Common Idioms

Idioms give color to language and show how culture shapes expression. This guide collects frequent idioms that learners find useful. Each section groups similar idioms so you can absorb them by theme. Short examples make meaning clear.

Food Idioms

Food idioms often use everyday dishes to illustrate human behavior, making them memorable. They appear in both casual speech and literary texts. Learn a few to sound natural when talking about time, money, or character.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🍳 Me salió todo bien, fue pan comido.	Everything went well, it was a piece of cake.
🥜 Con esa idea quedé en las nubes de azúcar.	With that idea, I was on cloud nine.
🍅 Llegó tarde y la reunión empezó a hervir.	He arrived late and the meeting started to boil over.
🧀 Es un poco queso, siempre quiere más atención.	He’s a bit cheesy, always wants more attention.

More Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🍋 La noticia me cayó como un limón amargo.	The news hit me like a sour lemon.
🥓 Trabajó horas extras y ganó un extra de tocino.	He worked overtime and earned some extra bacon.
🍪 Le di un dato y me lo agradeció con galletas.	I gave him a tip and he thanked me with cookies.
☕ Vamos a hablarlo con calma, taza de café en mano.	Let’s talk it over calmly, coffee cup in hand.

Sign In

Add an email to access exercises.

Animal Idioms

Animal idioms draw on well-known traits of animals to describe people or situations. They are common in proverbs, journalism, and conversation. Knowing them helps you catch vivid metaphors and tune into tone.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🐸 Saltó al río sin pensar en las consecuencias.	He jumped into the river without thinking of the consequences.
🦉 Ella siempre da buenos consejos, es muy sabia.	She always gives good advice, she’s very wise.
🐍 Cuidado, ese colega es bastante venenoso.	Be careful, that colleague is pretty venomous.
🐝 Está trabajando como una abeja en la colmena.	He’s working like a bee in the hive.

More Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🦢 Llegó elegante, como cisne entre patos.	He arrived elegant, like a swan among ducks.
🦊 Fue muy listo y se salió con la suya.	He was very clever and got away with it.
🐶 Es un perro fiel, siempre ayuda a sus amigos.	He’s a loyal dog, always helps his friends.
🐱 Se puso curioso y metió las patas.	He got curious and stuck his paws in.

Sign In

Add an email to access exercises.

Time Idioms

Time idioms express urgency, delay, or routine by referencing clocks, moments, or periods. They are useful in planning, storytelling, and everyday talk. These idioms help you signal when something happened or should happen.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
⏰ Lo dejé para último momento y tuve que correr.	I left it to the last minute and had to rush.
🕰️ Esa reunión fue un viaje en el tiempo.	That meeting was a trip through time.
🐢 Hoy avanzo lento, estoy con ritmo de tortuga.	Today I’m moving slowly, I’m at turtle pace.
⚡ Terminé el proyecto en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.	I finished the project in the blink of an eye.

More Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🗓️ Lo tengo agendado desde hace siglos.	I’ve had it scheduled for ages.
🔄 Hubo que darle vueltas al asunto varias veces.	We had to go over the matter several times.
🧑‍🚀 Empezamos la reunión y salimos orbitando.	We started the meeting and ended up orbiting.
🌙 Trabajé de noche y dormí a la luz de la luna.	I worked at night and slept by the moonlight.

Sign In

Add an email to access exercises.

Money Idioms

Money idioms convey value, cost, or greed through metaphors about cash, coins, or spending. They appear in markets, advice, and humor. Using them makes discussions about finances more colorful and relatable.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
💰 Invertí poco y saqué mucho por poco gasto.	I invested little and got a lot for little cost.
🤑 Ese trato fue pan para hoy y hambre para mañana.	That deal was bread for today and hunger for tomorrow.
🪙 No me queda ni una moneda, estoy en bancarrota.	I don’t have a single coin left, I’m broke.
🧾 Revisé las cuentas y todo cuadró perfecto.	I checked the accounts and everything balanced perfectly.

More Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
🥇 Con ese contrato hizo plata de la buena.	With that contract, he made good money.
🐖 Estoy guardando para cuando haya vacas flacas.	I’m saving for when there are lean times.
💳 Tuve que tirar de tarjeta para cubrir gastos.	I had to use the card to cover expenses.
🏦 Metieron dinero al banco y cerraron el trato.	They put money in the bank and closed the deal.

Sign In

Add an email to access exercises.

Emotion Idioms

Emotion idioms use physical images to describe feelings, such as heart, fire, or ice. They help speakers dramatize reactions and listeners imagine intensity. These idioms are common in songs, speeches, and personal anecdotes.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
😊 Quedé contento, me salió redondo el trabajo.	I was happy, the work turned out perfectly.
😡 Se puso rojo de coraje en la reunión.	He turned red with anger in the meeting.
😰 Me dio miedo y quedé con el corazón en la boca.	I got scared and had my heart in my mouth.
😍 Quedé encantado con la idea nueva.	I was delighted with the new idea.

More Examples

Spanish Example	English Translation
😳 Me sorprendió y me quedé con ojos como platos.	I was surprised and had eyes like saucers.
😭 Se puso triste y lloró a mares por el error.	He got sad and cried a sea over the mistake.
😬 Quedó nervioso y mostró los dientes por miedo.	He got nervous and showed his teeth out of fear.
😎 Llegó confiado y se puso las pilas al toque.	He arrived confident and got to work immediately.

Sign In

Add an email to access exercises.

Summary

Idioms reflect cultural attitudes and enrich language with imagery. Focus on a few thematic groups like food, animals, time, money, and emotion to learn naturally. Practice them in context so their meanings stick and you gain expressive flair.

Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025