When learning a new language, there’s only one thing more fun than picking up common Spanish language sayings: discovering their origin. Many times, the backstory is even more surprising than the sayings themselves. Click here to read the Spanish version of this post. 

Continuing with our series of common Spanish expressions with cats, this week we have a couple of sayings with surprising origins. Take out your pen and paper: when you travel to Spain or Latin America you’re sure to hear these phrases more than once.

Dar gato por liebre

This expression, to give a cat for a hare, is used when you pass something off as something more valuable. It’s usually used when somebody has fallen victim to a scam or deceit upon purchasing a product or service.

The saying first came about many years ago, between the 16th and 17th centuries. At that time, people travelled by foot or on horseback and journeys took a lot longer than they do today. Posadas (inns) were establishments that would provide food and lodging for weary travelers when they stopped along the way.

However, these businesses often took advantage of the customers who were just passing through. One way to do so was to serve them cat meat (cats were street animals) and call it hare (a much more expensive meat). This way, the posadas could save money at the cost of people they would never see again.

This practice was so common at the time that it became popular for travelers to recite a kind of rhyming incantation before meals

Si eres cabrito, mantente frito;

si eres gato, salta al plato.

(If you’re goat meat, stay fried/asleep;

If you’re cat meat, jump on the plate.)

Returning to the present, here’s an example of how this saying might be used today:

La agencia de viajes me dio gato por liebre; pagué por un hotel de cinco estrellas y me enviaron a una pensión malísima.

The travel agency gave me cat for hare; I paid for a 5-star hotel and they sent me to a crummy hostel.

Buscarle tres pies al gato

When we talk about animals in Spanish, it’s correct to use the word patas (paws) instead of pies (feet). However, this expression is an exception.

Buscarle tres pies al gato (to look for three feet on a cat) is to try to explain the unexplainable. You’re probably asking yourself why use this and not another number, since cats actually have more than three paws.

It is thought that this expression has changed over time. At some point, the saying buscarle cinco pies al gato (to look for five feet on the cat) was used to describe something impossible, which makes sense since cats only have four paws.

However, in the times of Quixote, the expression had already evolved into its more modern version. In one of the book’s passages, we find this interesting piece of dialogue:

—Y enderécese ese bacín que trae en la cabeza y no ande buscando tres pies al gato.

—¡Vos sois el gato y el rato y el bellaco! —respondió don Quijote.

(“Put that basin straight that you’ve got on your head, and don’t go looking for three feet on a cat.”

“’Tis you that are the cat, rat, and rascal,” replied Don Quixote.)

If you want to learn more expressions with gato, click to watch the video below.

Here don Quijote we’re very open about our love for cats. That’s why we couldn’t leave our whiskered friends out of our weekly overview of the most interesting Spanish expressions. Thanks to them, Spanish is a little bit richer.

Are you ready to learn some sayings about gatos? Continue reading this post in English or click here to switch to Spanish. (Tip: if you read the English version first, you’ll have an easier time understanding the Spanish and improving your reading comprehension later.)

Defenderse como gato panza arriba

A picture is worth a thousand words. If you saw a cat lying on its back with its claws in the air, approaching it would probably be the last thing you’d want to do. Right?

When applied to people, the expression to defend oneself like a cat belly up means to aggressively defend oneself from someone or something. You see, cats assume this position when they want to protect themselves from danger. This way, they’re protecting their back and are free to attack with their teeth and claws.

María se defiende como gato panza arriba de los ataques de su compañera. No quiere ganar mala reputación en la oficina.

(Maria defends herself against her coworker’s attacks like a cat belly up. She doesn’t want to get a bad reputation at the office.)

In this example, Maria works hard to defend herself and prevent her image from being tarnished by another person. Defenderse con uñas y dientes (to defend oneself with nails and teeth) is a similar expression that also makes use of classic kitty characteristics.

El sindicato defendió con uñas y dientes los derechos del trabajador.

(The union fought tooth and nail to defend the worker’s rights.)

De noche, todos los gatos son pardos

Today’s second expression means that at night or in a poorly lit setting it’s easy to hide the defects of people or things. Let’s see an example to better understand how to use it.

• ¡Qué vergüenza! Hoy me he pintado fatal los labios.
• De noche, todos los gatos son pardos. Nadie se va a dar cuenta.

• How embarrassing! I did a horrible job with my lipstick today.
• At night, all cats look the same. Nobody’s going to notice.

