Common Idioms | General | Vocabulary | Spanish

Idioms show how language is used in everyday life and often reflect culture. Learn them to sound more natural and understand native speakers better.

Idioms

Idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning is usually not literal. They often come from customs, stories, or vivid images.

Fill in the BlankCuando digo algo inapropiado en la reunión, realmente metí la(foot).

When I say something inappropriate at the meeting, I really put my foot in it.

Animal idioms use animals to symbolize traits like cleverness, cowardice, or patience. They make descriptions more colorful.

Spanish Idiom	English Idiom	Literal Translation	Meaning
Meter la pata	To put one's foot in it	To put the paw	To make a blunder
Ser un pez gordo	To be a big shot	To be a big fish	To be important
Tener pájaros en la cabeza	To have one's head in the clouds	To have birds in the head	To be unrealistic

Food idioms relate to eating, cooking, or tasting and often describe situations, emotions, or behaviors in a flavorful way.

Spanish Idiom	English Idiom	Literal Translation	Meaning
Estar en las nubes	To be daydreaming	To be in the clouds	To be distracted
Dar las uvas	To make someone wait	To give the grapes	To delay
Ser pan comido	To be a piece of cake	To be eaten bread	To be very easy

This section covers useful idioms with everyday themes like time, money, and effort that help express common attitudes quickly.

Spanish Idiom	English Idiom	Literal Translation	Meaning
Costar un ojo de la cara	To cost an arm and a leg	To cost an eye from the face	To be very expensive
Estar hasta las narices	To be fed up	To be up to the nostrils	To be very annoyed
Más vale tarde que nunca	Better late than never	Better late than never	It's better to do something late than not at all

Idioms enrich language with vivid, cultural meanings and make speech more natural. Learn a few at a time and pay attention to context.

Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025