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    “No Matter What” in Spanish

    a güevo

    A Como Dé Lugar and Other Ways to Say “No Matter What” in Spanish Some of these expressions mean “whatever it takes.” Others mean “we have no choice.” Here is how to tell the difference. You need to get home tonight. The train may not be running, and a taxi will cost more than you […] More

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    Grande, Grandote, and Grandecito

    ya estás grandecito

    More Than Just “Big” Spanish can make grande sound bigger, softer, friendlier, or more expressive with a few small changes. Grande usually means big, large, or great. But in everyday conversation—especially in Mexico and other parts of Latin America—people often change the word: grande grandote grandecito grandísimo and more… These forms do not all mean […] More

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    No Hay Pero Que Valga: “No Excuses” in Spanish

    no hay pero que valga

    Learn how Spanish speakers use no hay pero que valga, poner peros, and related expressions when excuses are not going to work. You tell someone they need to finish something today. They start with: Sí, pero es que… Yes, but it’s just that… Maybe they are about to explain why they were busy. Maybe they […] More

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    ¡Bájale Dos Rayitas!

    bájale dos rayitas

    A playful but direct Mexican expression for someone who is being arrogant, bossy, aggressive, or too intense. When someone is acting as if they are in charge of everyone, getting unnecessarily angry, talking down to people, or turning a small problem into a huge drama, you might hear: ¡Bájale dos rayitas! Literally, this means “lower […] More

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    Harto in some Latin American countries

    Harta Salsa

    Harto in some Latin American countries: Fed Up, Full, or A Whole Lot Note: The important point is that harto is not only used in estar harto (“to be fed up”). In this regional colloquial use, it means mucho, abundante, or “more than a normal amount.” The Diccionario de americanismos records this meaning in Mexico, […] More

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    Chorrocientos, Chorrocientos Mil: Spanish for “A Zillion”

    Crónica de los chorrocientos mil días del barrio de Tepito (1989)

    Chorrocientos, Chorrocientos Mil: Spanish for “A Zillion” A playful Mexican Spanish word for an enormous, completely made-up number. You are telling your friend about a terrible Monday. You had emails, messages, errands, work, traffic, and three people asking you the same question at once. You could say: Tenía muchísimas cosas que hacer. I had so […] More

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    Taquillero and Taquilla

    película taquillera

    “`html Taquillero and Taquilla: Fun Spanish Words for What Draw a Crowd Learn how to use taquillero, ser taquillero, and la taquilla in everyday Spanish. You know when a movie comes out and suddenly everyone has seen it? Or when an actor is so popular that people buy a ticket just because their name appears […] More

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    Igual e Igualito, and even igualititito

    igualitos

    Igual e Igualito   Why Mexican Spanish speakers say igualito (igualita, igualitos, and igualitas.) Someone shows you an old family photo and says: “Eras igualito a tu papá.” You may already know that igual means “same,” but why do people add -ito? In Mexico, people say igualito all the time when they see a strong […] More

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    “No se vale”: A Useful Spanish Expression for “That’s Not Fair!”

    no se vale

    “No se vale”: A Useful Spanish Expression for “That’s Not Fair!” How to use no se vale and similar expressions in sports, school, friendships, and everyday life. Spanish speakers often say ¡No se vale! when something seems unfair, dishonest, or against the rules. Children learn it early, but adults use it too. It can sound serious, […] More

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    How to Say “Excuse Me” in Spanish: More Than One Useful Phrase

    Con permiso, puedo pasar?

    How to Say “Excuse Me” in Spanish Con permiso, perdón, disculpe, lo siento, dispense and other ways to sound polite in Spanish. English uses excuse me for many different situations: getting someone’s attention, moving through a crowd, apologizing for a small accident, asking someone to repeat something, or politely interrupting. Spanish does not rely on […] More

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    10 more Spanish expressions that are not easy to figure out. Dedazo.

    el dedazo

    10 More Tricky Spanish Expressions Ten common but not‑so‑obvious expressions from Spanish. Expressions that are hard to guess from the words Expression English meaning Notes / region hacerle el feo a alguien to snub someone, to treat them coldly / badly Literally “to do the ugly to someone”. It means to give someone a cold […] More

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    Un montón, montones, montonero: How Spanish Uses “montón” in Everyday Speech

    un montón

    Montón, un montón, montonal, montones, montonero and echar montón in real Spanish. Basic meaning of montón Montón literally means “pile” or “heap”: a group of things placed one on top of the other, usually without much order. From there, Spanish has extended the meaning to “a large amount” of almost anything, especially in colloquial speech. […] More

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