Hello, everybody!

It has always amazed me how the verb echar can be used in so many situations, like the verb “get” in English. Of course you don’t need to memorize the list below so it’s a good idea to print it out and review it from time to time. And whenever you come across any of them in a text, song or listening exercise, write down the whole sentence so you will be able to remember it more easily.

Enjoy!

echar a perder – go to waste, to ruin
echar a suertes – to decide something by random means (coss tossing or drawing straws)
echar abajo – to tear down
echar agua al vino / a la leche – to water down (wine, milk)
echar algo en falta – to miss something
echar balones fuera – to avoid answering something (in order not to get into trouble), to sidetrack
echar chispas – to give off sparks, to be angry
echar de menos – to miss (someone)
echar el alto – to halt, to order someone to stop
echar el cierre – to down
echar el freno – to brake
echar el guante a alguien – to catch someone, esp. a thief

echar el resto – to go the extra mile, to make an extra effort
echar en saco roto – to waste, to do something in vain
echar ganas – to make an effort
echar la buenaventura – to tell fortunes
echar la llave – to lock (a door)
echar la primera papilla – to throw up
echar la vista atrás – to look behind, back
echar las campanas al vuelo – to broadcast the news
echar leña al fuego – to add fuel to the fire
echar pestes de alguien – to call somebody names, to run somebody down
echar por tierra – to spoil, ruin

echar sapos y culebras – to rant and rave about something
echar un ojo – to take a look (at something)
echar un pulso – to armwrestle (challenge someone)
echar un vistazo / una mirada a – to take a look at
echar una bronca a alguien – to tell somebody off
echar una cabezada / una siesta – to take a nap
echar una cana al aire – to cut loose, to let one’s hair down
echar una mano – to give a hand)
echar una película – to show a movie
echarse atrás – to back out, to stand back

Want more free resources to learn Spanish? Check out the other goodies we offer to help make your language learning efforts a daily habit.