You have probably heard Spanish idiomatic expressions during your language stay to learn Spanish in Spain. Are you familiar with the phrase: “Tener la sartén por el mango”? Or “Esto es pan comido”? Many times, you will understand what each word in a sentence means, but you don't know its meaning and context. These phrases are Spanish idiomatic expressions that are recurrently used in everyday Spanish.

Do you want to know some of the most used idiomatic expressions in the language? Don't miss this donQuijote article then. You can also read this same article in Spanish, French or Italian.

What are Spanish idiomatic expressions?

Spanish idiomatic expressions are phrases or sets of words that have a meaning different from that of the words that compose them. That is, the individual words have a meaning that, when joined together as a phrase or Spanish expression, changes completely.

Moreover, these Spanish idiomatic expressions should not be interpreted literally because their meaning is figurative or culturally specific. These expressions are common in all languages and usually reflect cultural, historical or social aspects of Spain, in this case.

Therefore, Spanish idiomatic expressions are a fundamental part of the language, as they add a touch of depth and distinct nuances to the speakers' communication. Although some of these expressions can be difficult to learn at first if you are not familiar with the culture or language.

Below you can find Spanish idiomatic expressions and examples, divided into several classes according to the topic they deal with. Did you already know any of them?

Spanish idiomatic expressions with animals

• Aburrise como una ostra (bored out of my mind) is synonymous with being in a very boring situation. Example: Me aburrí como una ostra durante la conferencia del sábado.
• Dar gato por liebre (pull the wool over [sb]'s eyes) mean to deceive someone when, for example, you offer something of lesser quality or value than what was promised. E.g.: Me dieron gato por liebre cuando compré este bolso en la playa.
• Estar en la edad del pavo (to go through teenage angst) refers to a stage in which immature behavior is common, such as in adolescence. E.g.: Mi hijo está en la edad del pavo, se pasa el día haciendo tonterías.
• Estar como una cabra (to be crazy as a bat) means to be crazy or to behave eccentrically. E.g.: ¡Estás como una cabra si crees que voy a saltar desde ese puente!
• Estar como pez en el agua (to be in one’s element): to feel very comfortable in a situation or place. E.g.: Estaba como pez en el agua cuando se ponía a cocinar.
• No ver tres en un burro (to be blind as a bat) is used when someone has very bad vision. E.g.: Laura no ve ni tres en un burro sin sus gafas.

• Pagar el pato (to take the rap) refers to suffering the consequences of something for which you are not to blame or responsible. E.g.: Aunque no fue su culpa, Juan tuvo que pagar el pato por un error informático.
• Ser un gallina (to be a chicken) is to be a coward. E.g.: No seas un gallina, ven con nosotros a la casa del terror.
• Ser un rata (to be a tightwad) means to be very stingy or unwilling to spend money. E.g.: Mi vecino es un rata, nunca quiere pagar las reformas del edificio.
• Ser la oveja negra (to go off the rails) means to be the different member of a group or family, usually used in a negative way. E.g.: En mi familia, siempre me han considerado la oveja negra.
• Tener memoria de pez (fish's memory) means to have a bad memory or to forget things quickly. g: ¿No recuerdas lo que pasó ayer? ¡Menuda memoria de pez tienes!
• Tener vista de lince (to have an eagle eye) is the opposite of No ver ni tres en un burro, it refers to when a person has very good and sharp eyesight. E.g.: Luis tiene vista de lince; siempre encuentra las cosas que los demás no ven.

