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!

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

Yes, it might sound weird. But January is the peak of the summer season at Argentinian beaches. With a coastline more than 3,000 miles long, this country offers a variety of beaches from north to south on the Atlantic Ocean.

The shore has locations to suit every taste. Mar del Plata is one of the liveliest spots, with an almost infinite variety of food and festivities. If you prefer bigger waves, Miramar is a preferred surfing destination. To disconnect from urban stress and enjoy quiet green landscapes, we recommend you visit Cariló beaches.

For mountain lovers

When we talk about going on vacation, there are always people who confess they prefer the mountains to the beach. Summer is the best time of the year to enjoy camping in the forest, riding river rapids, or going climbing. In Argentina, you can do all this in January!

Cordoba is one of the best provinces to experience these kinds of adventures. Some cities, like Villa Carlos Paz, double their population during the summertime. Rafting, trekking, and hiking are great options in this amazing destination for adventure tourism.

Cosmopolitan summer

Strangely enough, the warm months are a very good time to do intensive tourism in the capital. We won’t deny that Buenos Aires has pretty high temperatures from December to March. However, this inconvenience has a big plus: its streets are significantly emptier because many inhabitants leave town in search of cooler areas.

This will allow you to visit the city’s monuments and take part in its festivals in a more relaxed way. Outdoor movies, Buenos Aires Playa, and the ecological reserve are just some of the best ways to enjoy being outside. You can also take advantage and visit the most popular museums of the capital without standing in line!

If you are up to trading your scarf for a swimming suit, Argentina is waiting for you! Besides an incredible vacation, you can live a unique linguistic immersion and improve your Spanish level with our programs in Buenos Aires and Cordoba.

We are waiting for you!

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.

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?

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!

The snow season has already begun! Even though Spain is popular worldwide as a sun and sand destination, the truth is that the geography of the country offers everyone who visits many other possibilities. In winter, there are several spots where you can enjoy the mountains and practice snow sports.

Whether you are a ski enthusiast or just taking your first steps into this world, we recommend three ski resorts in Spain where you can experience the snow this season. Click here to read more about them in Spanish. Now, grab your skis. We are ready to go!

Sierra Nevada

The first stop on our tour is in Andalusia. High above the mountains of the Sierra Nevada rises Mulhacén. This is the second highest peak in Spain and the highest in the peninsula.

Less than 20 miles from the city of Granada, the Sierra Nevada has the biggest vertical drop in the country (3940 feet). The resort has 131 ski runs in total, with several difficulty levels. It also has a snow park and areas for children.

Around the resort, you will find restaurants of all kinds, parking, public transportation, and other services.

Formigal

Let’s continue with our route through the best ski resorts in Spain. It is time to head up north and visit Formigal, in the Pyrenees of Aragón. This resort is split into four big areas and several valleys.

Its 112 skiable miles offer 146 runs sorted by category. In addition to skiing, you will be able to participate in photography courses, sledding, snowshoeing, and children's activities.

Baqueira-Beret

We bring you the last resort on the list: Baqueira-Beret. Located in the Catalan Pyrenees, this is one of the most popular places to ski among the jet set. It is the biggest resort in Spain and the only one on the northern slope of the Pyrenees.

From Baqueira, you can look at peaks higher than 9,800 feet, like Aneto. The resort has 98 ski runs and a slalom course. All around there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. The youngest members of the family can play on four different playgrounds.

Now that you know the top spots for skiing in Spain, go check them out and tell us about your experience. The mountain is waiting for you!

Pelo ("hair") is a very special word in Spanish. Just like pan ("bread") and other terms, hair is the protagonist of many expressions and sayings we use on a daily basis. One of them is tirarse de los pelos (pull on your hair). If you want to read this post in Spanish and learn what it means, click here.

In the complex world of expressions, there is a big difference between what we think they mean and what they actually imply. This is one of those cases. If anyone tells you not to pull on your hair in Spanish, you might think he or she is crazy. Obviously, pulling on your hair was not among your top priorities. However, this expression means something quite different.

Pulling on one's hair is an expression of rage or extreme sadness for someone who is overwhelmed by a certain situation. When something turns out bad and the solution is out of our hands, we pull on our hair: nos tiramos de los pelos. But not literally. We just despair.

For example, if you study a lot for an exam and still you fail it, estás que te tiras de los pelos (you feel like pulling on your hair). This means that it annoys you, but you can’t do anything to fix it. Sometimes, when people consider your problem is not that important, they will ask you not to pull on your hair:

¡No te tires de los pelos, que no es para tanto! La próxima vez, tendrás más suerte.

(Don’t pull on your hair, it is not that bad! Next time, you will have more luck).

There are two ancient expressions that are very similar to this one. They are mesarse los cabellos and mesarse las barbas. Both mean literally pulling your own hair out. (English as a similar saying.) But what is the origin of all these expressions?

During the Middle Ages, pulling your hair out was a typical mourning gesture. The loss of a loved person was acted out by grabbing your own hair or beard and pulling strongly. Some people beat themselves up as well. Occasionally, this practice also took place before a friend or family member set off on a dangerous journey.

Now that you know the real meaning of this expression, relax and look at problems in a more optimistic way. ¡No te tires de los pelos!

