Our solar system’s reigning star is a fiery source of energy for the Earth and its inhabitants, who are all alive directly or indirectly thanks to its power. The Sun is so important that throughout history, it has been worshipped as a god in many cultures, given rise to enormous forests, and returned animals to life after months of hibernation each winter. 

In addition to all this, the Sun has been an inspiration for popular sayings in all the world’s languages. Spanish, of course, is one of them. Today we’ll learn what it means to be a sun, or ser un sol. Keep reading in English or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post.

Both literally and figuratively, our world revolves around the Sun. Everything depends on it, from the food we eat to the tan we spend all summer working on. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the expression ser un sol is used to describe good things, like kindness.

La vecina de arriba me ayudó a subir las bolsas de la compra por la escalera. ¡Es un sol!

My upstairs neighbor helped me carry the shopping bags up the stairs. She is a sun!

This expression is also used to describe people who brighten up our lives and make us happy. Here’s a romantic compliment to add to your list of Spanish love quotes:

Eres el sol que ilumina mis días.

You are the sun that illuminates my days.

And since we’re on the topic, let’s learn something about Spanish culture. Did you know that Spaniards enjoy more than 10 hours of sunshine a day during the summertime? This makes our destinations in Spain the ideal place to attend an unforgettable summer camp with lots of outdoor activities.

If you liked learning today’s Spanish expression, you’ll love watching this video. We’ve compiled all sorts of sayings with sol to help you speak Spanish more fluently.

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!)

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.

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!

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.

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!

We all know Spain is a very unique destination. Part of its charm lies in the geographic diversity of its landscapes. Throughout the country, you will find beaches and mountains, big forests, and desertic areas. There are superb castles scattered all over the national territory, whose walls have witnessed important kings, queens, and centuries of history go by.

However, there is something else not everyone knows: Spain is home to many filming locations in Game of Thrones. Now that the 8th and final season of this popular TV show is approaching, we invite you to revisit some of them. Join us in this fantastic route and discover the most legendary spots in Spain! Click here if you want to read this article in Spanish.

1. Castillo de Zafra (Guadalajara)

A big tower located at the foot of Dorne’s Red Mountains, an epic battle in the Tower of Joy, a story that would change the course of events in the series… All this took place in the Castillo de Zafra, in Guadalajara. Halfway between Madrid and Valencia, you can visit this castle and step on the same stones as the production’s protagonists. 

2. Real Alcázar (Seville)

The palace of Dorne’s popular capital is inhabited by the Martell family. It is in the southernmost kingdom and the warmest one in this universe. With these characteristics, it could not be located anywhere else than in Seville. The Real Alcázar, with its gardens and luxurious halls, has delighted millions of viewers all around the world.

3. Bardenas Reales (Navarra)

Daenerys, the Dothraki people, dragons, a large entourage… All of them find themselves walking in the Natural Park of Bardenas Reales, in Navarra. This spot happens to be the perfect place to set the most popular dragons on TV free and watch them fly.

4. Castillo de Santa Florentina (Barcelona)

Do you remember the Tarly House, in Horn Hill? These slopes under the Red Mountains are actually in spectacular Barcelona. The second largest city in Spain is home to the house where Samwell Tarly was born.

5. Bullfighting ring (Osuna)

In the arena of this location, a death battle among warriors takes place. Somewhere in the crowd, Daenerys watches everything from her seat. The typical bullfighting ring in Osuna happened to be the best place to shoot this scene. You will feel like a champion when you step out onto the sand!

6. Castillo de Peñíscola (Valencia)

The sixth season of the series shows Tyrion, Missandei, and Grey Worm walking in the streets of Meereen. Well, guess what? Those cobblestone streets and breathtaking castle are part of the Castillo de Peñíscola, a charming place that remains authentic centuries after its construction.

7. San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Vizcaya)

Dragonstone is the title of the first episode in the 7^th season. Even though the Targaryen’s fortress is located in the faraway Westeros, it is actually closer than you might think: in the Basque Country. The popular stone staircase that leads to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe’s chapel has already gone down in TV history.

These are just some of the many Spanish spots that appear in Game of Thrones. Girona, Almeria, and Caceres have also seen the film set work in their streets. Now that you know where to begin, we invite you to discover the geography of Spain through the scenery of one of the world's most popular TV show in recent times.