How to sound like a native Spanish speaker with 30 phrases

Of course, one of the main concerns of language learners is to learn how to sound like a native Spanish speaker. While fluency is really important (and we won’t get too far if we have an outstanding pronunciation but we stick chains of non-grammatical phrases one after the other), being able to blend in with citizens who live around you is sufficient proof of your progress as a second-language speaker. 

One way to get that job done could be learning Spanish short phrases that are worded up the way a Spaniard would do. Those natives from Spain have several very characteristic idioms, although some of them may have been taken to the New World.

For example:

• Molar mucho (to like something very much).

Este nuevo sitio mola mucho. (I love this new place).

• ¡Guay! (Awesome!).

Mañana es viernes, ¡qué guay! (Tomorrow is Friday, [how] awesome!).

• Ser/estar chulo (be cute/nice). It can be said of a person, too.

Qué chulos tus zapatos. (How cute/nice your shoes are!).

• Currar (yo curro, tú curras, vosotros curráis… Used instead of work).

Esta semana no curro. (I’m not working this week).

• ¡Mucha mierda! 

The Spanish version of “Break a leg!”. Expression related to performing arts can be understood as “good luck!”. It is also used in Spanish-speaking America under its theatrical meaning.

¡Mucha mierda en el estreno! (Break a leg in the premiere!).

• Hablar por los codos (To be very talkative, to talk non-stop).

Habláis por los codos, ¡Parad! (you talk non-stop, stop it!).

• Ponerse las pilas (to smarten, to smart up).

Pongámonos las pilas o deberemos pagar otro impuesto.

• Llover sobre mojado (to be unnecessarily said or repeated ad nauseam).

El alcalde no hizo sino llover sobre mojado con lo de la reparación del semáforo. (The Mayor didn’t but repeat ad nauseam what he promised about the traffic light fixing).

• Estar piripi (to be slightly drunk).

Me he puesto un poco piripi anoche después de dos copas de vino. (Last night I was a tad bit drunk after a couple of glasses of wine).

• En un abrir y cerrar de ojos (in a snap, in a heartbeat).

Supermán ha llegado a Madrid en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. (Superman made it to Madrid in a snap/in a heartbeat/in a NY minute).

• Echar una mano (to lend a hand).

¿Me echáis una mano a sacar el perro? (Would you please lend me a hand to walk the dog?).

• La gota que colmó el vaso (the trigger, the last straw).

En cuanto al zoológico que se ha hecho en su casa, el conejo fue la gota que colmó el vaso (as for the zoo he has turned his place into, the bunny was the last straw/the bunny triggered a conflict).

• Dejar plantado / dar plantón (not to show up, set somebody up).

Perdona que te haya dejado plantada anoche, se me ha pinchado un neumático. (Sorry I set you up last night, I got a flat tire).

• Otro gallo cantaría (Things would be a lot different. The result should be positive, but not necessarily).

Si ciertos partidos políticos no existieran, otro gallo cantaría. (If certain political parties didn’t exist, things would be a lot different).

• Poner los cuernos (to cheat on your official romantic partner).

¿Me has estado poniendo los cuernos con la fea del edificio de enfrente? (Have you been cheating on me with the ugly woman from the building across?).

HOW TO SOUND LIKE A NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKER WITH OTHER PHRASES:  

• Dormir la mona (to fall asleep drunk).

Han dormido la mona en la estación del metro. (They fell asleep drunk in the tube station).

• Hacerse la picha un lío (to speak awkwardly, not to be say things in a clearly comprehensible manner).

Se ha hecho la picha un lío al explicarnos lo que le sucedió al coche. (He was not able to speak clearly what happened to the car).

• Verse el plumero (intentions are obvious from miles).

Se te ve el plumero en cuanto al puesto de gerente. (Your intentions with the manager opening are evident).

• Viejo verde (a mature or even senior guy who chases girls far younger than him; a cradle snatcher).

No os dejéis molestar por ese viejo verde del descapotable. (Don’t let that cradle snatcher in the convertible harass you).

• Liarse la manta a la cabeza (to take crazy decisions without thinking them through).

Hemos tenido que liarnos la manta a la cabeza con ese viajecillo a Ibiza. (We should have thought it better about that short trip to Ibiza).

• Ir a freír espárragos (what you say to someone when you want to be left alone).

¡Iros a freír espárragos! (Leave me alone!).

• Estirar la pata (to die).

El insecto ha estirado la pata. (The bug has died).

• Cepillarse a alguien (to have sex with a person).

No vayas a pensar que me he cepillado a cuanta persona se me atraviesa. (Don’t you think I have sex with every single person I stumble upon).

• Ligar (to flirt with).

Mariano ha ligado con Elena. (Mariano has been flirting with Elena/Helen).

• Hacerse el sueco (to play the fool).

¡No os hagáis los suecos con la cuenta! (Do not play the fools with the bill!). 

• Montar un pollo (to start a brawl, to bring up a scandal).

Estos vendedores han montado un pollo con estos precios. (The prices set by these retailers are really a scandal).

• Estar metido en el ajo (to be part of the problem).

No te salvas, estás metida en el ajo. (You’re not safe, you’re part of the problem).

• Estar metido en todos los fregados (same as before, in plural).
• No tener el chichi para farolillos (to be having a bad day, to have got up with the left foot).
• Echar un kiki (cute Spanish transliteration for a “quickie”).

Teníamos tan poco tiempo que sólo nos dio tiempo a un kiki. (We had no time so we just had a quickie).

We don’t think this last one really needs an example to know how to speak like a native Spanish speaker. Learn Spanish with us! Check out now our 20 Spanish idioms with “tener” and other common Spanish idioms!

Now that you know how to sound like a native Spanish speaker you can start using them with Spaniards. Cheers! 

EXERCISES: 

Fill in the blank with the best choice

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