We don’t know if it’s thanks to Spain’s more than 3,500 miles of coastline or the importance of fresh fish in Spanish cuisine, but it’s a fact that there are multiple Spanish expressions that revolve around fish. We already told you what it means to cut the cod, so today we’re going to explain some other expressions to make sure nobody tells you that estás muy pez (you are very fish).

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Now that temperatures are climbing over 100 degrees in many parts of Spain, it’s the perfect time to understand what it means to be like a fish in water. Sounds refreshing and enjoyable, doesn’t it? When we say someone is como pez en el agua, we mean that they are feeling good, they’re in their element, they’re in an environment that feels natural and comfortable, or they’re doing a task that’s easy for them. Of course, since the expression doesn’t really refer to fish or an aquatic environment, you can use it any time, even on a cold, rainy day.

At don Quijote we want you to feel like a fish in the water when you speak Spanish, and to make that possible it’s essential for you not to have memoria de pez so you’re able to remember the vocabulary and grammar that you’ve learned. Can you guess what this expression means? Perhaps in your country the idea of fish having a bad memory hasn’t worked its way into the colloquial language, but you’ve probably seen Finding Nemo. In this animated movie, Dory is a fish who is incapable of remembering things that just happened, which leads to all sorts of funny situations.

This myth about fishes’ inability to remember things is behind the expression tener memoria de pez (to have the memory of a fish), which existed before the movie, and is used to refer to people who are scatterbrained or forgetful.

Now that you’re familiar with these two sayings, you’re probably wondering what we were talking about at the beginning of this article, when we said that nobody will tell you that you’re very fish (estás muy pez). Is this expression reserved for people who love swimming or scuba diving? Or does it describe those who are very good at something, something that makes them feel como pez en el agua? Well, we’re very sorry to tell you that it’s actually quite the opposite.

We say that someone está muy pez when they haven’t the slightest idea about something or they have very little experience. For example, it’s common to estar muy pez behind the wheel when we’ve just gotten our driver’s license, or to think that we’re not going to pass the math exam because estamos muy pez and we don’t know how to solve the problems correctly. Of course, this is an expression you’ll never need to talk about your Spanish abilities, we’ll make sure of it!

To help keep you feeling como pez en el agua when you’re speaking Spanish, we recommend you watch the video below, where we explain this and other expressions in which animals play a leading role:

Spain is synonymous with beaches for the vast majority of summer tourists, but as many experienced travelers know, when it comes to destinations, marching to the beat of your own drum and steering clear of the crowds is sure to produce surprising rewards — and Salamanca is no exception! Its centuries-old charm mixed with a lively population of university students make it a great place to visit any time of year, but in the summer you get the extra bonus of seasonal festivals and fewer tourists.

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Sightseeing with a soundtrack

Salamanca’s many beautiful outdoor public spaces are even more special in June, July, and August thanks to a festival called Plazas y Patios de la Música. More than 20 concerts are held at iconic spots throughout the city, from the golden Plaza Mayor to the refreshing gardens of Santo Domingo to the peaceful Patio de Escuelas Mayores. Contemplate the historical architecture and unique atmosphere as you listen to jazz, classical music, pop, funk, soul, reggae, tango, bossa nova, fado… you’ve got lots of styles to choose from.

Tapas tasting

By the time your first day in Salamanca comes to an end, you’ll probably have already started exploring one of the most famous Spanish food culture: tapas. Many (but not all) bars and restaurants in Salamanca will give you a free tapa when you order a drink. So forget about having every person order their own plate — tapas is all about sharing, and part of the fun is that you don’t know what you’re going to get! Of course, once you’re familiar with the different options, you can always order plates of food (called raciones) to share if you’re craving something in particular. And since it’s summer, you’ll probably never have trouble finding a table at your favorite spot. One of the great things about Salamanca is that it’s a small city, so once you pick a place to keep returning to, the waiters will recognize you and treat you like a regular.