Spanish idiomatic expressions with food

• Comerse el coco (to worry one’s head): to think too much about something, to worry excessively. E.g.: No te comas el coco con eso, seguro que todo saldrá bien.
• Dar calabazas a alguien (to give somebody the brush off): to reject someone, usually in a love context. E.g.: María le dio calabazas a su compañero de clase.
• Darle la vuelta a la tortilla (to turn the tables): to change a situation completely. E.g.: Estábamos perdiendo el partido, pero le dimos la vuelta a la tortilla y ganamos.
• Es pan comido (it's a piece of cake): when something is very easy to do. E.g.: El examen de matemáticas fue pan comido.
• Es el pan de cada día (daily occurrence): refers to something that happens very frequently. E.g.: Las quejas de los clientes son el pan de cada día en nuestro trabajo.
• Estar de mala leche or tener mala leche (to get bent out of shape): to be in a bad mood. E.g.: Hoy no hables con Carlos, está de mala leche por la discusión de ayer.
• Ir a toda leche (to go like the clappers): when something or someone goes very fast. E.g.: Iba a toda leche en su moto cuando tuvo que frenar de golpe.
• Irse a freir espárragos (get lost): to send someone away in a rude or contemptuous manner. E.g.: Si sigues molestándome, te vas a freír espárragos.
• Ir pisando huevos (to walk on eggshells): is when someone goes cautiously or very slowly. E.g.: Mi vecino va pisando huevos cuando coge el coche.

• No importar un pepino/rábano/pimiento (do not care): you can use any of the three vegetables for this phrase; it means not caring at all or when you have no interest in something. E.g.: Me importa un pimiento lo que digan los demás.
• No hacer ni el huevo (to do nothing): means to do absolutely nothing. E.g.: Pedro no hizo ni el huevo en el proyecto final.
• Parecerse como un huevo a una castaña (to be like chalk and cheese): not to resemble each other at all or to be physically different. E.g.: Aunque son hermanos, se parecen como un huevo a una castaña.
• Ponerse como un tomate (to turn red as a beetroot): synonymous with blushing or being embarrassed. E.g.: Cuando recibe un cumplido, se pone como un tomate.
• Pedirle peras al olmo (to reach for the moon/to make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear): to ask for something impossible or very difficult to get. E.g.: Esperar que cambie de actitud es como pedirle peras al olmo.
• Ponerle la guinda al pastel (putting the icing on the cake): adding the finishing touch to something. E.g.: El gol en el último minuto le puso la guinda al pastel tras un fin de semana genial.
• Ser un chorizo: to be a thief. E.g.: Despidieron al contable porque resultó ser un chorizo.
• Ser un bombón (to be eye candy): is to be a very attractive person. E.g.: Es un bombón de niño, se parece a su madre.
• Ser un pez gordo (To be a big shot): to be an important or influential person in a particular field. E.g.: El nuevo jefe es un pez gordo de la industria.
• Ser carne de cañón (To be cannon fodder): to be always exposed to danger. E.g.: Si sigues tomando malas decisiones, acabarás siendo carne de cañón.
• Ser un melón (to be a blockhead): to be dumb or not very smart, used in an affectionate or negative way, depending on the context. E.g.: No seas melón y revisa los datos antes de enviar el informe.
• Ser del año de la pera (to be from another era): when something is very old. E.g.: Este televisor es del año de la pera, ¡no tiene mando a distancia!
• Temblar como un flan (to tremble like a flan): is to be very nervous or scared in a specific situation. E.g.: Antes de la entrevista temblaba como un flan.

Spanish idiomatic expressions with body parts

• Andar con pies de plomo (to walk on the safe side): is to act very cautiously. E.g.: Lo mejor es andar con pies de plomo cuando hables con tu superior.
• Buscarle tres pies al gato (to take the scenic route): when something gets unnecessarily complicated, or you look for problems where there are none. This expression could also be categorized in idiomatic expressions with animals. E.g.: No le busques tres pies al gato, la solución es más sencilla de lo que parece.

