Why tell a friend they look nervous when you can say they’re like flan (estás como un flan)? Isn’t it much more fun to talk about someone who has bad milk (tiene mala leche) instead of calling them grumpy or bad-tempered? One of the most wonderful things about Spanish is the rich variety of expressions you can use to describe reality in a whole new way.

Food provides an endless supply of sayings and expressions we can use to talk about feelings and emotions. One colorful example is ponerse como un tomate, which is about feeling embarrassed. Today, we’re going to see how food can be used to illustrate nervousness and anger. Keep reading in English or click here to switch to Spanish.

Flan is one of the most typical foods in Spain and Latin America when it comes to dessert. It’s made with eggs, milk, and sugar and is known for its light texture. In addition to its natural ability to please every palate, flan is also useful when you want to describe someone who is nervous. For example, people are usually como un flan before a big test.

The origin of this expression is purely visual. When a person is nervous, their body starts to tremble. Flan’s very light texture causes it to shake with the smallest movement. Thus, getting nervous is analogous to ponerse como un flan.

One of the ingredients found in flan is just what we need for our next topic. This common Spanish expression comes in very handy when you want to talk about people who are easily irritated or annoyed: tener mala leche.

Long ago, people believed that the milk a baby drank would influence their personality when they grew up. By this logic, a baby who drank bad quality milk would be more likely to become a difficult person.

Continuing with the previous example, you’ll probably be de mala leche if you failed an exam even after you studied hard for it. In other words, you’d be mad!

If you’re still feeling hungry, we recommend you watch the following video. You’ll find lots of other expressions with food to help you win your way to your Spanish friends’ hearts through their stomachs. ¡Que aproveche! (Bon appétit!)

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Looking for a fun way to learn Spanish or improve the level you already have? Want to boost your oral comprehension and learn something new about Spanish and Latin American culture at the same time? Fantastic! Watching movies is one of the best strategies to achieve all that.

Today, we bring you a list of the top 10 films shot in Spanish to improve your language skills as you enjoy original versions. To help you choose the one that best fits your needs, we have sorted them into three categories according to your Spanish level. Keep on reading in English or change to the Spanish version of this post here. Action!

Basic level (A1 – A2)

These movies are the ones that can help you out the most. Actors speak at a slow pace and their vocabulary is simple most of the time, even though there are always some tough words that even native Spanish speakers might have a hard time understanding. Don’t give up! If you want, you can also use subtitles so you don’t get too lost. With these movies, you will be working present and past simple tenses.

Perdiendo el norte (Off Course) – a comedy about two friends tired of not being able to find a job in Spain. They move to Germany to pursue a better life, but things don’t come that easy.

El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) – a fantasy story set in the time of the Spanish Civil War. A girl discovers a labyrinth guarded by a faun, who leads her to a great revelation.

Los ojos de Julia (Julia’s Eyes) – a psychological thriller in which Julia tries to discover the reason her sister committed suicide. In the meantime, she has to fight to not go blind.

Intermediate level (B1 – B2)

If you have been learning Spanish for a while now and you have an intermediate level, we highly recommend you check out at one (or all) of these movies. They all present more complex plots and a wider range of vocabulary. Take on the challenge and click play!

Ocho apellidos vascos (Spanish Affair) – an extremely funny comedy that will allow you to hear different Spanish accents, from Andalusian to Basque.

Roma (Roma) – this masterpiece of and black-and-white cinematography will give you a better understanding of what Mexico was like in the 1970s. In addition to Spanish, you’ll hear some Mixtec, a native Mexican language.

REC 1, 2 y 3 (REC 1, 2, and 3) – if you like horror and suspense, these are the films for you. You’ll have an incredibly up-close look at a terrifying quarantine. Try not to close your eyes!

Advanced level (C1 – C2)

If you’ve made it this far, your Spanish level will allow you to enjoy the best of cinema, or the “seventh art,” as it’s known in Spanish. So get comfortable, make some popcorn, and turn off the lights.