Where could this saying have come from? Well, there are at least two explanations. We’ll start with the most obvious one.

Cat coats come in different colors. In Spanish, one of them is pardo, a brownish mixture of different colors. When it’s dark, the human eye has difficulty seeing colors. Therefore, at night, all cats are the same color (or they might as well be, because that’s how we see them).

Using the example above, while the daytime someone might notice a flaw in your makeup, after nightfall the same flaw will probably fly under the radar.

 This expression is also used to express the idea that when the sun goes down it’s easy to hide or disguise dishonest or embarrassing actions. This points to the second theory of the saying’s origins.

People who live in Madrid are commonly known as gatos. In the past, when the street lights of the city were far and few between or non-existent, it was hard to tell who was who in the darkness. That made nighttime ideal for committing crimes or dishonorable acts.

If you’re a fan of cats like we are, you’ll love the video below, where you’ll find lots of other feline expressions. We also encourage you to put your love of cats into action with our volunteer program in Playa del Carmen.

With this program, you can learn Spanish in Mexico while you take care of cats and dogs looking for a second chance at a local animal shelter. We hope to see you there!

Pets have a lot in common with their owners. Sometimes it’s funny to observe how domestic animals only respond to orders given in the language their owner has chosen to speak with them. Animals and languages have a give-and-take relationship: the way we speak to them influences their behavior, and at the same time, their behavior has inspired new expressions in our daily language.

Spanish is full of sayings related to animals, especially with man’s best friends: cats and dogs. In today’s post, we’ll discover the meaning of a couple of them. Click here if you prefer to read this post in Spanish.

Llevarse como el perro y el gato

No one is a stranger to the idea that dogs and cats aren’t exactly the best of friends. Of course, you can always find an exception, but the fact is that there is an ancient rivalry between these two animals, similar to the contentious relationship between cats and mice. (Remember Tom and Jerry?)

So, it won’t come as a surprise that the expression llevarse como el perro y el gato (to get along like the dog and the cat) describes an antagonistic relationship with lots of conflicts. Let’s see an example:

Mis hermanos pequeños se llevan como el perro y el gato. Están siempre peleándose por los juguetes.

(My younger siblings get along like the dog and the cat. They’re always fighting over toys.)

Where does this hostility come from? Well, lots of places. The experiences the animals have had with members of the other species undoubtedly plays a key role in the relationship. However, we can’t overlook the differences in the animals’ personalities, their connection with their owners, and above all, their socializing styles.

Llevarse el gato al agua

Today’s second expression is about one of our favorite furry friends: cats. They’re clearly adorable, but it’s hard to deny that they can be a bit stubborn. This headstrong nature points to the origin of the expression llevarse el gato al agua (to take the cat to water).

It’s common knowledge that cats can’t stand water and will avoid coming into contact with it at any cost. Getting a cat wet is quite an achievement, which is why this expression is used to describe a hard-won victory. Here’s an example:

Parecía que el equipo no iba a remontar el partido, pero al final consiguieron llevarse el gato al agua y ganar por dos puntos.

(It looked like the team wasn’t going to turn the game around, but in the end they managed to take the cat to water and won by two points.)

Now that you know two more expressions with perro and gato, we encourage you to check out the video below to learn even more. And if you’re an animal lover, we’ve got something special just for you.

In Playa del Carmen, Mexico, we have a volunteer program where you can learn Spanish and take care of homeless cats and dogs at the SOS El Arca animal shelter. Help us help animals!

Want to boost your brain power, improve your memory, increase your ability to multi-task, and build cultural intelligence? These are just a few of the many benefits of learning a second language.

As with most things, getting started is the hardest part. So why not learn your second language the way you learned your first, in a way that’s natural and fun?

Picking up a colorful, featherlight children’s book is easy! That’s why today we’re bringing you a quick sample of children’s books in Spanish to reawaken your childlike sense of wonder as you explore beautifully illustrated worlds and learn new words.

If you’re ready, why not try reading this post in Spanish?

Teo viaja por España by Violeta Denou

Looking for a friend to share your new adventures with? Teo is a friendly redhead with lots of different books that will put you in contact with basic Spanish vocabulary, like numbers, family members, and household items, and take you on fun trips to a farm, the beach, or all across Spain! The three women who write and illustrate the books under the pseudonym Violeta Denou started working together in Barcelona in 1977.

