Firstly, what is an idiom?
An idiom is a phrase or expression thats meaning isn’t clear from the literal definitions of the individual words, but instead comes from shared cultural understanding. These expressions—like “break a leg” (which actually means “good luck”)—are important for sounding natural and fluent in a language, and they often reflect particular cultural or historical backgrounds.
Here are 5 commonly used idioms in everyday speech in Spain...
- Tomar el pelo (“toh-mahr ehl peh-loh”)
= To pull someone’s leg (making a joke)
(Literally translates to ‘To take the hair’)
Eg. Solo te estoy tomando el pelo= I’m only messing with you.
- Ser pan comido (“sehr pahn koh-mee-doh”)
= To be a piece of cake
(Literally translates to ‘To be bread eaten’)
Eg. Esto es pan comido= This is a easy of cake (really easy!)
- Estar como una cabra (“ehs-tahr koh-moh oo-nah kah-brah”)
= To be a little crazy
(Literally translates to ‘To be like a goat’)
Eg. Estás como una cabra= You’re crazy
- No tener pelos en la lengua (“noh teh-nehr peh-lohs ehn lah lehng-gwah”)
= To tell it like it is
(Literally translates to ‘Not to have hairs on the tongue’)
Eg. No tiene pelos en la langua= He/She is telling it like it is!
- Estar sin blanca (“ehs-tahr seen blahn-kah”)
= To be broke (money)
(Literally translates to ‘To be without white’)
Eg. Estoy sin blanca= I’m broke/I don’t have any money
Why not try and use one of these expressions on your next holiday. You'll be sure to impress the locals!