• Costar un ojo de la cara (to cost a fortune/to cost an arm and a leg): when something is very expensive. E.g.: Ese coche deportivo cuesta un ojo de la cara. 
• Dar la cara (face up): when someone takes responsibility for something. E.g.: Cuando hubo problemas, fue el único que dio la cara por mí.
• Echar un ojo (to keep an eye on sth/sb): when you keep an eye on or take care of something briefly. E.g.: ¿Puedes echarle un ojo a la comida mientras no estoy?
• Echar una mano (to lend a hand): when you help someone. E.g.: Necesito que me eches una mano con estos documentos.
• Empinar el codo (to have a few): when drinking alcohol in excess. E.g.: Después del trabajo, nos fuimos al bar a empinar el codo todo el equipo.
• Estar mal de la cabeza (to be out of your mind): used when someone is crazy. E.g.: No puedo creer que haya hecho eso; está mal de la cabeza.
• Estar hasta las narices (to be sick to death): when you are really fed up or tired of something or someone. E.g.: Estoy hasta las narices de tus mentiras; no te creo más.
• Hacer oídos sordos (to turn a deaf ear): when you ignore something on purpose. E.g.: Aunque se lo dijeron varias veces, hizo oídos sordos y siguió adelante.
• Hacer algo al pie de la letra (to do something to the T): when you do something exactly as instructed. E.g.: Siguió las instrucciones al pie de la letra y todo salió perfecto.
• Hablar por los codos (to talk nineteen to the dozen): when someone talks a lot or incessantly. E.g.: Rocío habla por los codos; a veces es difícil seguirle el ritmo.
• Hincar los codos (to swot): when you study hard and put a lot of effort into something, generally used for studies. E.g.: Si quieres aprobar, tendrás que hincar los codos las últimas semanas.
• Lavarse las manos (to pass the bucket): to wash one's hands of a problem or responsibility. E.g.: Se lavó las manos cuando le preguntaron qué había pasado.
• Levantarse con el pie izquierdo (to get out of bed on the wrong side): to start the day in a bad mood. E.g.: Diego se ha levantado con el pie izquierdo, tiene un humor horrible.
• Meter la pata (to screw up): to make a mistake, especially when saying something inappropriate. E.g.: Metí la pata al mencionar el tema.
• Morderse la lengua (to hold one's tongue/ bite one’s lip): to restrain oneself from saying something one thinks. E.g.: Quería decirle lo que pensaba, pero me mordí la lengua para no empeorar las cosas.

• No dar tu brazo a torcer (not budge an inch): when you don't give in to an argument or opinion. E.g.: Aunque todos estaban de acuerdo, él no dio su brazo a torcer.
• No tener pelos en la lengua (not mincing words): to say what you think straight out, in a direct way. E.g.: No tiene pelos en la lengua; siempre dice lo que piensa.
• No pegar ojo (not sleeping a wink): when you can't get to sleep. E.g.: Anoche no pegué ojo por el ruido en la calle.
• No tener un pelo de tonto (not a fool): to be very clever or cunning. E.g.: No intentes engañarlo, no tiene un pelo de tonto.
• No tener ni pies ni cabeza (without rhyme or reason): when something does not make sense or is illogical. E.g.: La historia que me contó no tiene ni pies ni cabeza.
• Poner la oreja (to put your ear): to listen attentively to or eavesdrop on another person's conversation. E.g.: Siempre está poniendo la oreja cuando hay alguna disputa.
• Salvarse por un pelo (a narrow escape): to escape a danger or situation by a hair's breadth. E.g.: Casi perdemos el tren, pero nos salvamos por un pelo.
• Ser el brazo derecho de alguien (to be sb’s right-hand man/woman): to be someone's most trusted person. E.g.: Rubén es el brazo derecho del director.
• Ser como uña y carne (to be like flesh and blood): to be very close to someone or to be inseparable. E.g.: Pedro y Juan han sido como uña y carne desde pequeños.
• Tener la cabeza llena de pájaros (to have a head full of birds): to be dreamy or not have one's feet on the ground. E.g.: Tiene la cabeza llena de pájaros, siempre soñando despierta.
• Tomarle el pelo a alguien (to pull someone’s leg): to pull someone's leg, usually as a joke. E.g.: No le hagas caso, solo te está tomando el pelo con esa historia.
• Tener cara dura (to be a cheeky person): to be shameless or shameless. E.g.: Tiene mucha cara dura para pedir más dinero tras su comportamiento.
• Tener los pies en el suelo (to put your feet on the ground): be realistic, don't get carried away by fantasies. E.g.: Aunque tiene grandes sueños, siempre mantiene los pies en el suelo.

