Warm temperatures are one of the strongest draws for tourists who visit Spain and Latin America. Who doesn’t like walking along the beach or sitting on a sunny patio with a refreshing drink?

Nevertheless, in the summertime, the sun can go from being a close ally to a burning enemy. Spanish has an expression that reveals the dark side of our reigning star. To find out what it is, keep reading or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post.

A Sun of Righteousness

Perhaps you’ve heard a Spanish speaker say hace un sol de justicia. This is one of those expressions that’s easy to understand when you have context. As you might imagine, it means that the sun is blazing and it’s very hot outside.

Hoy hace un sol de justicia en la calle. No pienso salir de casa hasta la noche.

There’s a sun of righteousness in the street today (It’s a scorcher out there today). I’m not thinking of leaving the house until nighttime.

The Origin of the Expression

The meaning of this saying is pretty clear, but the history behind it is less obvious. In fact, there are multiple theories about how it came about, but they all have one thing in common: religion.

The Book of Malachi, which forms part of the Bible, has a passage that mentions a sun of righteousness that will shine on Judgement Day. In this case, the star refers to God, who will appear on the day of the Apocalypse to save the people who have been good Christians.

Mas a vosotros los que teméis mi nombre, nacerá el Sol de justicia, y en sus alas traerá salvación; y saldréis, y saltaréis como becerros de la manada.

Malaquías 4: 2-3

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Malachi 4:2-3

Another possible explanation of today’s expression comes from medieval times and has to do with autos de fe or divine judgments organized by the Spanish Inquisition.

During these events, people were publicly tortured as punishment for their sins and to dissuade others from committing heresy. One of the most common forms of punishment was to leave victims in the sun for hours or even days.

If the person managed to survive, they were considered innocent of all the crimes they had been accused of. If, on the other hand, they died while being tortured, that was taken as proof of their guilt. In this way, the sun acted as an agent of righteousness.

If you’re interested in learning the stories behind more everyday expressions like this one, we encourage you to watch the following video. In it, you’ll find more phrases with the word sol you can use to expand your vocabulary day by day.

France and Spain share more just than a border — they also share words! To celebrate French Language Day, let’s have a look at French words that have made their way into the Spanish vocabulary. Click here to read the Spanish version of this post.

Words have a way of spreading across languages when people, things, and ideas travel around the world.  Word borrowing is a common occurrence any time one language comes in contact with another. In some cases, the loan word is assimilated into the receiving language with changes in spelling and/or pronunciation, while in others the word is transplanted directly from the original language without modifications. 

English speakers will recognize most of the words below, as English is heavily influenced by French.

French                       Spanish                                                       English

avalanche                   avalancha                                                     avalanche

ballet                          ballet (pronounced balet)                             ballet

beige                           beige (no change in pronunciation)             beige

champagne                 champán                                                       champagne

champignon                champiñón                                                   mushroom

chef                             chef (prounounced with ch)                        chef

cliché                          cliché (prounounced with ch)                      cliché

corset                          corsé                                                             corset

gourmet                      gourmet (pronounced gurmet)                     gourmet

hôtel                           hotel (pronounced otel, like in French)        hotel

tour                             tour (no change in pronunciation)                tour

French has also had an impact on the other languages spoken in Spain, especially Catalan, which makes perfect sense geographically since Catalonia touches France.

In addition to loan words, just like English speakers have French toast and French fries, the Spanish have tortilla francesa (omelet), manicura francesa (French manicure), and the expression despedirse a la francesa (French goodbye, meaning to leave without saying goodbye).

Here at don Quijote, we’d like to say thanks to the French language. Spanish and English wouldn’t be the same without you!

Spain and many Latin American countries are famous around the world for their sun and beaches. The mere mention of places like Valencia or Playa del Carmen is enough to send you drifting into a daydream featuring crystalline coastal waters and the warm feeling of sun on your face.

In today’s post, we’ll dig a little bit deeper into the important role the sun plays in the Spanish language. Slather on some sunscreen and step outside to read about two fun Spanish expressions. If you’d like to read this post in Spanish, click here. Let’s get started!

No dejar ni a sol ni a sombra

To not leave [someone] in the sun or in the shade

You really start to realize how important the sun is for a culture when you discover that time is divided into moments with sun and moments without it. That’s exactly what’s happening with this expresión.

El perro de Juan está todo el día pegado a él. No lo deja ni a sol ni a sombra.

Juan’s dog stays close to him all day long. He doesn’t leave his side in the sun or in the shade.

No dejar a alguien ni a sol ni a sombra means to be constantly by that person’s side. Every moment of the day fits into one of these two situations: all day long, either you’re in the sun or you’re in the shade.

This combination of words has also given rise to other names and expressions.

There’s a typical cocktail in Spain called sol y sombra, made with brandy and sweet anisette. If you ever go to a bullfight, you’ll see that the seats of the bullring are divided into sections depending on where the sun will be when the event begins. When you buy tickets, you’ll have to choose between seats in the sun (the cheaper option) and seats in the shade.

