Spanish Slang And Idioms
Spanish slang and idioms are completely essential if one wishes to speak
Spanish like a native. Slang and idioms are altogether different terms sharing
one similarity that they cannot be literally translated. If you ought to
refer a dictionary, beware, as slang and idioms can have a completely different
usage. But both of them will make your Spanish colorful and riveting. Slang
and idioms certainly vary quite a bit among the different Spanish speaking
countries.
Slang is basically, a nonstandard vocabulary of a given language. Slang
may or may not have optional literal meanings. Many a times, they are simply
made-up words. Like, 'montón' literally means mountain but it is a
Spanish slang for lots or bunch. Similarly, the Spanish word 'atún'
literally means tuna, but it is used as slang for idiot. Idiom is a phrase
that is commonly understood to have a meaning dissimilar to its literal meaning.
A good example is 'tomar el pelo a alguien'. This idiom is commonly understood
in Spanish as, to pull someone's leg or tease someone. However, the dictionary
translation would be, to pull someone's hair.
Spanish idioms and slang are fascinating and fun to learn and use. Knowing
them will add a completely fresh dimension to your Spanish. Below we have
a list of commonly used Spanish slang and idioms.
Slang And Idioms
- bonachon - a good-natured person
- chévere - great, fantastic
- don Nadie - nobody; loser, a person of little importance
or power
- caradura - cheeky person; person with a lot of nerve
- ˇProbre! - Poor thing!
- ˇPlop! - No comment!
- Ñaupa - ancient, very old
- requete - very, extremely
- guay - super
- importarse un carajo - doesn't matter at all
- pelas - money
Spanish Idioms
- a corto plazo - in the short run
- a la salida del sol - sunrise (literally means - at the
appearance of the sun)
- a partir de ahora - from now one (literally means - at the
start of now)
- a toda costa - at all costs
- almas gemelas - soulmates
- arrimar el ascua a su sardina - put one’s own interests
first (literally means - to bring coals or embers to one’s sardine)
- como agua para chocolate – infuriated (literally means -
like water for chocolate)
- cuatro gatos - a small group of people (literally means
- four cats)
- dar la lata - to annoy (literally means - to give the tin)
- darse por vencido - give in (literally means - give oneself
as defeated)
- de armas tomar – tough, formidable (literally means - for
taking up arms)
- en cambio - on the other hand (literally means - to the
monkfish)
- en vez de - instead of (literally means - in time of)
- estar harto de - be fed up with (literally means - to be
exhausted)
- felices sueños - sweet dreams (literally means -
happy dreams)
- hacer trampa - cheat (literally means - to do traps)
- menos mal - just as well, thank goodness (literally means
- less bad)
- no se oía ni una mosca - pin drop silence (literally
means - not even a fly could be heard)
- pedir la luna - ask the impossible (literally means - to
ask for the moon)
- tarde o temprano - sooner or later (literally means - late
or early)
- una y otra vez - again and again (literally means - one
and another time)
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