Spanish idiomatic expressions with colors

• Buscar al príncipe azul (to look for Prince Charming): looking for the ideal or perfect partner. E.g.: Aún sueña con encontrar a su príncipe azul.
• Dar en el blanco (to hit the bullseye): to be right about something when you assume or statement. E.g.: Con su propuesta, dio en el blanco; todos estuvieron de acuerdo.
• Dar luz verde (to give the green light): to give permission for something to begin. E.g.: Dio luz verde al proyecto tras su presentación.
• Estar verde (to be very early stage): when you are unprepared or inexperienced in something. E.g.: Aún está verde en esta área; necesita más experiencia.
• Estar como una rosa (to feel as fresh as a daisy): to be in great health or look great. E.g.: Después de unas vacaciones, volvió al trabajo como una rosa.
• Estar sin blanca (to be broke): when you have no money. E.g.: Me quedé sin blanca tras las vacaciones en Nueva York.

• No hay color (to be like apples and oranges): when there is no comparison between two things or situations. E.g.: No hay color entre los dos equipos; el primero es mucho mejor.
• Ponerse morado (to eat like a horse): when you eat or drink too much. E.g.: Se puso morado en la boda del sábado.
• Poner verde a alguien (to call someone every name in the book): to criticize someone or speak ill of that person. E.g.: Tras la cena, pusieron verde al camarero por su mala gestión.
• Ponerse rojo (to turn red as a beetroot): to blush, usually out of embarrassment, is synonymous with the expression 'ponerse como un tomate'. E.g.: Se puso rojo cuando le preguntaron sobre su vida personal.
• Quedarse en blanco (to go blank): to suddenly forget something during an important moment. E.g.: Durante la presentación, se quedó en blanco y no supo qué decir.
• Verlo todo de color de rosas (to see all peaches and cream): being very optimistic, seeing everything in a positive way. E.g.: Aunque tiene problemas, siempre lo ve todo de color de rosa.

In addition to all these idiomatic expressions in Spanish, there are many more that have nothing to do with Spanish colors, food in Spanish or parts of the body. For example: 'Dar en el clavo', when you get an argument right or 'Hablar del rey de Roma', when you are talking about a person, and he appears at that moment.

All these idiomatic expressions will help you to improve your knowledge of the language and to communicate like a native speaker with the locals in Spain. Most of these expressions are used in Spain, in other countries where Spanish is also spoken, they have their own expressions, although some of them do coincide.

Saying or asking for the time in Spanish is one of the first basic lessons when you are learning the language. Whether it is because you are late for an interview or a movie; you are stopped on the street and asked the time or even you have an appointment and you are late!

Learning the time in Spanish, both digital and analog, is essential to further develop your knowledge of the language. Because mastering Spanish is not only about learning grammar and vocabulary, but also small details such as the time in Spanish or Spanish slang.
You can read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

How to tell the time in Spanish?

The most common question you will hear if you learn Spanish in Spain or Latin America is: “¿Qué hora es?” (What time is it?) This is the most direct way to ask for the time in Spanish, regardless of whether you know your interlocutor.
Also, depending on the context, you may hear several ways of asking for the time in Spanish. Here are some examples:

• Perdona, ¿qué hora es? (Excuse me, what time is it?)
• Oye, ¿qué hora tenemos? (Hey, what time do we have?)
• ¿Tienes hora? (Do you know what time it is?)
• ¿Me puedes decir qué hora es?
• Disculpa, ¿me puedes decir la hora?

Once you have understood the bulk of the question, you need to know how to answer. In Spanish, you can distinguish the time in digital or analog, as in all other languages. So, let's see how to differentiate and tell the different times in Spanish.

