Idiomatic Expressions — Idiomatic Expressions
What are languages?
Phrases whose meaning is NOT literal. You can't guess the meaning by translating word by word.
Common languages — Category: Difficulty & Effort
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a piece of cake | very easy | The test was a piece of cake. |
| break a leg | buena suerte | You have a show tonight? Break a leg! |
| hit the nail on the head | hit the nail on the head | You hit the nail on the head with that answer. |
| the ball is in your court | te toca a ti decidir | I gave my opinion. The ball is in your court. |
Idioms — Category: Feelings & Situations
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| under the weather | enfermo/mal | I'm feeling under the weather today. |
| once in a blue moon | muy raramente | I eat fast food once in a blue moon. |
| cost an arm and a leg | costar mucho dinero | That car cost an arm and a leg. |
| let the cat out of the bag | reveal a secret | She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise. |
| bite the bullet | accept something difficult | I decided to bite the bullet and go to the dentist. |
Idioms — Category: Work & Communication
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| get the ball rolling | empezar algo | Let's get the ball rolling on this project. |
| think outside the box | think creatively | We need to think outside the box to solve this. |
| see eye to eye | agree | We don't always see eye to eye. |
| go the extra mile | make an extra effort | She always goes the extra mile for her clients. |
| call it a day | terminate | I'm tired. Let's call it a day. |
Idioms — Category: Time & Opportunity
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| better late than never | better late than never | You finally arrived! Better late than never. |
| kill two birds with one stone | kill two birds with one stone | I combined the meeting. Kill two birds with one stone. |
| it's raining cats and dogs | it's pouring rain | Don't go out! It's raining cats and dogs. |
| on the same page | agree | Are we all on the same page? |
Equivalentes culturales — Dichos y refranes
| English | Spanish equivalent |
|---|---|
| It's raining cats and dogs | It's pouring rain |
| Break a leg | Good luck! / A lot of shit! |
| A piece of cake | Piece of cake / Very easy |
| Kill two birds with one stone | Kill two birds with one stone |
| The ball is in your court | It's your turn / The ball is in your side |
Adaptations — Movies, series and books
Titles change between cultures to have the same impact on local audiences.
- The Hangover → What happened yesterday? (Spain/LATAM)
- Frozen → A frozen adventure (some countries)
- The Witcher → The Witcher — sometimes maintained or adapted
The Native American grew up in another cultural context. A literal translation may not have the same effect.
Cultural untranslatability — Conceptos propios
Concepts that cannot be translated directly into another language:
- Spanish → English: sobremesa, early morning, empalagar, embarrassment of others
- English → Spanish: cozy (cozy but with a hint of physical warmth), awkward (uncomfortable but broader), mindset
There is no exact equivalence. You have to explain the concept or use the original word.
Common mistake: Translating literally
❌ Translate sentences from Spanish to English word by word without considering the cultural background. ✅ Use equivalents, adapt expressions and accept that some concepts do not have a direct translation.