Arrimarse al sol que más calienta

To stay close to the warmest sun

Have you ever seen a lizard basking in the sun? Reptiles need the sun to regulate their body temperature because they’re cold-blooded. Today’s second Spanish expression has a lot to do with this natural phenomenon.

Pablo siempre defiende a su jefe porque sabe arrimarse al sol que más calienta

Pablo always defends his boss because he knows how to stay close to the warmest sun

Arrimarse al sol que más calienta means to stay close to people we can use for our own personal benefit.

Just as the lizard uses the sun to heat its blood and stay alive, people who arrimarse al sol que más calienta suck up to powerful people in order to reap some sort of benefit. In the example above, Pablo always agrees with his boss to stay in his good favor. This way, he’s positioning himself for a promotion or maybe a raise.

We hope that reading this post has given you an extra dose of vitamin D. If you’re craving more, we encourage you to watch the following video we’ve prepared for you. Click play to learn more interesting expressions with the word sol.

On March 8, International Women’s Day, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in a mixture of protest and celebration. In today’s world, there is no shortage of events that fuel the fire and desire to fight for a better future.

Even as we continue to march down the long road ahead, it’s valuable to look back and see how far we’ve come. In this post, we’ll draw inspiration from the past by highlighting five female forces who have changed the face of the Spanish-speaking world. Click here to enjoy reading this post in Spanish.

Clara Campoamor

(1888-1972)

Best known as one of the mothers of feminism in Spain, Clara Campoamor came from humble beginnings in Madrid and had to leave school and enter the workforce at the age of 10 after the death of her father. But she didn’t let personal hardships didn’t stop her; by the time she was in her 30s she had become a lawyer and an activist who wrote pieces in the newspaper at a time when more than half of Spain’s population was illiterate.

When the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera fell in 1930, Campoamor was determined to fight for the democratic principle of equality for all. She joined the leftist Radical Party and was elected as a Madrid representative. (Oddly enough, at this time women could be elected for public office although they couldn’t vote themselves.) In an intense debate on October 1, 1931, Campoamor defended women’s suffrage on the floor of Parliament. Thanks to her determination, women’s right to vote was enshrined in the Spanish Constitution of 1931.

This victory for democracy was shortlived. The Spanish Civil War began in 1936 and was followed by decades of dictatorship. No Spaniard, man nor woman, was able to vote in general elections again until 1977. Campoamor fled Spain after the military coup in ’36 and was unable to ever return. Today, she is honored around the country with statues as well as streets, plazas, and schools named after her.

“La libertad se aprende ejerciéndola”

Freedom is learned by practicing it

María Zambrano

(1904-1991)

Another great thinker who went into exile after the Spanish Civil War was María Zambrano. Arguably one of the most original Spanish philosophers of the 20th century, in 1988 she became the first woman to receive the Miguel de Cervantes Prize.

Zambrano was best known for the concept she coined poetic reason. Her philosophy was an attempt to resolve the crisis of Western reason and rationalism. As she saw it, rationalism excludes many aspects of reality that are fundamental to the human experience. By accepting only that which can be rationally explained as real, emotions, dreams, creativity, and even the human soul are denied. With poetic reason, Zambrano insisted on the need for poetry within every philosophy.

“El corazón es centro, porque es lo único de nuestro ser que da sonido”

The heart is the center because it is the only thing in our being that makes a sound

Frida Kahlo

(1907-1954)

This iconic Mexican artist is remembered for her imaginative paintings, mostly self-portraits, that often depict intense physical and emotional pain while incorporating elements of Mexican folk art, indigenous culture, and nature.

Along with her deeply personal art, Kahlo is widely admired for the incredible internal strength she showed throughout her life despite many physical hardships, chronic pain, and around 30 surgeries. Even when her leg was amputated, she managed to stay positive.

“Pies para qué los quiero si tengo alas para volar”

Feet, what do I need them for if I have wings to fly

Rigoberta Menchú

(1959-present)

A member of the Quiché Maya group, Menchú has spent her life fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples. When she was young, her and her family’s activism led them to be persecuted by Guatemala’s military government. Her father died in a fire while protesting human rights abuses committed by the military, while her mother and younger brother both suffered violent deaths at the hands of the military.

Menchú fled the country in 1981 and stepped onto the international stage in 1983 to tell her story. Living abroad, she has continued to work against oppression in Guatemala and fight for the rights of the underprivileged. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her dedication to social justice. Menchú ran for president of Guatemala in 2007 and 2011 and is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

“No hay paz sin justicia, no hay justicia sin equidad,

no hay equidad sin desarrollo, no hay desarrollo sin democracia,

no hay democracia sin respeto a la identidad y dignidad de las culturas y los pueblos”

There is no peace without justice, no justice without fairness,

no fairness without development, no development without democracy,

no democracy without respect for the identity and dignity of cultures and peoples.