The hours in Spanish

The simplest way to tell the time in Spanish is when you want to tell an exact time. It's as simple as saying the time followed by “en punto”, or you can simplify it and just say the time. For example:

• 05:00 h: Las cinco en punto (Five o'clock)
• 09:00h: Las nueve ()
• 13:00 h: La una en punto (One o'clock)
• 18:00 h: Las seis (Six o'clock)

Hours with minutes

When you need to tell an hour with minutes, simply mention the hour and then the minutes. But keep in mind that, if the minutes are less than 30, you simply add the conjunction “y” (and) followed by the minutes. Whereas, if the minutes are more than 30, you can say “menos” and the time remaining until the next hour.
Here are some examples:

• 08:15h: Las ocho y cuarto (Quarter past eight)
• 11:25h: Las once y veinticinco (Twenty-five minutes past eleven)
• 14:30h: Las dos y media (Half past two)
• 15:50h: Son las cuatro menos diez (Ten to four o'clock)
• 20:45h: Las nueve menos cuarto (Quarter to nine)
• 22:10h: Las diez y diez (Ten past ten)

Difference between digital and analog format

The digital format is the most used nowadays to see the time since everyone has a mobile phone or a watch with a screen. This time format in Spanish is read as it is written:

• 07:12h: Las siete y doce (Seven twelve o’clock)
• 12:47h: Las doce cuarenta y siete (Twelve fourty-seven)
• 13:30h: Las trece treinta or La una y media de la tarde (Thirteen thirty o'clock)
• 16:45h: Las dieciséis cuarenta y cinco (Sixteen forty-five o'clock)

On the other hand, the analog format is the traditional clock with hands, and, in this case, the time is told in the manner explained above. Examples:

• 04:30h: Las cuatro y media ()
• 06:15h: Las seis y cuarto (Quarter past six)
• 10:55h: Las once menos cinco ()
• 19:35h: Las ocho menos veinticinco ()

It should be noted that, in Spanish, the AM and PM format is not used as in English. So, to differentiate the hours in Spanish, we say “de la mañana”, “de la tarde” or “de la noche”. Also, for 12:00h, you can say “es mediodía” or “es medianoche”. Here are some examples:

• 09:00h: Son las nueve de la mañana (It is nine o'clock in the morning)
• 20:00h: Son las ocho de la tarde (It is eight o'clock in the evening)
• 12:00h: Son las doce del mediodía ()
• 00:00h: Son las doce de la noche ()
• 18:00h: Las seis de la tarde ()
• 05:00h: Las cinco de la mañana ()
• 14:00h: Las dos de la tarde (Two o'clock in the afternoon)

Below, you will find some phrases where the hours are used in Spanish so that you can see various contexts:

1. La reunión empieza a las diez en punto (10:00 am) - The meeting starts at ten o'clock.
2. Llegué al aeropuerto a las cinco y media de la mañana (5:30 am) - I arrived at the airport at half past five in the morning.
3. El tren sale a las cuatro menos diez de la tarde (3:50 pm) - The train leaves at ten to four o'clock in the afternoon.
4. Nos vemos a las siete de la tarde en las taquillas del cine (7:00 pm) - Meet me at 7:00 p.m. at the cinema box office.
5. La obra de teatro empieza a las ocho y cuarto (8:15 pm) - The play starts at a quarter to eight.
6. Tengo una reserva para comer a las dos y media de la tarde (2:30pm) - I have a lunch reservation at 2:30 pm.
7. Mi vecino se despierta a las seis de la mañana para pasear a su perro (6:00 am) - My neighbor wakes up at six o'clock in the morning to walk his dog.

As in any language, learning to tell time in Spanish is a matter of practice. Remember that it is important to learn the basic ways to tell the hours in minutes or to differentiate between digital and analog format, since both are still used to tell the time in Spanish. With a little practice, you will master it quickly. Good luck!