Fábulas by Félix María Samaniego

This book of fables is a Spanish classic that has been around since the 1780s. You may need a dictionary to learn some of the words, but each fable is very short and easy to digest. Most of the stories are about animals, and they all have a moral at the end. The fables are available online along with audio recordings to help with pronunciation.

Mafalda by Quino

This iconic Argentinian comic strip features a young girl with short black hair who questions the world, society, politics, and the meaning of life with a healthy dose of humor. (Her pet turtle is called Bureaucracy because he moves so slowly.) The strip ran in newspapers in Argentina from 1964 to 1973, but Mafalda continues to be a beloved figure across the world today. There’s even a statue of her on a much-visited bench in Buenos Aires. As Noble Prize winner Gabriel García Marquéz said,

"Después de leer a Mafalda me di cuenta de que lo que te aproxima más a la felicidad es la quinoterapia"

After reading Mafalda, I realized that what gets you closest to happiness is Quinotherapy

Childhood in translation

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can always look for the Spanish versions of your old favorites. Try Buenas noches, Luna; La oruga muy hambrienta; or El gato ensombrerado!

Whether you’re looking to take baby steps towards language learning as an adult or get your children speaking Spanish from a young age, these books will get the ball rolling. For best results, read aloud and let your mouth and tongue get a feel for all the new words you’re learning!

In Spain, almost 50% of households have pets. Most of these are dogs and cats that are considered regular family members. Today, we invite you discover the meaning of two popular Spanish expressions related to our beloved felines. Click here to read this post in Spanish.

Cats have a magnetic personality. From antiquity, these animals have inspired stories, superstitions, and legends. And really, who likes seeing a black cat cross their path at nighttime? Spanish has many sayings dedicated to these furry creatures. Let’s learn a couple of them!

An animal with seven lives (or is it nine?)

How many lives does a cat have? In Spanish, Italian, Greek, and other languages, cats are said to have seven lives. However, an English speaker will tell you they have nine lives, while Arabic tradition states they have six. Where do these beliefs come from?

First, cats are extraordinarily agile and can endure just about anything. They’re able to always land on their feet and easily avoid or emerge unscathed from falls and accidents. That’s why they are known for having several lives.

The jumble of different numbers of lives we find in different languages is due to purely symbolic reasons. In Western culture, the number seven is related to good luck and even a touch of magic. Meanwhile, in ancient Egypt, the number nine was linked to the gods.

Here’s a fun fact: years ago, there was a popular show on Spanish TV called 7 vidas or 7 lives. It took place in a neighborhood in Spain’s capital city… Do you know a colloquial name for people who live in Madrid? That’s right: gatos (cats).

There’s a cat locked up in here

Today cats are a common pet, but it wasn’t always that way. In 17th-century Spain, for example, cats were street animals that no one cared much about. The Spanish saying about a locked-up cat (gato encerrado) dates back to this period.

No entiendo por qué nos ofrecen este descuento. Aquí hay gato encerrado.

I don’t understand why they’re offering this discount. There’s a locked up cat in here (There’s something fishy going on here).

As you can see from the example above, this expression is used to express distrust or a suspicion you’re being tricked. To understand this saying, we have to forget about the modern image we have of an affectionate, cuddly creature and go back a few centuries.

When cats were nothing more than street animals, their skin was sometimes tanned and made into handbags and change purses. By extension, the word gato began to be used to refer to the place were money was kept out of sight. From there, the expression gato encerrado came to mean that someone is hiding something.

If you liked today’s overview of Spanish sayings with gato, don’t miss the following video. In it, you’ll find lots of other expressions with animals to enjoy. Learn Spanish while having fun!

Warm temperatures are one of the strongest draws for tourists who visit Spain and Latin America. Who doesn’t like walking along the beach or sitting on a sunny patio with a refreshing drink?

Nevertheless, in the summertime, the sun can go from being a close ally to a burning enemy. Spanish has an expression that reveals the dark side of our reigning star. To find out what it is, keep reading or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post.

A Sun of Righteousness

Perhaps you’ve heard a Spanish speaker say hace un sol de justicia. This is one of those expressions that’s easy to understand when you have context. As you might imagine, it means that the sun is blazing and it’s very hot outside.

Hoy hace un sol de justicia en la calle. No pienso salir de casa hasta la noche.

There’s a sun of righteousness in the street today (It’s a scorcher out there today). I’m not thinking of leaving the house until nighttime.

