Spanish · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 8 of 12
Idioms and everyday speech
Expresiones y lengua cotidiana
Sound natural in Spanish: everyday idioms like meter la pata, verb phrases like volver a and seguir sin, and fillers like o sea and vamos.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Understand and use common idioms: no pegar ojo, meter la pata, ser pan comido
- Use verb phrases: acabar de, volver a, seguir + gerund, ponerse a, estar a punto de, dejar de
- Use fillers and markers like o sea, pues, bueno, vamos and hombre
- Tell a friend how something went, in a relaxed, natural way
Listen
In the flat they share in Cádiz, Dani asks Noa how her job interview went that morning. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Dani
¡Noa! ¿Qué tal la entrevista? ¿Acabas de llegar?
Noa! How did the interview go? Have you just got back?
Noa
Sí, acabo de llegar. Uf, estoy hecha polvo. Anoche no pegué ojo.
Yes, I've just got back. Phew, I'm shattered. I didn't sleep a wink last night.
Dani
Ya, ya. A las tres de la mañana seguías hablando por teléfono con tu madre.
I know. At three in the morning you were still on the phone to your mother.
Noa
Es que estaba muy nerviosa. Y al principio todo fue bien, pero cuando me preguntaron por qué quería el puesto, me quedé en blanco.
The thing is, I was really nervous. And at first everything went well, but when they asked me why I wanted the job, my mind went blank.
Dani
¿En serio? ¿Y qué hiciste?
Seriously? And what did you do?
Noa
Pues me puse a hablar y a hablar, y al final dije que me gustaba porque la oficina está al lado de la playa. O sea, metí la pata, ¿no?
Well, I started talking and talking, and in the end I said I liked it because the office is next to the beach. I mean, I put my foot in it, didn't I?
Dani
Hombre, un poco sí. Pero bueno, tampoco es tan grave. ¿Y luego?
Well, a bit, yes. But anyway, it's not that serious. And then?
Noa
Luego la jefa se echó a reír y me dijo que ella también había venido a Cádiz por la playa. Y desde ese momento, fue pan comido.
Then the boss burst out laughing and told me that she'd come to Cádiz for the beach too. And from that moment on, it was a piece of cake.
Dani
¿Lo ves? Vamos, que siempre te preocupas demasiado. ¿Y cuándo te dicen algo?
See? Basically, you always worry too much. And when will they let you know?
Noa
Ya me lo han dicho. Estaba a punto de salir del edificio cuando me llamaron: ¡me han dado el trabajo! Empiezo el lunes.
They already have. I was about to leave the building when they called me: they've given me the job! I start on Monday.
Dani
¿Me estás tomando el pelo? ¡Enhorabuena!
Are you pulling my leg? Congratulations!
Noa
Que no, que es verdad. Esta noche lo celebramos, ¿vale? Pero antes vuelvo a llamar a mi madre, que sigue sin saber nada.
No, really, it's true. We'll celebrate tonight, OK? But first I'll call my mother again, because she still doesn't know anything.
Understand
Verb phrases: acabar de, volver a, seguir…
Spanish uses many verb + infinitive or gerund combinations, called “periphrases”, to show exactly where an action is in time. You know (to have just), (to stop) and + gerund from B1. The first verb is conjugated; the infinitive or gerund stays the same.
+ infinitive is the negative of + gerund: (she still doesn't know anything). is used mainly with and : (she burst out laughing).
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| + infinitive | to have just | |
| + infinitive | to do again | |
| + gerund | to still be doing | |
| + infinitive | to still not do | |
| + infinitive | to start (suddenly) | |
| + infinitive | to be about to | |
| + infinitive | to stop |
Everyday idioms
Idioms () are fixed: you can change the verb tense, but not the words. Those below are used all the time in Spain, by people of all ages, and aren't rude.
| Spanish | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| to be turned to dust | to be shattered, exhausted | |
| not to stick an eye | not to sleep a wink | |
| to stay in white | for your mind to go blank | |
| to put your leg in | to put your foot in it | |
| to be eaten bread | to be a piece of cake | |
| to take someone's hair | to pull someone's leg | |
| to throw a hand | to give a hand, to help |
Fillers and markers
Spoken Spanish is full of little words that give you time to think or show how ideas connect. and mean “I mean”, “in other words”; sounds more formal. … sums up: “basically…”. (also to women) softens an answer: (Well, a bit, yes). … insists: (No, honestly, it's true).
| Spanish | Use |
|---|---|
| … | well… (to start an answer) |
| … | well…, anyway… |
| … | I mean…, so… |
| … | that is…, in other words… (more formal) |
| … | basically…, in short… |
| … | well… (to soften) |
| … | let's see… |
More in the grammar: Discourse markers: sin embargo, por lo tanto, o sea · Verb phrases: acabar de, volver a, seguir + gerund
New words
- estar hecho polvo / hecha polvoto be shattered, exhausted · informal
- no pegar ojonot to sleep a wink
- seguir hablandoto keep talking, to still be talking · + gerund: to still be doing something; : you were still talking
- quedarse en blancofor your mind to go blank · : my mind went blank
- ponerse ato start doing something · + infinitive: , I started talking
- o seaI mean; so, in other words
- meter la patato put your foot in it, to make a blunder
- el jefe / la jefaboss
- echarse a reírto burst out laughing · : to laugh;
- ser pan comidoto be a piece of cake, to be very easy
- estar a punto deto be about to do something · + infinitive: , I was about to leave
- tomar el pelo a alguiento pull someone's leg, to tease someone · Are you pulling my leg?
- ¡Enhorabuena!Congratulations!
- seguir sinto still not do something · + infinitive: , she still doesn't know anything
Practise
1.Your mind went blank in an exam. What do you say?
2.Complete with a verb phrase: “I was about to leave.”
I was about to leave.
3.Complete with : “I'll call my mother again.”
I'll call my mother again.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.My mother still doesn't know anything.
5.Match the idioms with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.What does mean?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Estoy hecho polvo: anoche no pegué ojo.
I'm shattered: I didn't sleep a wink last night.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.