Free contemporary art

Street art lovers will love Salamanca’s Barrio del Oeste, which has been transformed into a colorful urban art gallery with huge wall murals, smaller garage door paintings, lots of yarn bombing, and all sorts of creativity flowing from every corner. Start in the Plaza del Oeste and take walks around in every direction.

The innovative contemporary art museum Domus Artium was created in 2002, the same year Salamanca was named European Cultural Capital. Admission is always free, so if it feels too hot to be outside you can enjoy the air conditioning and the art as you meander through the museum. Exhibitions are constantly changing, so you’re sure to find fresh inspiration.

Summer swim

For some, summer’s just not summer until you jump in a pool. There are four outdoor public pools in Salamanca: La Aldehuela, Rosa Colorado Luengo, Pizarrales, and Tejares. If you don’t mind leaving Salamanca behind, take a 1-hour bus ride to the beautiful medieval town of Zamora, which has more Romanesque churches than any other city in Europe. The town itself is well worth exploring, but on hot days its location on the Duero river is key because you can swim at Los Pelambres beach!

While you’re in Salamanca, don’t forget to enrich your journey by learning the language and speaking with the locals! Our don Quijote Spanish school offers a wide variety of courses and private classes so you can craft your own experience.

In Spanish culture, the color pink is mostly associated with two ideas: on one hand, it’s linked to optimism and positive or pleasant things; on the other, as in many Western countries, pink is associated with girls and, by extension, women, and the products designed especially for them.

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Once you know this, you probably won’t have a hard time understanding why we say that someone ve todo de color rosa (sees everything pink) when we’re talking about a person who’s usually optimistic… oftentimes excessively or unjustifiably so. In contrast to the hardened pessimist, who sees everything black (ve todo negro), someone who sees everything pink has such an optimistic outlook on life that sometimes they seem a bit naïve or detached from reality.

Of course, you don’t have be the type of person who always looks on the bright side to say ves todo de color rosa: we also use this saying in specific situations that fill us with joy and good feelings about the future. For example, it’s common for everything to look pink when we fall in love or when we have something good on the horizon, like a trip we’re excited about or a new job. It’s when you feel like everything is going to turn out well even before it happens.

So what is the prensa rosa (pink press) all about? Do you think celebrity news is pink because it covers only happy events? In this case, the color pink comes from the second association we talked about: topics and products aimed at women. Despite the fact that in Spain, as in the rest of the world, men are increasingly willing to admit to flipping through prensa rosa or watching programas de corazón (TV shows that cover celebrity news or gossip), and more and more women do not identify with this type of media, the names haven’t changed because when they started, articles and shows about the rich and famous were made to entertain women.

The prensa rosa dates back to the mid-19th century, when the crónica de salones, as it was known then, began to find its way into newspapers and magazines. These articles were aimed especially at women, who were assumed to have no interest in politics or current events, and focused on the gatherings and celebrations of the aristocracy. However, they also attracted male readers because of their tendency to included veiled criticism: like today, the prensa rosa of the era also tended to poner verdes (talk badly about) certain people, with varying levels of discretion. And, as is true in many countries, in Spain sometimes it is that side (as opposed to the “pink” side) of things that readers find most entertaining.

Do you like learning new expressions? We recommend that you watch this video to see us explain different Spanish expressions with colors. You’ll learn something new, and you’ll see how your expectations about learning Spanish will start looking pink in no time!

Summer temperatures in Spain can be suffocating, and the southern city of Granada is no exception. But don’t worry! At don Quijote we know all the tricks to combat the heat — and staying at home in front of the air conditioner doesn’t count, especially in a city like Granada, which is only an hour away from the beach and the mountains.

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Here are some practical tips:

La Costa Tropical

Okay, we’ll admit it: it’s not as comfortable as having the beach a 10-minute walk from your Spanish school, but in Granada it’ll be easy to find out why the nearby coast is called the Costa Tropical. Less than an hour away by car, the coastal town of Motril has two beaches to choose from, each with its own charm. Calahonda, a Blue Flag beach, is in the town itself (making it the perfect option if you’re taking the bus) and has lots of beachside restaurants and bars. The beach of La Joya is more out of the way, and to get to it you have to descend 200 steps to reach the bottom of the cliffs that protect it from massive crowds. We assure you, it’s worth the extra effort!