The Origin of the Expression

The meaning of this saying is pretty clear, but the history behind it is less obvious. In fact, there are multiple theories about how it came about, but they all have one thing in common: religion.

The Book of Malachi, which forms part of the Bible, has a passage that mentions a sun of righteousness that will shine on Judgement Day. In this case, the star refers to God, who will appear on the day of the Apocalypse to save the people who have been good Christians.

Mas a vosotros los que teméis mi nombre, nacerá el Sol de justicia, y en sus alas traerá salvación; y saldréis, y saltaréis como becerros de la manada.

Malaquías 4: 2-3

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Malachi 4:2-3

Another possible explanation of today’s expression comes from medieval times and has to do with autos de fe or divine judgments organized by the Spanish Inquisition.

During these events, people were publicly tortured as punishment for their sins and to dissuade others from committing heresy. One of the most common forms of punishment was to leave victims in the sun for hours or even days.

If the person managed to survive, they were considered innocent of all the crimes they had been accused of. If, on the other hand, they died while being tortured, that was taken as proof of their guilt. In this way, the sun acted as an agent of righteousness.

If you’re interested in learning the stories behind more everyday expressions like this one, we encourage you to watch the following video. In it, you’ll find more phrases with the word sol you can use to expand your vocabulary day by day.

Spain and many Latin American countries are famous around the world for their sun and beaches. The mere mention of places like Valencia or Playa del Carmen is enough to send you drifting into a daydream featuring crystalline coastal waters and the warm feeling of sun on your face.

In today’s post, we’ll dig a little bit deeper into the important role the sun plays in the Spanish language. Slather on some sunscreen and step outside to read about two fun Spanish expressions. If you’d like to read this post in Spanish, click here. Let’s get started!

No dejar ni a sol ni a sombra

To not leave [someone] in the sun or in the shade

You really start to realize how important the sun is for a culture when you discover that time is divided into moments with sun and moments without it. That’s exactly what’s happening with this expresión.

El perro de Juan está todo el día pegado a él. No lo deja ni a sol ni a sombra.

Juan’s dog stays close to him all day long. He doesn’t leave his side in the sun or in the shade.

No dejar a alguien ni a sol ni a sombra means to be constantly by that person’s side. Every moment of the day fits into one of these two situations: all day long, either you’re in the sun or you’re in the shade.

This combination of words has also given rise to other names and expressions.

There’s a typical cocktail in Spain called sol y sombra, made with brandy and sweet anisette. If you ever go to a bullfight, you’ll see that the seats of the bullring are divided into sections depending on where the sun will be when the event begins. When you buy tickets, you’ll have to choose between seats in the sun (the cheaper option) and seats in the shade.

Arrimarse al sol que más calienta

To stay close to the warmest sun

Have you ever seen a lizard basking in the sun? Reptiles need the sun to regulate their body temperature because they’re cold-blooded. Today’s second Spanish expression has a lot to do with this natural phenomenon.

Pablo siempre defiende a su jefe porque sabe arrimarse al sol que más calienta

Pablo always defends his boss because he knows how to stay close to the warmest sun

Arrimarse al sol que más calienta means to stay close to people we can use for our own personal benefit.

Just as the lizard uses the sun to heat its blood and stay alive, people who arrimarse al sol que más calienta suck up to powerful people in order to reap some sort of benefit. In the example above, Pablo always agrees with his boss to stay in his good favor. This way, he’s positioning himself for a promotion or maybe a raise.

We hope that reading this post has given you an extra dose of vitamin D. If you’re craving more, we encourage you to watch the following video we’ve prepared for you. Click play to learn more interesting expressions with the word sol.

The Sun is just a small star living in one of many galaxies. In the context of the whole universe, it’s an insignificant pinprick. Nevertheless, for us it is essential. This celestial body marks the rhythm of life on Earth.

Today, the calendars of almost every culture are determined by the Earth’s movement around the Sun, dividing the year into 365 days. Long ago, sundials or shadow clocks were very popular instruments used to split the day into more precise blocks of time.

Clearly, we can’t ignore the fundamental role the sun plays in how we organize our work day. This quality is precisely what today’s Spanish expression, trabajar de sol a sol,  is all about. Continue reading in English to find out the meaning of this saying or click here to read about it in Spanish.