Celda 211 (Cell 211) – Juan, a prison guard, finds himself in a riot inside the prison where he works. He decides to join without knowing what will happen.

La isla mínima (Marshland) – two girls mysteriously disappear. As the police try to solve the case, drugs and riots complicate everything.

El hijo de la novia (Son of the Bride) – a touching film in which a divorced man who’s focused on his job sees his life suddenly change.

That wraps up our list of movies to learn and improve your Spanish. Make sure to watch them all in the original version, but don’t be afraid to turn on the subtitles if you’re having a hard time keeping up. If you’d like to recommend more movies that have helped you increase your Spanish vocabulary, please write them in the comments section below.

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Have you ever been called a chorizo? Is your favorite song said to be del año de la pera (from the pear’s year)? There are some things no one likes to hear, and these are two of them. Despite the fact that chorizo is one of  Spanish gastronomy’s treasures and ser la pera (being the pear) is a synonym for being great, these foods are often used to speak of negative things as well.

Today, we pick up our Spanish food expressions review and keep on learning with chorizos and pears. Continue reading to discover a couple of interesting expressions or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post. Let’s go!

Have you ever heard of Caló? It is a language derived from Romani which is spoken by the gypsy people. Caló has had quite some influence over Spanish, lending some words and expressions to its daily vocabulary. One of them is being a chorizo. Let’s have a look at an example:

La corrupción hace que muchos políticos se conviertan en unos chorizos.

(Corruption makes many politicians become chorizos).

In Spanish, ser un chorizo is a synonym for being a thief. The origin of this expression is linked to the Caló word chorar (steal). By analogy, being a chori has evolved into being a chorizo, in other words, a thief.

Leaving the world of sausages behind and entering the kingdom of fruits, we have another very interesting expression: ser del año de la pera. In Spanish, being from the pear’s year means being ancient or outdated. For example, if someone tells you that your favorite jacket es del año de la pera, they probably think it is old-fashioned.

However, if we dig deeper into the origin of this expression, we will discover that it has nothing to do with the delicious food we call pears, but with the most international Spanish book ever: Don Quixote.

Miguel de Cervantes included in this book a character called Roque Guinart. This bandit was inspired by a real person who was very popular in the 16^th century: Peret Roca Guinarda. This gangster's nickname was "The Pear." Over time, his name would come to be used as a synonym of antiquity.

Now that you know where these expressions come from, we don’t want you to stay hungry. We have prepared a video that explains the meaning and origin of many more Spanish expressions that have to do with food. Click here to watch it and improve your Spanish step by step!

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Every February 14^th people across Spain and many Latin American countries celebrate Día de San Valentín or Día de los enamorados. It’s the perfect occasion to show that special someone how much you care and open your heart to them.

Some of the most typical gifts on this day are a bouquet of roses (red roses are best), a box of chocolates, a romantic dinner by candlelight… Whatever your plans are, there’s one thing that adds a special touch to any intimate moment: music.

Music has an amazing power to affect people’s emotions. Plus, everyone knows that learning song lyrics is one of the most effective ways to learn vocabulary and improve your listening comprehension in a new language. Of course, reading helps, too: click here to read this article in Spanish.

This Valentine’s Day we’re bringing you a selection of love songs in Spanish to awaken your inner romantic. Whether you’re preparing for an unforgettable date or eating ice cream alone on the couch, we have a song you can identify with.

Below, we’ll give you the best verses to help you learn Spanish on Valentine’s Day. Crank up the volume and sing along!

