Idioms and idiomatic expressions can be some of the most difficult things for a learner to incorporate into their English.
Idioms and idiomatic expressions can be some of the most difficult things for a learner to incorporate into their English. I can say that when I speak Spanish, I do include idioms, but not as many as I do when speaking English.
Why are they so difficult? Because trying to understand the meaning from the words themselves just doesn’t work. We can’t deduce the meaning of the expression from the words.
The first step is to recognize these idioms/expressions and understand their meaning when you hear or read them. Then you have to assimilate it – and this happens after several times of hearing/seeing. Once you are totally familiar, you can start using them in your speech to sound like a native!
Here are some common idioms that have an equivalency in Spanish. It’s a good place to get started!!
1. "It's raining cats and dogs"
Spanish: "Llueve a cántaros"
Meaning: It's raining very heavily
Example: "Don't forget your umbrella today. The weather forecast says it's going to rain cats and dogs all afternoon."
2. "Break a leg"
Spanish: "Mucha mierda"
Meaning: Good luck (often used in performing arts)
Example: "The show starts in 10 minutes. Break a leg!"
3. "The ball is in your court"
Spanish: "La pelota está en tu tejado"
Meaning: It's your turn to take action or make a decision
Example: "I've sent you my proposal. The ball is in your court now – let me know what you think."
4. "To cost an arm and a leg"
Spanish: "Costar un ojo de la cara"
Meaning: To be very expensive
Example: "I'd love to buy that new smartphone, but it costs an arm and a leg."
5. "To be on cloud nine"
Spanish: "Estar en las nubes"
Meaning: To be extremely happy
Example: "Ever since she got her dream job, Sarah has been on cloud nine."
6. "To kill two birds with one stone"
Spanish: "Matar dos pájaros de un tiro"
Meaning: To accomplish two tasks with a single action
Example: "By carpooling to work, we save money and reduce our carbon footprint. We're killing two birds with one stone."
7. "To bite off more than you can chew"
Spanish: "Abarcar más de lo que se puede apretar"
Meaning: To take on more responsibility than you can handle
Example: "Between his full-time job, night classes, and volunteer work, I think John has bitten off more than he can chew."
8. "To be a piece of cake"
Spanish: "Ser pan comido"
Meaning: To be very easy
Example: "Don't worry about the test. If you've studied, it'll be a piece of cake."
9. "To let the cat out of the bag"
Spanish: "Irse de la lengua"
Meaning: To reveal a secret accidentally
Example: "I was planning a surprise party for Sarah, but her brother let the cat out of the bag."
10. "To be in hot water"
Spanish: "Estar en un aprieto"
Meaning: To be in trouble
Example: "After missing the deadline for the third time, Tom found himself in hot water with his boss."
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