Here are 10 common random idioms you may have trouble with if you hear them for the first time:
Expression | Approximate literal translation (what you might think you actually heard) | Explanation |
¿qué crees? | what do you believe? | guess what. |
cambiar de opinion |
to change opinion |
to change one’s mind, also cambiar de parecer. |
ser de mentiras, de mentiritas, de a mentiritas (MX) | of lies? | fake, a prop, toy, pistola de mentiras is a toy gun, also pistola de juguete. |
echarse a perder |
to throw itself to lose |
to get spoiled, to rot, to be ruined |
estar en pañales | to be in diapers | to be in its infancy (a situation), to be immature |
foto movida : salir movido | moved photo: to come out moved | shaky picture: to come out blurred (in a photo) |
hacer lo correcto | to do the correct, to make the correct | to do the right thing |
hacer puente (Mex) |
to make (a) bridge |
to take a (usually) unauthorized extra day between two holidays, or a weekend and a holiday. To take a long weekend. El puente de Semana Santa, the bridge of saint week, is the long weekend of Easter. |
ser buena gente |
to be good people |
to be a nice, kind, and/or good person |
ser de confianza | to be of trust, confidence | (work) non-union personnel, (personal acquaintance) no special protocol needed for that person who like part of the family |
Most expressions apply to all Spanish-speaking countries.
Originally published on 20100530. Latest update 20210426. (spanishNY.com) top