Songs to break the ice

Héroe, by Enrique Iglesias                                           Anoche soñé contigo, by Kevin Johansen

Si pudiera ser tu héroe                                                  Anoche soñé contigo

Si pudiera ser tu dios                                                     Y no estaba durmiendo

Que salvarte a ti mil veces                                          Todo lo contrario

Puede ser mi salvación (…)                                          Estaba bien despierto (…)

Songs for a broken heart

Naranjo en flor, by Roberto Goyeneche                Corazón partío, by Alejandro Sanz

Primero hay que saber sufrir,                                     ¿Qué fue de la ilusión y de lo bello que es vivir?
Después amar, después partir                                   Para qué me curaste cuando estaba herido
y al fin andar sin pensamiento                                  Si hoy me dejas de nuevo el corazón partío (…)

Perfume de naranjo en flor

Promesas vanas de un amor

Que se escaparon en el viento (…)

Songs to be shouted from the rooftops

Ando ganas, by Los Piojos                                           A Dios le pido, by Juanes

Solo una cosa te digo                                                    Que si me muero sea de amor
Yo necesito un abrigo                                                   Y si me enamoro sea de vos
Que en esta tierra hace frío                                        Y que de tu voz sea este corazón (…)
si no estás al lado mío                                                 
Y como vos no hay ninguna
No brilla tanto la luna
Ando ganas de encontrarte
Quiero llevarte pa' Marte (...)

Songs for a candlelit dinner

Hasta la raíz, by Natalia Lafourcade                                       Antes, by Jorge Drexler

Yo te llevo dentro, hasta la raíz                                                 Antes de mí, tú no eras tú
y por más que crezca, vas a estar aquí                                   Antes de ti, yo no era yo
Aunque yo me oculte tras la montaña                                   Antes de ser nosotros dos

y no encuentre un campo lleno de caña                                No había ninguno de los dos (…)

no habrá manera, mi rayo de luna

de que tú te vayas (…)

Now that you’ve got the perfect playlist for today, we’d like to wish you a Feliz San Valentín. However you choose to celebrate, turn on the tunes! The rest will come naturally.

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One of the most valued cultural elements in Spain is its gastronomy. Spanish food is very popular due to some extent to the variety of fresh products available in every market of the country. From exotic fruits in the Canary Islands to vegetables in the Castilian fields and meat across the northern grasslands, you'll find tasty treats wherever you go.

The abundance of natural ingredients is such that food has plowed its way through even speech. If you pay attention to Spaniards as they speak, you will realize any small talk has plenty of expressions related to food. Importar un pimiento (to matter less than a pepper), comerse el coco (eating someone’s own coconut) or ponerse como un tomate (becoming like a tomato) are just some of the expressions you will hear in any ordinary conversation.

Would you like to discover what these sayings mean and the history behind their use? Keep on reading to learn more about them or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post. Enjoy!

Peppers can be roasted, stuffed, served as a side dish… they are so convenient, they can even be used to show how little you care about something or someone. Thus, when you matter less than a pepper to someone or le importas un pimiento, it is better to move on. But, where does this indifference towards peppers come from?

In the 17^th century, still lifes with fruits and vegetables became a visual trend. In their paintings, artists used to depict colorful foods with challenging shapes and textures to demonstrate their skills with the paintbrush. Due to their simple and modest appearance, peppers were not usually present in this kind of pictures. For this reason, the expression importar menos que un pimiento, meaning being completely irrelevant, became very popular.

These painters had to eat their own coconut (comerse el coco) to find the perfect composition. In other words, they had to put a lot of thought into it. Besides being a delicious tropical fruit, coconuts are also a Spanish metaphor to speak of our head. But overthinking problems never solves anything, so don’t eat your own coconut anymore. No te comas más el coco and keep on reading.

Have you ever felt so embarrassed your face turned red? If so, then you will perfectly understand what the next expression is about: ponerse como un tomate. Some people are shyer than others and can’t hide their blushing. And what is the most popular red food? Tomato, of course.

If you have enjoyed today’s menu, we invite you to play the video below. There, you will find many other Spanish expressions with foods that will impress you. Start speaking like a native!

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There is a popular saying which claims that Spain is the orchard of Europe. Thanks to its climate conditions, this country produces a lot of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, which end up on the tables of its European neighbors. This might be the reason why there's a Spanish expression for practically every fruit.

