Spanish Expressions from Spain: 18 Phrases Locals Actually Use

Textbooks teach you “¿Cómo estás?”. Spaniards say “¿Qué pasa, tío?”. Textbooks teach you “No te preocupes”. Spaniards say “No pasa nada”. The gap between textbook Spanish and real Spanish is made of expressions like the ones on this page.

I’ve grouped them by when you’ll need them. Click any expression to read the full guide.

Reactions you’ll hear every day

Little words and phrases Spaniards use dozens of times a day. Learn these first.

Expression	Meaning	Example
Venga	Come on / OK / bye	¡Venga, tú puedes!
No pasa nada	Don’t worry, it’s fine	—Perdona. —No pasa nada.
¡Qué fuerte!	No way! / OMG!	¡Qué fuerte, tía!
Ojalá	I hope / I wish	¡Ojalá haga sol!
Me importa un pepino	I couldn’t care less	Me importa un pepino el fútbol.
Eres la leche	You’re amazing (or unbelievable)	¡Gracias, eres la leche!

Describing people (and yourself)

How Spaniards say someone is crazy, distracted, exhausted or annoying.

Expression	Meaning	Example
Estar como una cabra	To be crazy, nuts	¡Estás como una cabra!
Estar en las nubes	To have your head in the clouds	Perdona, estaba en las nubes.
Estar hecho polvo	To be exhausted	Estoy hecha polvo.
Dar la lata	To pester, to bug	¡Deja de dar la lata!

Everyday situations

For mistakes, jokes, favours, money and distances.

Expression	Meaning	Example
Meter la pata	To put your foot in it	Metí la pata.
Tomar el pelo	To pull someone’s leg	¿Me estás tomando el pelo?
Echar una mano	To lend a hand	¿Me echas una mano?
Ponerse las pilas	To get your act together	¡Ponte las pilas!
Ser pan comido	To be a piece of cake	Es pan comido.
Costar un ojo de la cara	To cost an arm and a leg	Cuesta un ojo de la cara.
En el quinto pino	Miles away	Vive en el quinto pino.

Spanish culture in a phrase

Expressions you only understand if you grew up in Spain.

Expression	Meaning	Example
Toma tomate, tómalo	The chant of a hand-slapping game	¡Toma tomate, tómalo!

How to actually learn Spanish expressions

1. Learn them in a situation, not in a list. No pasa nada sticks when you picture someone spilling a drink in a bar, not when you read it in a column.
2. Learn 3 or 4 a week, not 18 in a day. Use each one at least once in a real conversation or message.
3. Listen for them. Watch a Spanish series and count the vengas and the ¡qué fuerte!. Once you know them, you hear them everywhere.
4. Say them out loud. Expressions are about rhythm and tone. Reading them silently isn’t enough.

More real Spanish from Spain

• 20 Madrid slang words (mola, flipar, tío, guay…)
• What “vale” means in Spain
• What “mola” means and what “tío” means
• Estar sobao (to be asleep, Spain slang)
• Spanish swear words (for the brave)

FAQ

What is the difference between a Spanish idiom and an expression?

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning you can’t guess from the words, like estar como una cabra (literally “to be like a goat”, meaning “to be crazy”). Expression is a wider term that also includes everyday phrases like venga or no pasa nada. This page has both.

Are these expressions used in Latin America too?

Some are used everywhere (meter la pata, tomar el pelo, echar una mano, ojalá). Others are very typical of Spain (venga, ¡qué fuerte!, eres la leche, en el quinto pino). Each article tells you where it’s used.

Which Spanish expressions should I learn first?

Start with the reactions: venga, no pasa nada, ¡qué fuerte! and ojalá. You’ll hear them every day in Spain and they make you sound natural immediately.

What is the most common Spanish expression in Spain?

Probably venga or vale. Spaniards use them to agree, to encourage, to hurry and to say goodbye, sometimes all in the same sentence.

— Monica Bernabe Perez