Funny expressions in Spanish are a jack of all trades for Spanish teachers. Our students at Spanishviaskype.com love learning and “playing” with these phrases. We call them “funny” because misinterpretations caused by them are very normal. This is because these idioms are usually untranslatable.

Today, as you read some months ago about the verb dar, we are going to learn some funny expressions in Spanish that you can use in order to surprise your Spanish friends.

Funny expressions in Spanish: All or Nothing?

Black or white, heat or cold, good or evil… Well, there are also grey, mild and… “normal people”, no saints nor demonds. In Spanish there are two expressions with the words nada (nothing) and todo (all) that might seem to be related but they have nothing to do.

The first one is y todo. It’s very used in colloquial situations to add an element to a list in order to emphasize its importance.

—¿Has cortado el césped?

—Claro; he hecho la comida y todo.

However, ni nada, it’s not the opposite meaning. We use this other phrase after a negative sentence, for stressing the fact that the statement is totally true. It is similar to ‘indeed’ in English:

Sin ayuda de un profesor, ¡no es difícil aprobar el examen DELE, ni nada!

 

Ham and pepper are too important to give them as a present…

Food is also present in funny expressions in Spanish. Actually, you could read about the word leche two weeks ago. Well, if you disagree with someone’s opinion and you want to show it in a strong and informal way, you can use y un/a and some nouns of food: ¡y un jamón! and ¡y un pimiento!

—El español es muy difícil.

—¡Y un jamón! Lo que pasa es que no practicas nunca la conversación. ¡Así es imposible!

Furthermore, we can use other nouns, even more vulgar, such as cuerno or mierda.

—¡Has roto la ventana!

—¡Y una mierda! La pelota la has lanzado tú.

Funny expressions in Spanish: Flies are not very popular

Las moscas (flies), are also the protagonists of some funny expressions in Spanish. Those irritating insects change our mood as soon as we see them. That feeling is also present in our language in different ways.

  • Por si las moscas (just in case): Hay nuevos brotes de COVID-19; voy a comprar papel higiénico por si las moscas.
  • Estar mosqueado / Mosquear (to be annoyed or suspicious): Estoy mosca con mi hijo; nunca hace sus deberes. / Me mosquea que los políticos no estén peleándose: algo malo debe de estar pasando.
  • Tener una mosca (to be sleepy): Me voy a la cama; tengo una mosca…
  • Aflojar la mosca (to pay up): Ayer pagué yo las cervezas; hoy, afloja la mosca tú.
  • Ser una mosca cojonera (to be a pain in the ass): Mi profe es una mosca cojonera; siempre está mandándome deberes.

The verb ‘ver’ can see further in Spanish

This basic verb has also funny expressions in Spanish, in particular the form a ver. Using this, we can express a wish, catch the attention and even show agreement. Can you believe it? A ver (let’s see) how we do it!

We can make a wish for the future using a ver si… It sometimes can denotes an intention, too.

A ver si nos vemos y tomamos una copa (what a typical sentence in Spain!).

This expression is also used to catch the attention of a person.

A ver, hoy vamos estudiar el estilo indirecto en español.

Finally, we can agree with someone using a ver and a special intonation.

—¿Verdad que España es un país fantástico para pasar tus vacaciones?

—¡A ver!

In conclusion, we have many funny expressions in Spanish that can help you sound more natural. If you want to put them in practice and know when to use them, don’t hesitate and reserve a lesson with us. You can also take a trial lesson, first. You will be speaking Spanish from the very first moment.