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Intermediate Spanish Lesson 42 Expressing annoyance and indignation in Spanish Posted by on Nov 13, 2012 in Learning, Spanish Grammar, Spanish Vocabulary, Videos

In this intermediate Spanish lesson we will look at various ways to express annoyance and indignation in Spanish with useful structures such as Me molesta, Me fastidia, and Me alucina.

We will see how to say in Spanish that something annoys you, how to say in Spanish that you are completely fed up or wound up by something, how to use derogatory demonstratives and the present tense when you are indignant and referring to things in the past, how to add something negative to previous negative information, how to react with indignant astonishment when faced with an unexpected situation, how to reject an explanation that is being given and show indifference, and how to conclude by interrupting the other person.

Verb + que + subjuntivo:

• Me molesta: It annoys me (formal)
• Me parece increíble / patético / indignante: I find it incredible / pathetic / outrageous (formal)
• Me fastidia: It annoys me (colloquial)
• Me da rabia: It annoys me (colloquial)
• Me alucina: It annoys me (colloquial)
• Me repatea: It annoys me (colloquial)
• Me jode: It annoys me (vulgar)
• Me cabrea: It annoys me (vulgar)

• Me saca de quicio: It annoys me
• Me saca de mis casillas: It annoys me
• Me trae de cabeza: It annoys me

• Estoy harto/a (de que+subj): I am fed up/I am wound up
• Estoy harto de tu actitud: I am fed up of your attitude
• Estoy harto de que no me escuches: I am fed up of you not listening to me

• Estoy de los nervios (de que + subj): I am fed up/I am wound up
• Estoy hasta las narices/el gorro/el moño/la coronilla: I am fed up/I am wound up
• Estoy que trino/muerdo: I am fed up/I am wound up
• Estoy que echo chispas: I am fed up/I am wound up
• Estoy hasta los huevos/los mismísimos: I am fed up/I am wound up (vulgar)

Demostrativos pospuestos despectivos: Derogatory demonstratives:

• El tío ese: That – That guy
• La tía esa: That – That girl

Use of the Spanish present tense when we are indignant:

• ¿Sabes lo que me pasó ayer? Pues mira, estoy en la cola de la discoteca y no me dejan entrar porque llevo zapatillas: Do you know what happened to me yesterday? Well, I am in the queue of the disco and they don´t let me go in because I am wearing trainers

Substituing “decir” for more colloquial verbs that are always in the Spanish present tense, although we are referring to the past:

• Y va el tío/la tía y me suelta que…: And the guy says to me…
• Y me sale con que…: And the guy says to me…
• Y me salta con que…: And the guy says to me…

To add something negative to previous negative information:

• Y encima,…: And on top of that…
• Y para colmo…: And on top of that…
• Y para más inri…: And on top of that…
• Y para acabarlo de rematar…: And on top of that…

To react with indignant astonishment facing an unexpected situation:

• Yo flipo / alucino: I cannot believe it (colloquial)
• Me quedé a cuadros / de piedra: I couldn´t believe it
• Casi me da algo: I nearly fainted
• Casi me da un ataque / un infarto: I nearly had a heart attack

To reject an explanation that is being given and show indifference:

• Me importa un pimiento / un rábano / un pito: I don´t care / I couldn’t care less (colloquial)
• Me da igual: I don´t care / I couldn’t care less (colloquial)
• Por mí, como si + indicativo: I don´t care if … / I couldn’t care less if … (colloquial)
• Me la refanfinfla / me la suda / me la trae floja: I don´t care / I couldn’t care less (vulgar)

To conclude, interrupting the other person:

• Vamos, ya lo que me faltaba (por oir): That is just what I needed to hear (ironic)
• Ya está bien: That’s enough
• Ya he oído suficiente: I have heard enough
• Muchas gracias: Thank you very much (ironic)

In today’s Spanish lesson we have seen examples of formal and colloquial Spanish, even some vulgar Spanish.

I would never wish to encourage people to talk in a vulgar or impolite fashion, but the fact is that people do and it is worth learning Spanish expressions and phrases such as the ones found here so that you can follow every conversation and get things off your chest if you need to.

I hope very much that you are feeling more confident with your command of the Spanish language and, above all, enjoying your Spanish studies.

Have a great day and see you soon!

¡Que tengais un buen dia y nos vemos pronto!

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

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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. Sondra:

    Thank you! 🙂 This is very helpful. (Even though I’m usually not that indignant when in Spain… 😉 )