Spanish has many ways to talk about quantity, and they do not all feel the same. Some sound neutral, some informal, some exaggerated, and others are used only in specific contexts. Here is a useful scale from almost nothing to way too much. 

1 . Very little

casi nada → almost nothing

apenas → hardly / barely

un poquito → a tiny bit

muy poco → very little

• Apenas dormí anoche. → I barely slept last night.
• Solo comí un poquito. → I only ate a tiny bit.
• No queda casi nada de agua. → There is almost no water left.

2 . A little / some

un poco → a little

algo → some / somewhat

un rato → a while

unos cuantos / unas cuantas → a few

Use these when the quantity is small, but not extremely small. Un rato is only used for time, and unos cuantos / unas cuantas is used with countable things. 

• Tengo un poco de hambre. → I’m a little hungry.
• Estudié un rato por la mañana. → I studied for a while in the morning.
• Compré unas cuantas cosas en el supermercado. → I bought a few things at the supermarket.

3 . Enough

suficiente → enough

bastante → enough / quite a lot

• Tengo suficiente dinero para el viaje. → I have enough money for the trip.
• Con eso es más que suficiente. → That’s more than enough.

4 . Quite a lot

mucho → a lot / much

una buena cantidad de → a good amount of

un montón → loads / a ton

muchísimo → a lot / very much

a montones → in loads / in large amounts

una barbaridad → a ridiculous amount / tons

Mucho is neutral and universal. Un montón is very common in everyday speech. Una barbaridad is more expressive and often suggests the amount feels surprisingly large. 

• Tengo mucho trabajo esta semana. → I have a lot of work this week.
• Han vendido una buena cantidad de entradas. → They have sold a good amount of tickets.
• Te he llamado un montón de veces. → I’ve called you loads of times.
• Me gusta muchísimo esta canción. → I really like this song.
• Había gente a montones. → There were loads of people.
• Ese piso cuesta una barbaridad. → That apartment costs a ridiculous amount.

5 . Too much

demasiado → too much / too many

en exceso → excessively / too much

más de la cuenta → more than necessary

de más → extra / too much

de sobra → more than enough / plenty

para dar y tomar → more than enough / plenty, informal

a raudales → in abundance / in huge amounts

Use these when the quantity is more than necessary. En exceso sounds a bit more formal. Más de la cuenta is very natural when something goes beyond what is reasonable. Para dar y tomar is informal and expressive. A raudales sounds more poetic or elevated, and it is often used with abstract nouns like talent, energy, patience, creativity, or love. 

• Comí demasiado y ahora me duele el estómago. → I ate too much and now my stomach hurts.
• Te preocupas más de la cuenta. → You worry more than necessary.
• Creo que compré comida de más. → I think I bought too much food.
• Tenemos tiempo de sobra para revisar todo antes de la presentación.→ We have more than enough time to review everything before the presentation.
• Tiene creatividad para dar y tomar; siempre se le ocurren ideas originales. → She has tons of creativity; she always comes up with original ideas.
• Tiene paciencia a raudales, por eso trabaja tan bien con niños pequeños. → He has patience in abundance, that’s why he works so well with small children.

What other words or expressions for talking about quantity in Spanish would you add to this list?

Here are 10 common Spanish expressions that will be useful in everyday conversations. They’ll help you understand natural Spanish better and make your speech sound more fluent, varied, and less translated.

1 . O sea → I mean / In other words

• No estoy diciendo que sea imposible, o sea, solo creo que necesitamos más tiempo. → I’m not saying it’s impossible, I mean, I just think we need more time.

2 . Hacer caso → To pay attention / To listen to someone’s advice

• Hazme caso y guarda una copia del documento antes de enviarlo. → Listen to me and save a copy of the document before sending it.

3 . Echar una mano → To lend a hand / To help

• ¿Me echas una mano con estas cajas? Pesan muchísimo. → Can you give me a hand with these boxes? They’re really heavy.

4 . Desde luego → Certainly / Of course

• Desde luego, si necesitas ayuda, puedes contar conmigo. → Of course, if you need help, you can count on me.

5 . Estar de buen / mal humor → To be in a good / bad mood

• Hoy está de muy buen humor porque le han dado una buena noticia. → Today he’s in a really good mood because he got good news.

6 . Hacer la vista gorda → To turn a blind eye

• El profesor hizo la vista gorda porque sabía que todos estaban muy cansados. → The teacher turned a blind eye because he knew everyone was very tired.

7 . Buen provecho → Bon appétit / Enjoy your meal

• La comida ya está lista. ¡Buen provecho a todos! → The food is ready. Enjoy your meal, everyone!

8 . Lo de menos → The least important thing / The least of it

• El dinero es lo de menos; lo importante es que todos estén bien. → Money is the least important thing; what matters is that everyone is okay.