Everyone knows that the early bird catches the worm — or, as the common Spanish expression says, a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda (God helps those who get up early). Back before people had electricity, the sun was practically the only source of light available. That’s why workers made the most of the hours of natural light to get their work done.

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression de sol a sol. In English we have a similar expression, from sunup to sundown. This saying is usually associated with work and it means “all day long” or “a long time.” Let’s see an example:

Juan trabaja de sol a sol para dar de comer a sus hijos.

Juan works from sun to sun to feed his children.

This sentence informs us that Juan works tirelessly from sunrise to sunset. Now, if Juan spent los lunes al sol, that would be a different story. This saying, which became popular thanks to a Spanish movie by director Fernando León de Aranoa, means just the opposite: to be unemployed, or not working. In that type of situation, spending a few months volunteering is always a good option.

Luis Tosar and Javier Bardem in Los lunes al sol

Los lunes al sol (Mondays in the Sun) is a movie from 2002 starring Luis Tosar and Javier Bardem. It tells the story of the mass layoffs that took place in the Spanish port city of Vigo. The movie earned five Goyas, Spain’s most important film awards.

So now you know, if you don’t want to spend los lunes al sol, you’d better get to work de sol a sol. And if you still have time to discover more expressions like these ones, we invite you to watch the following video:

Our solar system’s reigning star is a fiery source of energy for the Earth and its inhabitants, who are all alive directly or indirectly thanks to its power. The Sun is so important that throughout history, it has been worshipped as a god in many cultures, given rise to enormous forests, and returned animals to life after months of hibernation each winter. 

In addition to all this, the Sun has been an inspiration for popular sayings in all the world’s languages. Spanish, of course, is one of them. Today we’ll learn what it means to be a sun, or ser un sol. Keep reading in English or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post.

Both literally and figuratively, our world revolves around the Sun. Everything depends on it, from the food we eat to the tan we spend all summer working on. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the expression ser un sol is used to describe good things, like kindness.

La vecina de arriba me ayudó a subir las bolsas de la compra por la escalera. ¡Es un sol!

My upstairs neighbor helped me carry the shopping bags up the stairs. She is a sun!

This expression is also used to describe people who brighten up our lives and make us happy. Here’s a romantic compliment to add to your list of Spanish love quotes:

Eres el sol que ilumina mis días.

You are the sun that illuminates my days.

And since we’re on the topic, let’s learn something about Spanish culture. Did you know that Spaniards enjoy more than 10 hours of sunshine a day during the summertime? This makes our destinations in Spain the ideal place to attend an unforgettable summer camp with lots of outdoor activities.

If you liked learning today’s Spanish expression, you’ll love watching this video. We’ve compiled all sorts of sayings with sol to help you speak Spanish more fluently.

Why tell a friend they look nervous when you can say they’re like flan (estás como un flan)? Isn’t it much more fun to talk about someone who has bad milk (tiene mala leche) instead of calling them grumpy or bad-tempered? One of the most wonderful things about Spanish is the rich variety of expressions you can use to describe reality in a whole new way.

Food provides an endless supply of sayings and expressions we can use to talk about feelings and emotions. One colorful example is ponerse como un tomate, which is about feeling embarrassed. Today, we’re going to see how food can be used to illustrate nervousness and anger. Keep reading in English or click here to switch to Spanish.

Flan is one of the most typical foods in Spain and Latin America when it comes to dessert. It’s made with eggs, milk, and sugar and is known for its light texture. In addition to its natural ability to please every palate, flan is also useful when you want to describe someone who is nervous. For example, people are usually como un flan before a big test.

The origin of this expression is purely visual. When a person is nervous, their body starts to tremble. Flan’s very light texture causes it to shake with the smallest movement. Thus, getting nervous is analogous to ponerse como un flan.

One of the ingredients found in flan is just what we need for our next topic. This common Spanish expression comes in very handy when you want to talk about people who are easily irritated or annoyed: tener mala leche.

Long ago, people believed that the milk a baby drank would influence their personality when they grew up. By this logic, a baby who drank bad quality milk would be more likely to become a difficult person.

Continuing with the previous example, you’ll probably be de mala leche if you failed an exam even after you studied hard for it. In other words, you’d be mad!

If you’re still feeling hungry, we recommend you watch the following video. You’ll find lots of other expressions with food to help you win your way to your Spanish friends’ hearts through their stomachs. ¡Que aproveche! (Bon appétit!)