If you want to know more about the world of Spanish expressions, we invite you to watch this video. Expand your vocabulary and make your Spanish sound more natural by using expressions with hair.

Today, we are bringing you a card game you can play without anyone else. Solitaire is conceived for those moments of boredom or eternal journeys. You only need one Spanish deck and yourself. If you want to learn how to play in Spanish, click here and keep on reading!

The only thing you must consider is that you need every single card of the deck to play. If only one of them is missing, you will go crazy looking for it and won’t be able to finish the round.

The Spanish deck of cards has four suits and contains 40 or 48 cards, depending on the game. They are used in Spain, some areas of Italy and France, Latin America, and some former imperial colonies. The four suits are copas (Cups), oros (Coins), bastos (Clubs), and espadas (Swords). The cards are numbered from 1 to 9. Then, the face cards 10, 11, and 12 are sota (Jack), caballo (Horse), and rey (King).

Once this is clear, let’s get started.

This game begins with a shuffled deck of cards. The objective is go from having all the cards completely disorganized to having all the cards perfectly sorted. 

To begin with, we will hold the deck face down in one hand.

After that, we need to take pairs of cards out of the deck and place them face up on the table. We can only play with the card on top. The lower one is locked.

Now we should decide whether we want to play sorting the cards up from Ace to King or the other way around. As you wish!

If you choose to play from Ace to King, you will need to draw pairs of cards until the Ace of any suit comes out. Once you see it, place it on the other side of the table.

Do the same with all the other Aces as they appear.

As soon as you have an Ace placed on the table, you can search for the number two of the same suit, even if the other Aces are not out yet. After the number 2, will be looking for the 3, 4, etc. The game ends when you complete all the suits, from Ace to King.

Remember that you can only work with the card on top of each pair. However, once you use this card, the lower one will be unlocked, and it can be used as well.

Let’s say we have the Ace of Coins, the Ace of Cups, the Ace of Clubs and the Ace, 2, and 3 of Swords on the table.

You draw two cards, put them on the table, and see that the top one is the 2 of Coins. As you need it, you place it on top of the Ace of Coins. Now, as you have already used the top layer, you see that behind the 2 of Coins there was a 4 of Swords. And you need it too! Because you have already unlocked it, you can use it straight away.

This way, you will slowly draw all cards and form four new piles, one for each suit. If you finish going through the deck, just put all the cards together (without shuffling) and place them upside down in your hand once more.

Now you can begin drawing cards in pairs again. Continue until all the ones you need come out… or until you rearrange the whole deck!

If you get stuck at any point, you will have to shuffle the deck and keep on trying. This could happen if, for example, there is a 5 of Coins on top of a 4 of Coins.

Now that you know how to play Solitaire with a Spanish deck, get your cards ready and let’s play!

On January 6^th Spain celebrates the Epiphany, a national holiday that is traditionally known as día de Reyes (Three Kings’ Day). Parades, presents and, above all, kids' enthusiasm are the protagonists of this day. Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar put an end to the holiday season every year, making the dreams of children all around the world come true.

We invite you to discover one of the most beloved traditions in Spain and many countries in Latin America. Continue reading this post in English or click here to switch to Spanish and learn more about it.

The celebration

The Three Wise Men celebrations actually start some weeks before January 6^th. From the beginning of the holiday season, children think about the presents they would like to receive and write their letters to the Magicians. In them, kids explain how they have behaved throughout the year and list a number of gifts they would gladly accept.

Once the letter is sent, we can only wait eagerly. On January 5^th, the Three Wise Men arrive from the East and take the streets to say hello. In the parade, several carriages with special decorations tour around the cities carrying Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar. Each king has his own group of pageboys, and all of them throw candies to the parade attendees.

In the early hours of January 6^th, while the children are asleep, the Three Wise Men visit each house. They leave their presents under the Christmas tree when no one is watching and then continue with their magical journey. If kids have behaved well, they will enjoy their new toys when they wake up. If, on the contrary, their conduct has not been that good, they will find charcoal instead.

Three Wise Men traditions

Besides writing a letter and attending the parade, there are other typical traditions that take place around these days. Let’s discover some of them.

One of the most exciting moments on January 5^th is preparing food and drinks for the Magi and their animals. Before going to sleep, kids leave some sweets and water in the living room so that Melchor, Gaspar, Balthasar, and their camels can have a break after their long journey.

Another thing to get ready before going to bed is placing the shoes under the Christmas tree. Each member of the family leaves a shoe there, so that the Wise Men can tell which present is for each of them.

The most typical food these days is the Kings' cake or roscón de reyes. It is a sweet dough which is decorated with candied fruit, like a royal crown. It can be stuffed with whipped cream and it has two hidden treasures inside: a figurine and a bean. Whoever finds the figurine will earn the crown that comes with the cake. However, if you find the bean in your portion, you have to pay for the cake.

The celebration’s history

This festivity finds its origin in the New Testament of the Bible, where it is written that the Magi from the East traveled all night and took three presents to baby Jesus. Guided by a star, they gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Through history, this tradition has been modified with new details about its protagonists. For example, at some point they were interpreted as representatives of each continent of the Old World: Europe, Asia, and Africa.

We wish you a happy Epiphany Day!