Palabra Lexi · words by topic · Spanish
Spanish Words: Idioms — with Pronunciation and Memory Hooks
Level C1 · advanced · 16 words
Idioms native speakers use every day and that you can't translate word for word.
Spanish is read almost exactly as it's written: stress falls on the second-to-last syllable when a word ends in a vowel, n or s, otherwise on the last one, and exceptions carry an accent mark (café, estación). Nouns are masculine (el) or feminine (la). Pronunciation below is spelled out in English, stressed syllable in capitals.
Idioms in Spanish: word list
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tomar el pelo | toh-MAR el PEH-loh | to pull someone's leg |
| estar en las nubes | es-TAR en las NOO-bes | to daydream |
| meter la pata | meh-TER lah PAH-tah | to put one's foot in it |
| no tener pelos en la lengua | noh teh-NER PEH-los en lah LEN-gwah | to be outspoken |
| costar un ojo de la cara | kos-TAR oon OH-hoh deh lah KAH-rah | to cost an arm and a leg |
| ser pan comido | ser pan koh-MEE-doh | to be a piece of cake |
| estar hecho polvo | es-TAR EH-choh POL-boh | to be worn out |
| dar en el clavo | dar en el KLAH-boh | to hit the nail on the head |
| tirar la toalla | tee-RAR lah toh-AH-yah | to throw in the towel |
| ponerse las pilas | poh-NER-seh las PEE-las | to get one's act together |
| quedarse en blanco | keh-DAR-seh en BLAN-koh | to go blank |
| a duras penas | ah DOO-ras PEH-nas | with great difficulty |
| de vez en cuando | deh BETH en KWAN-doh | from time to time |
| echar una mano | eh-CHAR OO-nah MAH-noh | to lend a hand |
| hacer la vista gorda | ah-THER lah BEES-tah GOR-dah | to turn a blind eye |
| estar como una cabra | es-TAR KOH-moh OO-nah KAH-brah | to be crazy |
Memory hooks for these words
A sound-alike is an English word or phrase that sounds like the foreign one. The scene ties it to the meaning: you recall the sound, the sound brings back the picture, the picture brings back the meaning. Read each scene once, then try to recall the meaning a minute later without looking at the list.
tomar el pelo [toh-MAR el PEH-loh] — to pull someone's leg
Sounds like: “tomorrow, pillow”. Tomorrow's pillow fight was a joke — they pulled your leg.
Me estás tomando el pelo — You're pulling my leg
estar en las nubes [es-TAR en las NOO-bes] — to daydream
Sounds like: “a star in the noobs”. A star among the noobs daydreams in the clouds.
Siempre está en las nubes — He is always daydreaming
meter la pata [meh-TER lah PAH-tah] — to put one's foot in it
Sounds like: “meter, la pasta”. You feed the meter with pasta — and put your foot in it.
Metí la pata — I put my foot in it
no tener pelos en la lengua [noh teh-NER PEH-los en lah LEN-gwah] — to be outspoken
Sounds like: “no tenor pillows”. The tenor with no pillows sings the truth loud — outspoken.
No tiene pelos en la lengua — She is outspoken
costar un ojo de la cara [kos-TAR oon OH-hoh deh lah KAH-rah] — to cost an arm and a leg
Sounds like: “costs a ho-ho, the car”. The car costs a ho-ho — an arm and a leg.
Cuesta un ojo de la cara — It costs an arm and a leg
ser pan comido [ser pan koh-MEE-doh] — to be a piece of cake
Sounds like: “sir Pan, come eat, oh”. Sir Pan says: come eat, oh! — it's a piece of cake.
El examen fue pan comido — The exam was a piece of cake
estar hecho polvo [es-TAR EH-choh POL-boh] — to be worn out
Sounds like: “a star, echo, polo”. A star after an echo-y polo match — worn out on the grass.
Estoy hecho polvo — I'm worn out
dar en el clavo [dar en el KLAH-boh] — to hit the nail on the head
Sounds like: “darn, a clove”. Darn! The clove lands exactly — you hit the nail on the head.
Has dado en el clavo — You hit the nail on the head
tirar la toalla [tee-RAR lah toh-AH-yah] — to throw in the towel
Sounds like: “tearer of towels”. The tearer of towels rips it and throws it in — gives up.
No tires la toalla — Don't throw in the towel
ponerse las pilas [poh-NER-seh las PEE-las] — to get one's act together
Sounds like: “pony, the peelers”. The pony grabs the peelers and gets to work — gets its act together.
Ponte las pilas — Get your act together
quedarse en blanco [keh-DAR-seh en BLAN-koh] — to go blank
Sounds like: “kiddo's in blank”. Kiddo's mind is in blank mode — goes blank at the exam.
Me quedé en blanco — I went blank
a duras penas [ah DOO-ras PEH-nas] — with great difficulty
Sounds like: “a doer's pains”. A doer's pains: every step taken with great difficulty.
Llegó a duras penas — He arrived with great difficulty
de vez en cuando [deh BETH en KWAN-doh] — from time to time
Sounds like: “the vet's in town”. The vet's in town from time to time — every few weeks.
De vez en cuando voy al teatro — From time to time I go to the theatre
echar una mano [eh-CHAR OO-nah MAH-noh] — to lend a hand
Sounds like: “a chair, a man”. A chair and a man: he lends a hand carrying it.
¿Me echas una mano? — Can you lend me a hand?
hacer la vista gorda [ah-THER lah BEES-tah GOR-dah] — to turn a blind eye
Sounds like: “hasta la vista, Gordon”. Hasta la vista, Gordon! — the guard turns a blind eye as he slips out.
Hizo la vista gorda — He turned a blind eye
estar como una cabra [es-TAR KOH-moh OO-nah KAH-brah] — to be crazy
Sounds like: “star with a cobra”. A star dancing with a cobra — crazy!
Está como una cabra — He's crazy