Las Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo

(1977-present)

The Grandmothers of the Playa de Mayo is a human rights organization founded by a group of Argentinian women to find the children who were “disappeared” by the Argentinian dictatorship and return them to their families.

From 1974 to 1883, during Argentina’s Dirty War, the military regime “disappeared” tens of thousands of liberal thinkers and dissidents. Hundreds of babies were taken from political prisoners at birth or kidnapped along with their parents. While their parents were killed by the regime, the stolen babies were illegally adopted by military families and allies of the regime. This was a strategy to do away with a second generation of dissidents. The babies grew up with no knowledge of who their real parents were or what had happened to them—in most cases, they didn’t even know they had been adopted.

But their grandmothers were determined to find them. They dared to speak out and fight to find their family members even while the violent regime was still in power. Las Abuelas have marched in Buenos Aires’ main square, Plaza de Mayo, every week since they began their struggle for truth and justice. So far, from 1977 to 2018, they have found 128 grandchildren.

“La única lucha que se pierde es la que se abandona”

The only struggle that is lost is that which is abandoned

Throughout history, there have always been brave women ready to step outside the confines of the status quo. Some say that the future is female — it’s nice to remember that the past was, too.

The Sun is just a small star living in one of many galaxies. In the context of the whole universe, it’s an insignificant pinprick. Nevertheless, for us it is essential. This celestial body marks the rhythm of life on Earth.

Today, the calendars of almost every culture are determined by the Earth’s movement around the Sun, dividing the year into 365 days. Long ago, sundials or shadow clocks were very popular instruments used to split the day into more precise blocks of time.

Clearly, we can’t ignore the fundamental role the sun plays in how we organize our work day. This quality is precisely what today’s Spanish expression, trabajar de sol a sol,  is all about. Continue reading in English to find out the meaning of this saying or click here to read about it in Spanish.

Everyone knows that the early bird catches the worm — or, as the common Spanish expression says, a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda (God helps those who get up early). Back before people had electricity, the sun was practically the only source of light available. That’s why workers made the most of the hours of natural light to get their work done.

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression de sol a sol. In English we have a similar expression, from sunup to sundown. This saying is usually associated with work and it means “all day long” or “a long time.” Let’s see an example:

Juan trabaja de sol a sol para dar de comer a sus hijos.

Juan works from sun to sun to feed his children.

This sentence informs us that Juan works tirelessly from sunrise to sunset. Now, if Juan spent los lunes al sol, that would be a different story. This saying, which became popular thanks to a Spanish movie by director Fernando León de Aranoa, means just the opposite: to be unemployed, or not working. In that type of situation, spending a few months volunteering is always a good option.

Luis Tosar and Javier Bardem in Los lunes al sol

Los lunes al sol (Mondays in the Sun) is a movie from 2002 starring Luis Tosar and Javier Bardem. It tells the story of the mass layoffs that took place in the Spanish port city of Vigo. The movie earned five Goyas, Spain’s most important film awards.

So now you know, if you don’t want to spend los lunes al sol, you’d better get to work de sol a sol. And if you still have time to discover more expressions like these ones, we invite you to watch the following video:

In the weeks leading up to Lent, everyone is getting ready for one of the most spectacular events on the Canary Islands: carnival. During this celebration, the seven islands step into the spotlight for the most colorful and joyful fiesta of the year.

Thanks to the pleasant subtropical climate, locals and visitors can let their imaginations run wild as they prepare fantastic costumes to wear without having to worry about the cold weather the rest of Spain suffers from this time of year.

Nights bursting with color

One of the pivotal moments is the election of the Queen of Carnival, who becomes the face of the festival. To compete for the title, several candidates show off enormous costumes adorned with feathers and beads of every color.

These flashy outfits can weigh as much as 450 pounds and are the result of months of work. International media flock to Tenerife and Las Palmas for the elections to cover the most famous part of Canarian carnival.

Music in the streets

Other highlights include the murgas, the Mogollones, and the parades of floats. The murgas are musical groups who sing satirical songs about current events. They dress up to participate in competitions and are similar to the chirigotas of Cadiz.

The Mogollones are celebrations that take place over several nights during the carnival season. Party-goers visit beach bars and street stands as music flows throughout the city.

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers are the parades. During the Gran Cabalgata in Las Palmas, close to 100 decked-out floats and cars parade through the city streets.

The finishing touch

All good things must come to an end, and carnival is no exception. In the Canary Islands, the burial of the sardine is the perfect finale. In keeping with long tradition, a mock funeral is held, and a large representation of a sardine is burned in the middle of a fireworks show.

This March, we invite you to come to our Spanish school in Tenerife and experience Canarian carnival for yourself. Enjoy a different kind of winter and immerse yourself in the joy of the Canarian people!

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.