The small town of Salobreña is another good place to spend the day playing in the waves or sunbathing on the dark sand. After you walk up to the castle and enjoy the views, there’s nothing better than going for a swim at La Guardia beach, where you can also rent a kayak or enjoy the delicious pescadito frito (fried fish) this area is known for. If you like snorkeling or scuba diving, head to La Rijana beach — you need a car to get there, but when you see how clear the water is, you’ll be glad you made the trip.

Wait till sunset

After the sun goes down, Granadinos take to the streets and the city fills with life thanks to the cooler temperatures. Join them and enjoy the many tapas bars you’ll find downtown, from the high-quality tapas in Plaza de la Pescadería to the cheaper and more plentiful tapas of the university neighborhood. If you’re looking for something more special (and, why not, romantic), make your way to the upper part of the Albaicín neighborhood and sit at one of the terraces with views of the Alhambra, or walk along Paseo de los Tristes and enjoy the fresh air by the river. If you’re a flamenco fan, the caves of Sacromonte are well-insulated from the Granadan heat and cultivate the ideal atmosphere to experience the magic of the dance, song, and rhythms of the Spanish art.

The coolest hours of the night are also the ideal time to learn about the secrets of the city: you can book a nighttime visit to the Alhambra or tours through the narrow, cobblestone streets of the Albaicín where the guide will tell you all sorts of legends and interesting facts about the city.

Run for the hills… or better yet, the mountains!

One thing that makes panoramic views of Granada so spectacular is the background — the peaks of the Sierra Nevada are truly spectacular. In the winter, they’re a popular destination for ski bums, while in the summer they’re a good place to enjoy temperatures a few degrees cooler. Take a walk around the Hoya de Pedraza Botanical Gardens, cross the hanging bridges over the gorge of Los Cahorros in Monachil, practice adventure sports, or take a relaxing dip in the pool in the center of Pradollano.

Sierra Nevada even has a summer festival: each year, Spanish singers and bands play a series of free concerts known as Sierra Nevada por Todo lo Alto. Savor the feeling of wearing a coat in the middle of summer while enjoying a mixture of music and nature.

A breath of fresh culture

When the heat is no match for your burning desire to get to know Granada better, the most sensible thing to do is seek out a place where you’ll be protected from the blistering rays of the sun. Luckily, Granada is bursting with ways to enjoy the culture and history without sweating buckets. The heat can’t penetrate the thick walls of the cathedral, so you’ll be free to enjoy the beauty of its chapels, including the famous Royal Chapel, where the Catholic Monarchs are buried. If you’re interested in more modern history, you can stop by the Huerta de San Vicente, the family house of poet Federico García Lorca, or the museum of Sacromonte, where you can take an up-close look at the special culture and lifestyle led by the people of these typical Granadan caves.

Another obvious option is to visit the Alhambra, with all its impressive palace rooms and refreshing patios. Take advantage of the season and see a different side of the Generalife Gardens by attending the annual summer festival celebrating Lorca and Granada: each performance is a fusion of flamenco and the special poetic world of the most universal Granadan, and the result is magical.

Of all the colors, black is one of the most special.

It’s a color with its own personality, a color whose mere presence can carry a lot of meaning. In fact, in many Western cultures, black represents death and negative feelings. It’s the color most commonly used in funerals and times of mourning.

Black is actually the absence of other colors; in space it is the absence of light. It is the color of night and nothingness.

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That’s why when you hear a Spanish expression that mentions the color black, it’s usually not a good thing.

For example, one common saying is that a person me está poniendo negro (is making me turn black). If someone is making you turn black, it means they’re making you angry.

