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Intermediate Spanish Review Lesson 37 Popular Spanish idioms and sayings Posted by on May 6, 2014 in Learning, Spanish Culture, Spanish Grammar, Spanish Vocabulary, Videos

¡Hola! ¿Cómo estáis?

Hoy vamos a practicar unos modismos y refranes populares españoles. Today we will practice some commonly used Spanish idioms and sayings.

Answers to all tasks involved in this lesson will be given at the end of the post and you can also follow a link with this post to watch the original theory video lesson on the same topic.

To go back and watch the original video lesson please follow this link:

Intermediate theory video lesson 37

1. First, let´s see if you know what these Spanish sayings mean:

Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente
Dios los cría y ellos se juntan
Quien calla otorga
Segundas partes nunca fueron buenas
Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando
A caballo regañado no le mires el diente
Las palabras se las lleva el viento
Siempre llueve sobre mojado
Mucho ruido y pocas nueces
Al hambre no hay pan duro
La prudencia es la madre de la ciencia
En boca cerrada no entran moscas

2. Now please try to tell me the Spanish equivalents of these English sayings:

A chip off the old block
Different strokes for different folks
Better late than never
Out with the old, in with the new
It’s like talking to a brick wall
It’s like water off a duck’s back
Not all that glitters is gold
It’s as broad as it is long
A Spanish expression which means everything will happen in its own time
As sure as eggs
Brain is better than brawn
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again
A Spanish expression which means solitude is better than bad company

3. Finally, I will tell you a situation in Spanish and I would like you to tell me a Spanish saying related to it. For example, if I say “Antonio siempre llega tarde, como su padre” you could say “De tal palo tal astilla”:

No cocino muy bien, pero lo intento todos los días.
Por fin he terminado de estudiar.
A María le ha dejado su novio, la verdad es que era un idiota.
María ya tiene un novio nuevo ¡qué rápido!
Mi hija nunca me escucha.

Bueno, esto es todo por hoy.

I hope you have enjoyed practising these useful Spanish idioms and sayings. It will be great if you use them when you are talking to a native Spanish speaker. If you use them in the right context, I am sure that the other person will be very impressed.

¡Hasta la próxima semana!

I hope you are enjoying my weekly interactive Spanish lessons. Follow this link for many more great resources to help you learn and practice Spanish.

Answers:

1.
Out of sight, out of mind
Birds of a feather flock together
Silence speaks volumes
A Spanish expression which means that the second part of anything is never better or as good as the first
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
Actions speak louder than words
It never rains, it pours
All mouth and no trousers
Beggars can’t be choosers
Discretion is the better part of valor
A Spanish expression which means that you are better off keeping quiet and minding your own business

2.
De tal palo tal astilla
Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito
Más vale tarde que nunca
A rey muerto, rey puesto
Es como hablar a la pared:
Como quien oye llover
No es oro todo lo que reluce
Tanto monta, monta tanto
No por mucho madrugar, amanece más temprano
Tan cierto como dos y dos son cuatro
Más vale maña que fuerza
El que la sigue la consigue
Más vale estar sólo que mal acompañado

3.
El que la sigue la consigue
Más vale tarde que nunca
Mejor solo que mal acompañado.
A rey muerto, rey puesto.
Es como hablar a la pared.

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About the Author: Laura & Adam

Laura & Adam have been blogging and creating online Spanish courses for Transparent Language since 2010. Laura is from Bilbao in northern Spain and Adam is from Devon in the south of England. They lived together in Spain for over 10 years, where their 2 daughters were born, and now they live in Scotland. Both Laura & Adam qualified as foreign language teachers in 2004 and since have been teaching Spanish in Spain, the UK, and online.


Comments:

  1. mo:

    Hi laura if I were to use the idiom el que la sigue la consigue ina sentence, could I say cai un par de veces pero aprendi and then the idiom ?

    • Laura:

      @mo Hola Mo,
      Yes, you can use “El que la sigue la consigue” in that context. When you find something difficult, keep trying until you achieve it.
      Saludos,
      Laura