Spanish fixed phrases Daily sentences normally are fixed and we do not need to translate word by word from our native language, Spanish has a few, maybe more…:) that they are just fixed and you just need to learn them as a whole.

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I am sure most of you have a sentences in your native language which is your wildcard, you use it so often, and you would love to apply it as well in your Spanish conversations.

Spanish-fixed-sentences

Let’s be honest how many times you have been talking and stop and say “wait a minute!How do you say “this” in Spanish”?” And the teacher, friend or other Spaniard has said something that you did not expect, and they probably look and you and nod saying “yeah I know…it is how we say it” and sometimes you will think “sweet, that is easy, I can remember that!” and other times you will say “what??That is not even close”, and you probably need to ask how to say it a couple of times more (if they are not more) until it sticks in your mind, as you will keep trying to translate once and again.

Today we will see some of this common common sentences and their Spanish fixed phrases equivalent.

12 (+1) Spanish fixed phrases

 

1-!Qué pena!-What a shame!

When we are disappointed about something, as someone can’t make it to one of our parties, it is a typical wildcard to use, or when someone is telling us something bad and we want they to feel our sympathy.

What-a-shame-in-spanish

The same way we can say “es una pena”, “it is a shame”

2-!Ojalá!-I wish

As the English equivalent says, it express a wish, something we really want, but we are not sure it will happen, or most of the times we are certain at all it won’t like

!Ojalá ganara lotería!-“I wish I won the lottery”

I-wish-in-spanish

Or if someone ask if we are free tomorrow night and we need to work we will reply

!ojalá! Por desgracia tengo que trabajar-“I wish!Unfortunately I need to work.”

3-¿A quién le importa?-who cares?

Used exactly in the same way that the English equivalent, what we do not care about something, or we think is not important

Who-cares-in-spanish

Like this week, everyone is talking about the eurocup this week, but you just do not like football, you just watch the matches as an excuse to drink with friends,

-¿A quién le importa el partido?!Yo estoy aquí para pasar un buen rato!-“Who cares about the match?I just here to have a good time”

4-Me apetece-I feel like

When like the sentence says, you feel like doing something,

Me apetece ir al cine hoy, “I feel like going to the cinema today”

I-feel-like-in-spanish

in some case in the food context in can be translated as “to be craving”

Me apetece comida china hoy-“I am craving Chinese today”

5-Tener mocos-to have a runny nose

When we have a bit of a cold in Spanish we do not have a runny nose, we “tenemos mocos”

to-have-a-runny-nose-in-spanish

6- alucino contigo-You blow my mind

It is very slang, and the translations here are so many and they vary for every context, but it is use when someone surprise you, it can be in the good or in the bad way

You-blow-my-mind-in-Spanish

7-yo que tú-If I were you

When someone ask for advice, or even if they do not but we want to give our advice anyway we will say

Si yo fuera tú…..-“If I were you….”

if-I-were-you-in-spanish

8- tiempo de sobra-Plenty of time

When you just have spare time (or you think you do, because most of the time that will end up in running late 🙂 )

plenty-time-in-spanish

 

Note*-you can use “de sobra” also when you have plenty of anything, like “comida de sobra”, “dinero de sobra”…..

9-Las noticias vuelan. News travels fast

When have done something and suddenly everyone knows, or if someone has new and you hear them from someone who is not the people involved

news-travels-fast-in-spanish

If you hear one of your friends is getting married but he has not telling you yet, probably you text him saying

“Enhorabuena, ya me he enterado, ya sabes que las noticias buenas”-“Congrats, I have heard already, you know news travel fast.”

10-comerse el coco/tarro-To worry one´s head off

When you think obsessively something, most of the time something that does not really matter, or it is not that important

spanish-slang

!Deja de comerte el coco, lo que tenga que ser sera!-“Stop worrying your head off!Whatever to be will be!”-Spanish philosophy 🙂

11-Alto y claro- Clear as a bell

If you are talking by phone, internet etc…and someone ask you if you can hear them (connection problems, who does not have them!) , you could say “alto y claro” “clear as a bell”, If you do not have any problems

Spanish-fixed-phrase

As well can be use if someone is repeating the same a lot, normally teenagers which want to go to a party or arrive later one weekend and the mum says no several times, and even before they leave the house the day of the party, they could say

Te he oido alto y claro, no hace falta que lo repitas”-“I heard you clear as a bell, there is not need to repeat it”

12-!Cuánta razón tenías!- How right you were! = cuanta razón tenias!

One of the favourite sentences women (and I am sure men too) love to hear.

how-right-you-were-in-spanish

That is all “so far”, hasta ahora, here is the (+1) and it is an important now, as it is quite tricky to remember as people always try to translate and end up saying “así lejos” or something similar, so make a special note in this one 🙂

HOMEWORK-Try to think and example in which you will use each of the phrases above (it does not need to be the same day, do a couple, take a break and come back to this post tomorrow) but when you actually create the situation in your mind is easy to retain the meaning, so get your imagination ready, give it a go! And let us know how it went 🙂

 

And now, over to you, I would love to hear from you, do you have a Spanish favourite fixed phrases? Do you know any more that could help other learners? do you have a phrase you use all the time and you would like to know the Spanish equivalent? Leave a comment and I will get back to you 🙂

Did you find this useful? Do not keep it as a secret, share it with family and friends, spread the Spanish language around “the more the merrier”-“cuantos más mejor” 🙂

Write to you next week.

 

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