If you’re having a relaxed dinner at a restaurant and the people at the table next to you are speaking really loudly, or their kids are making a lot of noise, and you start getting more and more annoyed, te están poniendo negro (they’re making you turn black). Another thing that might make you turn black is if someone is constantly calling you on the phone about things you have no interest in.

So, now you know that if you’re angry or fed up with a situation, te estás poniendo negro.

But careful, if you spend a lot of time in the sun tanning, another way to say “to tan” is ponerse negro. The meaning of the expression changes depending on the context in which you use it.

There are other expressions with black, too: verlo todo negro (literally, to see something completely black) means to have a pessimistic outlook.

Since black is the color of nothingness, darkness, and the night, if a situation or an incident looks completely black to a person, it means they are not very hopeful that it will turn out well. In other words, they think something will turn out badly, even before it happens.

So if learning Spanish looks completely black to you, or if going to class makes you turn black, watch this video and learn some more Spanish expressions with colors:

Museums, parks, restaurants for every taste (and budget), a fun-filled nightlife, different shopping areas, markets and festivals to enjoy… Madrid has it all! Well, almost. In the words of a popular local ska band from the 1980s, 'Aquí no hay playa' (there’s no beach here). So, with summer temperatures approaching 100 degrees, it’s important to always have a plan B to escape the heat.

Read the article in Spanish here.

Here are a few different ideas to keep up your sleeve in Madrid:

Pick a favorite park

El Retiro is hands down the most famous park in the capital of Spain. Aside from the sunny, crowded area around the square lake, its shady paths offer a breath of fresh air, perfect for the hottest part of the day. But Madrid has lots of other parks — this summer, why not try to find your favorite?

Oeste Park is the closest to our don Quijote school in Madrid, and here you can admire an authentic Egyptian temple or take the gondola lift to see Madrid from the skies. The ride will carry you all the way to Casa de Campo, the capital’s largest green space, ideal for exercising, rowing in the lake, or visiting the Amusement Park. Casa de Campo is linked to yet another park, Madrid Río, where you can hop on a bike or strap on your rollerblades and make your way to an exhibition at the Matadero Contemporary Art Center. If you want to keep it laid-back, take metro line 5 to Capricho Park, a romantic garden full of surprises, from a miniature fort (complete with a moat) to a bunker where the Republican government took shelter during the Spanish Civil War.

Make a splash!

Yeah, we know… there’s no beach in Madrid. That means the many pools you’ll find in and around the capital are the place to be when the heat is too overwhelming. If you’re looking for something close by, your best bet is to go to one of the city’s public pools, spread out across the different neighborhoods. If you’re up for a bit of a trek, we recommend you take a trip to the mountains to dip in some natural pools, either in Cercedilla, roughly an hour away by car, or Rascafría, about 15 minutes farther.

If you’re craving something more chic (and also more expensive), several hotels in downtown Madrid will let you spend the day soaking in their pools. Hotel Emperador, right on Gran Vía, features one of the city’s most popular rooftop pools along with spectacular panoramic views of the city.

Cool off with culture

One of Madrid’s many museums could be the ideal plan for a hot summer afternoon, with air conditioning, entertainment, and culture all in one. As you probably already know, the Spanish capital is home to one of the world’s best museums featuring European painters: the Prado. If contemporary art is more your style, the Reina Sofía Museum is just a short walk away, housed in a former hospital with a refreshing patio where you can take a break between rooms.

Why not stray from the beaten path and visit some of Madrid’s lesser-known museums? Try the Cerralbo Museum, located in a charming and luxurious 19th-century palace, or the ABC museum, which organizes interesting illustration exhibitions. Step inside the Sorolla Museum for a look at the painter’s house and studio in Madrid, complete with a beautiful garden and fountains, or stop by the Garment Museum, next to Oeste Park, for a trip through the history of clothes.

Looking for something a little different? Go back in time with the Platform Zero project: you can visit the old Chamberí metro station, restored to look the same as it did the day it was closed to the public in 1966, and the Nave de Motores de Pacífico, an electric power plant dating back to the 1920s.

