• example: Mateo pensaba que el plan de Julia no iba a caer en saco roto. (Mateo thought that Julia’s plan wasn’t going to fall on deaf ears.)

#34 Comerse El Coco / Comerse La Cabeza

• translation: To rack one’s brain over something / to overthink
• example: Se estaba comiendo mucho la cabeza con todo el asunto de Manuel (She/He was racking his/her own brain over Manuel’s whole story)

Tendría que comerse el coco para inventar una excusa. (He/She had to rack his/her brain to make up an excuse)

#35 Como Agua De Mayo

• translation: Something very needed
• example: Además, necesitaba descansar un poco y eso le vendría como agua de mayo. (Moreover, she needed to rest a little, and this seemed to be something she really needed.)

#36 Como Pez En El Agua

• translation: Like a fish in water / to be comfortable in a situation
• example: Se sentía como pez en el agua, nunca imaginó que le podría gustar tanto estar allí. (He felt like a fish in water, he would have never imagined that he could have liked it so much there.)

#37 Como Un Libro Abierto

• translation: Like an open book / Very clear; with nothing to hide
• example: Nicolás y la gente de Asturias eran como un libro abierto y estaba muy agradecida por el trato recibido. (Nicolas and the people of Asturias were like an open book, and she was very grateful for the way in which she was treated.)

#38 Con Pelos Y Señales

• translation: With many details / precisely 
• example: Julia le contó a Nicolás con pelos y señales cuál era la situación de Manuel. (Julia told Nicolas, with many details, what Manuel’s situation was.)

#39 Cortar Por Lo Sano

• translation: To abruptly stop or finish something
• example: Cortar por lo sano con este estilo de vida va a ser duro. (To abruptly stop this lifestyle is going to be tough.)

#40 Coser Y Cantar

• translation: Very easy
• example: Pensaba que su proyecto tenía mucho sentido pero no iba a ser coser y cantar. (He/she thought that his/her project was sensible, but that it wasn’t going to be easy.)

#41 Currar

• translation: To work
• example: Hay que currar mucho. (You have to work a lot.)

#42 Dar El Brazo A Torcer

• translation: To not give in / To put up a fight
• example: Sabía que no ibas a dar el brazo a torcer. (I knew you weren’t  going to give in.)  

#43 Dar En El Blanco

• translation: To be right / to get something right
• example: Has dado en el blanco. (You got it right)

#44 Dar La Chapa

• translation: To annoy someone / To be insistent
• example: Prometo no darte mucho la chapa. (I promise not to bother you too much.)

 #45 Dar Una Vuelta De Tuerca

• translation: To abruptly change a situation
• example: Sin embargo, la historia dio una vuelta de tuerca. (However, the story changed abruptly.)

#46 Dar La Vuelta (A Algo)

• translation: To think about something a lot
• example: Pensó, entonces en tomar una decisión después de darle vueltas durante varias semanas. (She thought, therefore, to make a decision after having thought about it carefully during the next few weeks.)

#47 Darse Con Un Canto En Los Dientes

• translation: To have better results than initially thought 
• example: En ese mes allí, se dio con un canto en los dientes, porque solo pretendía escribir. (In that month, she realized she was doing better than she thought since she was only pretending to write.)

#48 Echar Leña Al Fuego

• translation: To add wood to the fire / To make a situation worse
• example: No se preocupe, no estoy aquí para juzgarlo ni para echar más leña al fuego. (Do not worry, I am not here to judge you, nor to make the situation worse.)

#49 El Dinero No Crece En Los Árboles

• translation: Money doesn’t grow on trees
• example: Pero sí que necesitaba apretarse un poco el cinturón, porque el dinero no crecía en los árboles. (But she did need to tighten her purse straps, since money does not grow on trees.)

#50 Estar De Coña

• translation: To be joking (colloquial)
• example: ¡Pensaba que estabas de coña! (I thought you were joking!)

#51 Estar En La Cuerda Floja

• translation: To be walking a tightrope 
• example: A Manuel no le quedaba mucho tiempo y su trabajo estaba en la cuerda floja. (Manuel didn’t have much time left and he was walking a tightrope at work.)

#52 Estar Hecho/a Unos Zorros

• translation: to look bad / to be visibly tired or weary
• example: Es muy bonito pero acabas los días hecho unos zorros. (It’s very nice but you end up weary by the end of the day.)

#53 Estar Metido/a En El Ajo

• translation: to be involved / part of an event
• example: Han estado metidas en el ajo de muchos acontecimientos famosos. (They are involved in many famous events.)

#54 Estar Sin Blanca 

• translation: (to be) without money
• example: Estuvo sin blanca para pagar la carrera universitaria mucho tiempo (I didn’t have money to pay for my university tuition for a long time)

#55 Estar/Sentirse Empanado/a

• translation: to be stunned or sleepy
• example: Se sentía empanada. (She felt sleepy.)

#56 Flipar

• translation: To flip out/ To freak out 
• example: Te voy a enseñar el fondo del mar. ¡Vas a flipar! (I am going to show you the bottom of the sea. You are going to freak out!)

#57 Hablar Por Los Codos

• translation: to talk a lot 
• example: ya sé que hablo por los codos, todo el mundo me lo dice. (I already know I speak a lot, everybody tells me so.)

#58 Hacer Algo Al Pie De La Letra

• translation: To do something very precisely / To the letter/ To the T
• example: Ella no quería seguir un plan al pie de la letra, quería improvisar. (She didn’t want to follow a plan to the letter, she wanted to improvise.)

#59 Hacer Buenas Migas (Con Alguien)

• translation: to get along with someone
• example: Hice buenas migas con un profesor. (I got along with one professor.)

