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One of the most difficult aspects of a language to master is the usage of idiomatic expressions.
Idiomatic expressions are phrases that carry a specific meaning within the language. Normally,
there is no logical way of translating them word by word. The only way to learn them is to
memorize them, and to practice their use. Below, you will find a series of Spanish idiomatic
expressions grouped by types, according to the verb or the preposition they contain, and their
English counterparts.
dar con la puerta to slam the door dar la nota to stand out
en las narices in one’s face
dar cuenta de to give a report on dar pena a to aggrieve
dar de baja to drop (from a list) dar que pensar to give grounds
for suspicion
dar de beber (comer) to give a drink (to feed) dar palos de ciego to swing out wildly
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dar por + past participle to consider dar una vuelta to take a stroll
darse por aludido to take it personally darse a to devote oneself to
dar a hecho to take for granted darse cuenta de to realize
dar por muerto to consider dead darse de baja to withdraw; to drop out
dar por sentado to take for granted darse ínfulas to put on airs
dar razón to give account darse la mano to shake hands
dar la razón to agree with darse por + past participle to consider oneself
dar recuerdos a to give regards to darse por vencido to give up
dar rienda suelta a to give free rein to darse prisa to hurry
dar al traste con to destroy; to spoil dársela a uno to make a fool out of
someone
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List of Idiomatic Expressions
estar en la luna to have one’s head estar sin blanca to be flat broke
in the clouds
estar en las nubes to daydream
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List of Idiomatic Expressions
no decir ni pío to not say a word ir por cuenta de la casa on the house
no decir ni esta to not say a word ir sobre ruedas to run smoothly
boca es mía
dejar caer to drop ir tirando to get by
dejar de + infinitive to fail to; to stop ir viento en popa to run smoothly
dejar dicho to leave word pensar en to think of
dejar plantado to stand someone up perder cuidado to not worry
dormir a pierna suelta to sleep like a log quedar boquiabierto to be left agape in shock
or bewilderment
dormir como un lirón to sleep like a dormouse quedar en to agree on
dormir la mona to sleep off a hangover quedarle algo to have (something) left
dormirse en los laureles to rest on one’s laurels quedarle bien to fit; to be becoming
empeñarse en + infinitive to insist on; to persist in quedarse con to keep
no importar un comino to not give a damn about romperse la cabeza to rack one’s brain
insistir en to insist on saber + infinitive to know how to do
something
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salir al paso to run into; to confront valer lo que pesa to be worth its weight in
gold
salir ganando to come out a winner venir de perilla to come in the nick of time
alirse con la suya to have one’s own way venir de perlas to be just right
saltar a la vista to be obvious ver las estrellas to feel acute pain
subir a to get on (something) volver a las andadas to go back to one’s old ways
tardar en + infinitive to delay volver atrás to go back
temblar de to tremble with volver en sí to regain conciousness
tocar madera knock on wood volverle el alma al cuerpo to recover from a shock
tocarle a uno to be one’s turn volverse loco to lose one’s mind
traer a colación to bring up to discussion
a cántaros cats and dogs (to rain) a diferencia de in contrast to; unlike
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List of Idiomatic Expressions
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List of Idiomatic Expressions
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