Join the party

If there’s one thing that stands out about summers in Madrid, it’s the string of typical fiestas celebrated in the different neighborhoods and lasting long into the night. For an authentic Spanish experience, don’t miss La Paloma, a verbena or open-air festival celebrated the week of August 15 in La Latina. You’ll enjoy learning to dance the chotis alongside madrileños in their traditional chulapo dress (it’s the easiest dance in the world, we promise.) The most refreshing fiesta is the almost 40-year-old Batalla Naval de Vallecas — the enormous water fight will leave you as happy as you are soaking wet.

Maybe visiting Madrid in the summer isn’t such a bad idea, right? Trust us, you’ll have a blast. This list is just the beginning: you still have to eat at one of the city’s many restaurants with terraces, enjoy the ambience of the trendy Mercado de Motores, and hear live music at outdoor concerts in the Sabatini Gardens or the Complutense University Botanical Gardens.

Spanish speakers tend to use lots of sayings and colloquial expressions when we talk. To make matters more interesting, many of the expressions we use may not mean what you think.

For example, when we say something related to colors, the words we use often lack a clear connection with the ideas we want to communicate.

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Let’s get started. Do you know what the difference is between making someone turn green and saying that someone is very green (poner verde a alguien vs. alguien está muy verde)?

Generally speaking, we tend to associate green with things that are good, healthy, pretty, etc. Nature is full of green, and vegetables taste better the greener they are, to name just a few examples. However, oddly enough, the color also has negative connotations. Things that are green are often poisonous, such as snakes and lizards, which play nefarious roles in many stories.

In literature the color green is frequently used to indicate hope, but Federico García Lorca has also used it to symbolize death.

Since it’s difficult to know when green is good and when it’s not, we’ll give you a rundown of these two Spanish expressions so you can learn how to use them in the right context.

When we make someone turn green (ponemos verde a alguien), we’re not dressing them up in green clothes or painting them with green paint. Not even close! What we’re actually doing is criticizing the person; we’re bad-mouthing or speaking badly about them, usually when they’re not around.

The origins of this expression are unclear. The most popular explanation is that it has to do with bruises.

When someone is hit by something or someone, a bruise usually appears. The bruise is purple at first, but as the days go by, it begins to take on a greenish hue. This explains the metaphorical relationship between physically hitting someone and attacking them verbally.

So, if someone makes you turn green (si alguien te pone verde), it means they’re talking trash about you, usually behind your back.

On the other hand, saying that someone is very green (está muy verde) has nothing to do with making them turn green.

When a piece of fruit hasn’t fully ripened, it often stays green for awhile before taking on its final color. That’s why when we say that a person is still very green (está aún muy verde), it means that the person is immature or lacking experience in some area.

For example, let’s say a person starts a new job. The first few days, the person normally doesn’t know where things are, how things are done, what they have to do, etc. We would say that this person aun está muy verde.

If you want to master more Spanish expressions with colors, pay close attention to the following video and you’ll learn everything you need to know.

With average temperatures consistently in the 90s and no beach in sight, summers in Seville are not for the faint of heart. The upside? Those who can brave the heat are free to enjoy the city without standing in endlessly long lines, waiting for throngs of tourists to pass before taking each picture, or giving up on landing a table in popular restaurants. If you’re not afraid of a little sweat (okay, maybe more than a little), visiting Seville in the summer will be an intensely Spanish experience you’ll never forget.

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Here are some tips to help you beat the heat:

Embrace the siesta

When in Spain, do as the Spanish do: avoid being outside during the hottest part of the day. Siesta time exists for a reason! You can be active all morning until you eat lunch around 2 p.m. (remember, Spanish meal times are different than what you might be used to). After lunch, plan on laying low and maybe taking a quick nap. Having a break in the middle of the day will give you time to fully enjoy your meal, chat with the people around you, and relax so you’ll be ready to take on the second half of the day.

