Idioms and set phrases for B2
Use common Spanish idioms about mistakes, money, talk, effort and pressure, conjugating only the parts that change.
Part of the free B2 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.
An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning is not the sum of its words. You met everyday ones in Everyday idioms: tomar el pelo, estar hecho polvo, ponerse las pilas. These are frequent in conversation, the press and TV in Spain. Most of the words are fixed: you conjugate the verb and adapt the pronoun, but you never change the nouns.
Mistakes and problems
- meter la pata = put your foot in it, make a blunder
- salirle a alguien el tiro por la culata = backfire
- estar entre la espada y la pared = be between a rock and a hard place
- Metí la pata al mencionar su divorcio.I put my foot in it by mentioning his divorce.
- Al partido le salió el tiro por la culata.It backfired on the party.
Money and effort
- costar un ojo de la cara = cost an arm and a leg
- ser pan comido = be a piece of cake
- tirar la toalla = throw in the towel, give up
- no dar abasto = be unable to cope, be swamped
- El alquiler en este barrio cuesta un ojo de la cara.Rent in this neighbourhood costs an arm and a leg.
- Para una informática, arreglar esto es pan comido.For an IT specialist, fixing this is a piece of cake.
- En la tienda no damos abasto con tantos pedidos.In the shop we can't keep up with so many orders.
Talking and reacting
- no tener pelos en la lengua = not mince your words
- hablar por los codos = talk nonstop
- ir al grano = get to the point
- dar en el clavo = hit the nail on the head
- poner el grito en el cielo = hit the roof, protest loudly
- Mi jefa no tiene pelos en la lengua.My boss doesn't mince her words.
- Has dado en el clavo con tu análisis.You've hit the nail on the head with your analysis.
- Los vecinos pusieron el grito en el cielo cuando subieron las tasas.The residents hit the roof when the local taxes went up.
Attention and sleep
- hacer la vista gorda = turn a blind eye
- no pegar ojo = not sleep a wink
- consultarlo con la almohada = sleep on it
- Los inspectores hicieron la vista gorda durante años.The inspectors turned a blind eye for years.
- Con el bebé, llevamos semanas sin pegar ojo.With the baby, we haven't slept a wink for weeks.
- Lo consultaré con la almohada y mañana te digo algo.I'll sleep on it and let you know tomorrow.
Register: these idioms are informal to neutral. Meter la pata or costar un ojo de la cara are fine with colleagues and in a newspaper column, but not in a formal report.
Common mistakes
costar un brazo y una pierna: a literal translation of English. Spanish says costar un ojo de la cara.meter el pie: the idiom is meter la pata (an animal's leg).no tener pelo en la lengua: the noun is plural and fixed: pelos.dormirlo con la almohada: "sleep on it" is consultarlo con la almohada.- Changing the tense in the wrong place: conjugate the verb (metí, metiste), keep la pata.
Latin America
Most of these are understood everywhere: meter la pata, costar un ojo de la cara, tirar la toalla, ir al grano and ser pan comido are shared. No pegar ojo is also no pegar un ojo in parts of Latin America. No dar abasto is common on both sides of the Atlantic.
Practice
- What does «Este reloj me costó un ojo de la cara» mean?Options: It was very expensive. · It was a present. · It hurt my eye. · It was a bargain.
Show the answer
It was very expensive.
- Le pregunté por su ex delante de su nueva pareja. ¡Qué manera de meter la _____!
Show the answer
pata — Meter la pata = put your foot in it.
- Pedro siempre dice lo que piensa, aunque moleste. No tiene _____ en la lengua.Options: pelos · dientes · palabras · huesos
Show the answer
pelos — No tener pelos en la lengua = not mince your words.
- Antes del juicio estaba tan nerviosa que no _____ ojo en toda la noche.Options: pegué · abrí · puse · metí
Show the answer
pegué — No pegar ojo = not sleep a wink.