You might be looking at the title wondering what on earth you are getting yourself into in today’s blog. However do not fear, I am not going to be giving you dating advice, but instead am going to be discussing an important element of language…idioms!
So what exactly is an idiom? Well an idiom is a word or a phrase which means something different from its literal meaning, an example in English being ‘break a leg’. Rather than actually wanting someone to break a leg we use this expression to wish someone luck. As idioms cannot be directly translated they are a difficult part of learning a language but are essential if you want to truly feel like a native.
Below are 5 of my favourite Spanish idioms:
1. Tomar el pelo
Literally ‘to take the hair’. Yep, you read that right. Although our equivalent in English doesn’t make much more sense: ‘to pull someone’s leg’. This idiom means when you tell someone something that isn’t true to play a joke on them.
2. Ponerse morado
‘To get purple?’. WHAT IS GOING ON? Well this lovely idiom translates to ‘to eat like a pig’ in English which of course means to eat a lot!
3. Tirar la casa por la ventana
‘To throw the house through the window?’ What do these Spaniards get up to on the weekends..? Well, whilst they are throwing houses through their windows in Spain, here in the UK we are ‘sparing no expense’. This handy idiom means to spend as much money as possible to make something good, without considering the cost.
4. Ser pan comido
‘To be bread eaten?’ What are these crazy Spanish people talking about you might ask? Well in English we would say something equally as strange- ‘it’s a piece of cake!’. If you’re not familiar with this idiom it means something is really easy!
5. Estar más sana que una pera
‘To be healthier than a pear’. This idiom is slightly more self explanatory than the previous ones- describing someone who is in very good health. The English equivalent (which you may have heard of) is ‘as fit as a fiddle’.