If you absolutely can’t stand the idea of sitting around and doing nothing, consider visiting an air-conditioned museum (try the Flamenco Museum of Seville or the Andalusian Museum of Contemporary Art) or go for a stroll in Maria Luisa Park, where huge trees offer plenty of shade. 

Carry a fan

Speaking of local customs, the typical Spanish hand-fan (abanico) is one summer accessory that never goes out of style. Pick up a cheap one from a street vendor (try Plaza de España) for less than €5, or shop around for a beautiful, hand-painted work of art. You may have to dedicate part of an afternoon to perfecting your fanning skills, but before long you’ll be able to open and close the fan with a single flick of the wrist. Once you get your technique down, you’ll feel cooler and a little bit more Spanish!

Enjoy the nighttime

There are some things in Seville you can only experience in the summer, and one of them is a music festival called Nights in the Gardens of the Real Alcazar. Listen to classical music, world music, and flamenco in a magical, outdoor setting with 75 concerts from June to September. 

Experience a typical Andalusian fiesta

Seville’s charming Triana neighborhood has its own fiesta, la Velá de Triana, that takes place over six days in late July, from Tuesday to Sunday, including July 25 (the feast day of Santiago Apóstol, aka Saint James) and 26 (the feast day of Santa Ana, aka Saint Anne). Religious celebrations are an important part of the festival, but it’s a popular event for everyone to enjoy. The streets and plazas around Calle Betis are strewn with festive, colored paper lanterns, music fills the streets, and tents serving food and drinks are set up to fuel the merrymakers.

As you can see, there are lots of good reasons to visit Seville in the summer! While you’re here, why not take a Spanish course at don Quijote? Speaking the language will give you a more authentic experience, plus you’ll make friends from all over the world. And remember, if you can’t take the heat, the Costa de Luz is so close you can hop on a bus or train, swim at the beach, and return the same day. 

Like many languages, Spanish is full of common expressions that talk about colors. We’re going to start with our favorite color here at don Quijote: red. Here are a couple of expressions that you’re sure to come across in your day-to-day life in any Spanish-speaking country.

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We say something está al rojo vivo when it’s at its most interesting or highest point of tension. Let’s look at some examples:

• With the score tied and just 10 minutes to go, the game está al rojo vivo and the two teams are giving it their all to win the title.
• After the spokesperson’s harsh words, the debate se puso al rojo vivo and unleashed a flood of accusations.

As you can see, estar al rojo vivo can refer to something exciting (and therefore something positive, if we’re talking about a sporting event or a movie), or it can be used in a negative way to refer to a tense situation.

So, where does this expression come from? Like many sayings we use today, it harks back to something that’s been around for centuries: the work of a blacksmith. To forge iron and other metals, blacksmiths first need to get the metal red-hot (al rojo vivo) by putting it in the fire until it reaches a high temperature and becomes soft enough to shape. When this happens, as you may have seen for yourself at some point, the metal takes on that intense, glowing red color that the saying refers to.

Of course, we all know that you shouldn’t touch red-hot metal if you don’t want to get burned — that’s what this fiery expression refers to. In a similar way, you can also say that an issue or situation está que arde (is burning) or is candente (red-hot or white-hot).

Another common expression you’ll hear anywhere Spanish is spoken is ponerse rojo or ponerse colorado. We're not talking about what happens to your skin if you stay out in the Spanish sun too long; it’s used when someone is blushing, usually because they feel embarrassed. You can use it in a lot of different situations, from the most mortifying, like when you make a mistake or something happens that makes you wish the earth would swallow you, to moments that fill your heart with joy, such as someone you like giving you a compliment.

There’s another saying with a similar meaning that also uses colors: me han subido los colores. You can use this expression when someone scolds you for something you’ve done (or haven’t done, if your Spanish teacher is admonishing you for not having finished your homework) or when someone flatters you and makes you ponerte rojo (blush).

Now that you know the meaning of these expressions with the color red, would you like to see more Spanish sayings that use different colors? We made a video to help you learn them: