20 English Idioms Spanish Speakers Ask About Most (With the Spanish Equivalent)

Dictionaries are good at words and bad at idioms. That is why the Spanish-English Vocabulary forum on WordReference has more than fifteen thousand pages of people asking what a phrase really means. We read through recent threads and pulled out the English idioms that Spanish speakers ask about most often, then wrote plain explanations with the closest Spanish equivalent for each. If you only learn twenty idioms this month, make it these.

Idioms about risk, luck and the future

1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t depend on a single plan, job or investment. I like the offer, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket, keep applying. Spanish: no pongas todos los huevos en la misma cesta (the same image exists, which is why learners doubt it is correct. It is).
2. Nobody knows what’s around the corner. The future is unpredictable, so stay ready. Spanish: nunca se sabe lo que puede pasar or nadie sabe lo que le espera.
3. If she were hit by a bus tomorrow… A blunt way of saying “if she suddenly disappeared”. Common in offices: If Ana were hit by a bus tomorrow, nobody could run the payroll. It is about dependency, not about wishing harm. Spanish: si mañana le pasara algo a Ana…
4. Make sure the juice is worth the squeeze. Check that the result justifies the effort. Spanish: que merezca la pena el esfuerzo. Mostly American and informal.
5. A level playing field. Fair conditions where nobody has an unfair advantage. Small shops want a level playing field with online giants. Spanish: igualdad de condiciones, las mismas reglas para todos.

Idioms about effort, stress and work

1. Chasing your tail. Working hard without progress, like a dog spinning in circles. I spent all day chasing my tail and answered no emails. Spanish: dar vueltas sin llegar a nada.
2. Pulled in different directions. Having several people or duties demanding your time at once. Spanish: no dar abasto, tirar de ti por todos lados.
3. Get this monkey off my back. Free yourself from a problem that has been following you. I’ll be glad to get this exam monkey off my back. Spanish: quitarme este peso de encima.
4. Two pairs of eyes are better than one. A second reviewer catches mistakes. Spanish: cuatro ojos ven más que dos. Note the numbers change between languages.
5. To go ham on something. Very informal, from American slang: to do something with wild, excessive energy. He went ham on the dessert table. Spanish: darlo todo, ponerse como loco con algo.

Idioms about understanding and conversation

1. It’s all Greek to me. I cannot understand it at all. Spanish speakers find this one funny because the Spanish version is me suena a chino. Same idea, different language blamed.
2. I see what you did there. I noticed your clever joke or pun, usually said with a smile. There is no fixed Spanish idiom; muy bueno, te lo he pillado is the feel of it.
3. Mic drop. Said or written after a comment so final that nothing can follow it, from performers dropping the microphone after a perfect line. Spanish: y con eso lo dijo todo; younger speakers just say mic drop.
4. Sorry, go on. You interrupted someone and are handing the conversation back. Not an apology for anything serious. Spanish: perdona, sigue.
5. What about him? Two meanings, which is why it gets asked. Neutral: “tell me about him”. Challenging: “why are you bringing him up?”. Tone decides. Spanish: ¿qué pasa con él? covers both.

Idioms about judgement and fairness

1. A kangaroo court. An unfair trial or judgement where the verdict was decided in advance. Used about committees and online pile-ons, not only courts. Spanish: un juicio amañado, un tribunal de pacotilla.
2. To chew someone out. To scold someone angrily (the forum thread asks about a ruder version; this is the one you can use at work). My boss chewed me out for missing the deadline. Spanish: echar la bronca.
3. It seems a bit out of place. It does not fit its surroundings, or it is socially inappropriate. Spanish: está fuera de lugar, desentona.
4. A push and a pull. Two opposing forces at once, for example a desire to leave and a reason to stay. Spanish: un tira y afloja, fuerzas encontradas.
5. Price gouging. Charging unfairly high prices when people have no choice, such as water after a storm. Spanish: abuso de precios, especulación con los precios.

How to make these stick

Reading twenty idioms is pleasant and forgettable. Three things make them stay. First, pick five that match situations in your own life and write one true sentence for each. Second, say them out loud, because idioms live in rhythm and stress, not spelling. Third, use them with a native speaker who will tell you when one sounds slightly off. That last part is what a good teacher is for: a conversation lesson on Parlazo is exactly the place to try “I see what you did there” and find out whether you got the timing right.

If idioms are your weak spot, start with the food idioms natives use every day, then take the free English level test to see where you stand.