One of them is the orange. Besides being a symbol of Valencia, it is also an essential ingredient in the Mediterranean diet. In addition, this citrus fruit is frequently mentioned in a very popular expression: ser la media naranja de alguien (being someone’s half orange). Click here to read this post in Spanish, or keep reading in English to discover the meaning of this expression.

Our "half orange" is the person who, according to oral tradition, completes us. In English, we sometimes call this person our better half. They have all the attributes we lack and, at the same time, we contribute some qualities they're missing. For this reason, you and your media naranja constitute the perfect couple, and together, you can share a happy life. Let’s have a look at an example:

Jorge ha encontrado al fin su media naranja. Está muy ilusionado con su nueva pareja.

(Jorge has finally found his better half. He is very excited about his new partner).

This expression finds its roots in Plato's The Symposium. In this text, the philosopher expresses Aristophanes’ thoughts on the origin of the human race. According to legend, people originally had four legs, four arms, and a head with two faces.

One day, these people dared to use their strength to go up to heaven and challenge the gods. As a punishment, Zeus decided to split each person in two and, this way, diminish their power without erasing them from the Earth. This is how every human being ended up divided into two bodies.

Nowadays, we use this expression in a positive way to describe the luck of finding the love of your life. However, Aristophanes’ myth did not have such a happy ending.

As the story goes, after splitting humans into two bodies, each person devoted their life to desperately find their missing half. If they were successful, the couple would rejoin in a hug that was never to be broken again. The half oranges didn't want to do anything without each other, and they died of starvation.

Now that Valentine’s Day is approaching, you might have the opportunity to practice this new Spanish expression you have just learned. Who knows, maybe you are about to find your half orange or better half. In the meantime, click on the video below to learn more expressions related to food and surprise your classmates with new vocabulary!

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Thinking about winter, what first comes to mind for many of us are sweaters, snowmen, and quiet talks near the fireplace. In previous posts, we have talked about holiday traditions that celebrate Christmas and top ski resorts in Spain. However, there is one place that can add a twist to the conversation: Argentina.

If you live in North America, Europe, or Asia, this time of the year you are probably already tired of feeling cold. Would you like to escape from low temperatures? In order to enjoy a summer climate where you can also learn Spanish in Argentina, this is your best choice.

In the next lines, we are going to travel to Argentina and leave winter behind. Let us show you where to go to make the most of the Sun of May.

Click here if you want to read this post in Spanish and discover what the land of asados and tango has to offer you in the summertime.

January at the beach

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We love expressions. That is why, every week, we show you different idioms that will help you enrich your oral expression. In some of our latest posts, we have talked about venir al pelo (being ideal) and tirarse de los pelos (pulling your hair out).

In the same vein, today we are going to talk about two more expressions: caérsele a alguien el pelo and no cortarse ni un pelo. Keep reading in English or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post. Off we go!

If you have ever heard someone say se te va a caer el pelo, we have bad news for you. This expression literally means that your hair is going to fall out. That doesn't sound very appealing, does it? As you may guess, it means that you will soon be facing the bad consequences of your actions. In other words, you are in trouble!

Let’s have a look at an example. Imagine your mother lends you one of her dresses to go out for dinner. At the restaurant, you spill your drink all over it. You know that she will be mad at you when you get home, and your friends tell you:

¡Has ensuciado el vestido de tu madre! Se te va a caer el pelo.

(You have spoiled your mother’s dress! You are going to be in trouble).

Tracking the origin of these kinds of expressions is never an easy thing to do. We can imagine that, as a consequence of an upsetting event, stress may cause someone’s hair to fall outn. This is exactly what happened to Picio, a very popular character in the Spanish proverbs collection whose story is often used to describe the meaning of this saying.

Legend has it that this shoemaker from the 19^th century was sentenced to death for a crime he had not committed. Right before the execution, he was proved innocent and released. However, the anxiety from his days on death row made him lose all his hair. ¡A Picio se le cayó el pelo!