#60 Hacer La Pelota

• translation: to flatter someone in order to get something
• example: ¡Deja de hacerme la pelota! (Stop flattering me!)

#61 Hacerse El/La Sueco/a

• translation: to pretend not knowing something
• example: No te hagas la sueca, amiguita. No te vas a escapar. (Don’t pretend not to know, little friend. You are not going to escape.)

#62 Hacerse Un Lío

• translation: to be confused about something
• example: Quiero ir a visitarte porque mi próximo destino es Menorca, pero me estoy haciendo un lío con los autobuses y los vuelos. (I would like to come visit you since I am coming to Menorca, but I am getting confused about buses and flights.)  

#63 Hasta Las Tantas

• translation: until a very late hour
• example: Hablaron hasta las tantas y al final Mateo contó su propia historia. (They talked until very late and finally Mateo told his own story.)

#64 Hincar Los Codos

• translation: to study a lot
• example: Mi plan fue hincar los codos hasta llegar a ser abogado. (My plan was to study a lot until I become a lawyer.)  

#65 Ir Al Grano

• translation: to go straight to the point
• example: Pero no quiero demorarme mucho en contar esta historia, déjeme ir al grano. (But I don’t want to take too long to tell this story, let me get straight to the point.)

#66 Irse A Freír Espárragos

• translation: to send someone packing; tell them to get lost
• example: ¡La universidad se puede ir a freír espárragos! (The university can go get lost!)

#67 Largo Y Tendido

• translation: for a long time
• example: Tendría que escribir largo y tendido hasta completar el libro. (She has to write for a long time to complete the book.)  

#68 Lavarse Las Manos Con Algo

• translation: to wash one’s hands of something / to avoid responsibility
• example: La universidad todavía se seguía lavando las manos con el caso de Manuel. (The university was still washing its hands of Manuel’s case.)

#69 Liarse La Manta A La Cabeza

• translation: to do something with no fear of repercussions
• example: Es hora de liarse la manta a la cabeza. (It’s time to do something without fear.)

#70 Más Claro Que El Agua

• translation: Crystal clear/very clear
• example: Pero luego, se dio cuenta y lo tuvo más claro que el agua: se trataba de una canción desconocida de un compositor español muy famoso. (Afterwards, it became crystal clear: it was an unknown song by a famous Spanish composer.)

#71 Matar Dos Pájaros De Un Tiro

• translation: To kill two birds with one stone
• example: Así mataría dos pájaros de un tiro (This way, I could kill two birds with one stone.)

#72 Matar El Gusanillo

• translation: to eat something quick to avoid being hungry
• example: Para matar el gusanillo, desayunó algo rápido en un bar del aeropuerto y pidió un taxi. (To calm her hunger, she ate breakfast quickly at the airport and called a taxi.)

#73 Menos Mal

• translation: thank God
• example: Menos mal que estás aquí, Julia. (Thank god you are here, Julia!)

#74 Meterse En Camisa De Once Varas

• translation: to get into trouble
• example: No quería meterse en camisas de once varas. Su prioridad en ese momento era la ruta, ayudar a Manuel. (She didn’t want to get into trouble. Her priority in that moment was her plan to help Manuel.)

#75 No Dar Un Palo Al Agua

• translation: to be lazy
• example: Después de tanto trabajo, ¡va a parecer que no doy un palo al agua! (After all this work it’s going to look as if I have been lazy!)

#76 No Hay Color

• translation: there’s no comparison
• example: Vivir en la naturaleza es mejor que vivir en la ciudad. ¡No hay color! (Living among nature is better than living in the city. There’s no comparison!)  

#77 No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga

• translation: a bad situation can be a chance to do something good
• example: No era la primera vez que visitaría la ciudad, pero no hay mal que por bien no venga. (It wasn’t the first time she had visited the city, but she made the best of a bad situation)

#78 No Pegar Ojo

• translation: Not being able to sleep a wink 
• example: Julia no pegó ojo en toda la noche, pensando en su decisión (Julia could not sleep a wink all night thinking of her decision.)

#79 Pasar Por El Aro

• translation: To fall in line / To get over it
• example: Tendría que pasar por el aro y aceptar su despido dentro de un año (She/ he had to fall in line and accept her dismissal within a year)

#80 Sacar (A Alguien) Las Castañas Del Fuego

• translation: To get (someone) out of trouble
• example: Voy a sacarle las castañas del fuego (I am going to get her out of trouble)

#81 Tener Un As En La Manga

• translation: To have a trick up one’s sleeve
• example: Ella tenía un as en la manga (She had a trick up her sleeve)

#82 Tirar La Toalla

• translation: Throw in the towel 
• example: Nunca tiró la toalla (He never threw in the towel)

#83 Traer Algo Entre Manos

• translation: To have a plan / to be up to something
• example: Confío en ti, Julia. Sé que te traes algo entre manos. No sé qué es, pero necesitas arreglarlo. (I trust you, Julia – I know you are up to something. I don’t know what it is but you need to fix it.)  

Spanish Idioms: The Fun Has Only Just Begun

This list is not exhaustive. Each country and region in the Spanish-speaking world has more idioms than I can list here.

In fact, many Spanish idioms are quite similar to those in English, but I've chosen to focus on those you might not be able to guess the meaning of straightaway.

Idioms are yet another reason why relying on straight translation will only get you so far in learning a new language.

Hopefully this list has inspired you to try your hand at some more colourful expressions. Idioms are supposed to be fun, after all!

Like I said at the start though, there's no substitute for getting exposure to or using idioms when you speak. So that's another great excuse, if ever you need one, to dive into Spanish-speaking literature or movies in Spanish.

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.