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Spanish is full of phrases that don’t make sense if you just translate them word by word. Some are playful, some sarcastic, and some show everyday culture. Here is another batch of ten expressions with their real meaning in context.
| Spanish Expression | Literal Translation | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ahí muere (MX) | There it dies | “Let’s leave it like that.” Often used when a fight, argument, or deal needs to stop. Nobody won, nobody lost—both sides back off and move on. |
| Sentirse soñado, se siente soñado/a | To feel dreamed | To feel overly proud or vain, as if one is too special or better than others. |
| Evacuar | To evacuate | To empty the vowels. Poop. When used at doctor’s offices. This meaning exists in English too. |
| Chido (MX) | Cool | Cool, awesome, nice. Mostly among teens. Some decades ago it was inappropriate. Informal. |
| Barril sin fondo | Bottomless barrel | A bottomless pit, something that never ends (expenses, effort, embezzlement, etc.). |
| Nos vamos a michas (MX) | We go halves | Let’s split the cost. Informal. |
| Enganche (MX) | Hook | Gancho is hook. A down payment (on a car, house, etc.). |
| Pepenador, pepenar (MX) | Scavenger | Trash recycler (Mexico). |
| Llevar agua a su molinito | To carry water to one’s little mill | To look after one’s own interests, sometimes selfishly. |
| ¡Hazme el grandísimo favor! | Do me the great (or huge) favor! | Said with sarcasm: “You must be kidding me,” or “Give me a break.” There are several variations. There is a very inappropriate version, not recommended for students: Hazme el chingado favor. |
Expressions like ahí muere and sentirse soñado don’t sound complicated, but their meaning is very different from the literal English. That’s why it’s useful to learn them in context — so you don’t get lost when you hear them in movies, music, TV, or everyday conversation.
Talking about pepenador and pepenar, here is a link to typical Mexican job names: https://spanishny.com/names-of-some-mexican-jobs/