Let’s go back to the stained dress. It could be said that your mother no se cortaría un pelo in punishing you for getting it dirty. What does this mean? That she has no qualms about making you pay for spoiling her clothes.

In other words: no le va a temblar la mano (her hand is not going to shake) or no se va a pensar dos veces (she is not going to think twice) before grounding you. All these are equivalent expressions. That is to say, you can’t escape! Do you want to know more about the origin of this popular saying?

A single hair is something small, thin, and not worth much compared to a whole head of hair. Because of this, no cortarse un pelo (not cutting one hair) symbolizes not caring about something. It won’t matter to your mother that you regret spoiling her dress. She is going to punish you anyway sin cortarse un pelo.

That's our review of the Spanish proverbs collection for today. If you would like to keep learning new expressions to surprise everyone with your Spanish, we invite you to click on the video below and get some more practice.

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Dominican people are about to celebrate something very special. In just a couple of days, it will be one of their most remarkable public holidays: Juan Pablo Duarte Day. Or, as it is commonly known, “Día de Duarte.”

If you want to discover more about this national hero and how people commemorate his birthday in the Dominican Republic, keep reading in English or click here to switch to Spanish.

A beloved figure

Juan Pablo Duarte was one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. He was born in Santo Domingo on January 26^th, 1813. Together with Matías Ramón Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, he supervised and financially supported the Dominican War of Independence.

Duarte was the son of a Spanish trader and a Dominican mother. From childhood, his intellectual skills and religious devotion stood out as significant attributes of his personality. In the struggle for independence, Duarte created several underground organizations that fought against the Haitian occupation.

La Dramática, La Filantrópica, and La Trinitaria were three such associations that carried out an important program to spread propaganda through theater. From both the cultural and military perspectives, Juan Pablo Duarte played a key role in the Dominican Republic’s fight for freedom.

How the holiday is celebrated

Two hundred years later, we continue to celebrate Duarte’s birth. Nowadays, January 26^th is a public holiday in the Dominican Republic. Many Dominicans and tourists visit the monuments of the liberator and ask him for prosperity for the country and its people.

In the capital, many schools organize children's parades and students walk through the city until they reach Duarte’s Park. At the cathedral, several religious events are held to remember Duarte.

Floral offerings and public speeches are also part of this very special day for Dominicans. Their objective is to pay tribute not only to Juan Pablo Duarte, but also to the independence and sovereignty of the country, as well as to the Dominican culture overall.

Now that you know all about Juan Pablo Duarte Day, get ready! The celebration begins in just two days. Why not come to the Dominican Republic to learn more?

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After talking about expressions such as no tener un pelo de tonto (being not the least bit foolish) and no tener pelos en la lengua (not mincing your words), today we present you with a new expression where hair is key: venir al pelo. Keep reading in English or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post and spice up your oral expression!

Some expressions such as pulling your hair out are very international and have a meaning that is easily understandable by everyone. However, other sayings are more symbolic and need a short explanation to be correctly interpreted.

This is the case with venir al pelo. In Spanish, we use this expression to describe something that appears to suit a situation perfectly. For example, in the sentence below:

La pregunta de Carmen me viene al pelo para introducir el siguiente tema de la lección.

(Carmen’s question is ideal for me to introduce the next topic of this lesson).

This means that the question Carmen had is very convenient because it serves as a perfect link to the next lesson.

To better understand the origins of this expression, we have to look at its opposite: a contrapelo (against the grain). Both phrases refer to fur used for clothing, accessories, or decoration. The use of fur was very common in the past.

Fur feels different depending on the direction in which we pass our hand over it. If we follow the direction of the hair, it will feel soft and smooth. However, if we go against the grain, we will get a rougher feel.

Similarly, something that viene al pelo (suits the hair) is something that lets the natural discourse of things run smoothly, like the direction of fur.

Now that you know what venir al pelo means, we invite you to watch the video below and discover other expressions with hair. Remember that your Spanish will be richer if you use more of these expressions in your daily speech!

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