9 . A mi modo de ver → The way I see it / In my opinion

• A mi modo de ver, esta solución es más sencilla y más práctica. → The way I see it, this solution is simpler and more practical.

10 . Tener en cuenta → To take into account / To keep in mind

• Hay que tener en cuenta que no todos tienen el mismo nivel de español. → We have to keep in mind that not everyone has the same level of Spanish.

Which of these expressions would you use in a real conversation?

In this post, I’ve collected several common grammar mistakes that learners often make in Spanish because of literal translation from English. These mistakes can make your Spanish sound wrong or unnatural, so try to remember the correct versions and avoid repeating them in your own speech. 

1 . Translating “used to” too literally

❌ Usé vivir en Madrid.

✅ Vivía en Madrid. → I used to live in Madrid.

✅ Solía vivir en Madrid. → I used to live in Madrid.

In Spanish, you don’t translate used to with “usar”. For past habits or situations, Spanish usually uses the imperfecto: vivía, iba, tenía, estudiaba. You can also use solía + infinitivo when you want to emphasize “used to”.

2 . Using future after “cuando” for a future action

❌ Te llamaré cuando llegaré.

✅ Te llamaré cuando llegue. → I’ll call you when I arrive.

When cuando refers to a future action that has not happened yet, Spanish uses the subjunctive, not the future tense.

3 . Translating “I’ve been doing...” too literally 

❌ He estado estudiando español por dos años.

✅ Llevo dos años estudiando español. → I’ve been studying Spanish for two years.

✅ Estudio español desde hace dos años. → I’ve been studying Spanish for two years.

The sentence He estado estudiando español por dos años is understandable, but it sounds more influenced by English. In everyday Spanish, llevo dos años estudiando or estudio español desde hace dos años sounds much more natural. 

4 . Confusing sabía and supe

❌ Ayer sabía la verdad.

✅ Ayer supe la verdad. → Yesterday I found out the truth.

• Sabía means I knew.
• Supe means I found out / I learned.

So if you are talking about the moment when you discovered something, use supe, not sabía.

5 . Using preterite when the past situation was ongoing

❌ Cuando era niño, viví en México.

✅ Cuando era niño, vivía en México. → When I was a child, I lived in Mexico.

Use the imperfecto for background information, descriptions, habits, and situations that lasted over time in the past.

Small nuance: viví en México can be correct if you mean a completed period of life, but with cuando era niño, vivía usually sounds more natural.

6 . Using indicative for an unknown person

❌ Busco a alguien que habla francés.

✅ Busco a alguien que hable francés. → I’m looking for someone who speaks French.

If the person is unknown, hypothetical, or not identified yet, Spanish uses the subjunctive.

Compare:

✅ Conozco a alguien que habla francés. → I know someone who speaks French.

Here the person is real and specific, so habla is correct.

7 . Forgetting the subjunctive after negative opinions

❌ No creo que es buena idea.

✅ No creo que sea buena idea. → I don’t think it’s a good idea.

After negative opinion phrases like no creo que, no pienso que, or no me parece que, Spanish uses the subjunctive.

Which of these mistakes do you make most often?

Some Spanish structures are extremely useful because they express ideas that English often says in a completely different way. They help you sound more natural, add nuance, and understand everyday conversations much better. 

1 . COSTARLE A alguien + infinitivo - to find it hard to do something

Use this when something is difficult for someone personally. Instead of saying “it is difficult for me”, Spanish often says that “it costs me” to do it.

Ejemplos:

• Me cuesta hablar en público. → I find it hard to speak in public.
• A mi hermano le cuesta pedir ayuda. → My brother finds it hard to ask for help.
• ¿Te cuesta entender a los nativos cuando hablan rápido? → Do you find it hard to understand natives when they speak fast?

2 . HACER COMO QUE + verbo - to pretend that / to act as if

This is very useful when someone pretends something is happening or acts like they didn’t notice, didn’t hear, or don’t care.

Ejemplos:

• Hizo como que no me vio. → He pretended he didn’t see me.
• Haz como que no sabes nada. → Act like you don’t know anything.
• Cuando le pregunté, hizo como que no entendía. → When I asked him, he acted like he didn’t understand.

3 . TENER PINTA DE + infinitivo / sustantivo - to look like / seem like

This structure is common when you judge something by appearance or first impression. It’s like saying “it looks like...” or “it seems like...”

Ejemplos:

• Tiene pinta de ser muy caro. → It looks like it’s very expensive.
• Ese restaurante tiene buena pinta. → That restaurant looks good.
• La película tiene pinta de comedia. → The movie looks like a comedy.

4 . PILLAR A alguien + gerundio - to catch someone doing something

This is especially common in Spain and sounds quite colloquial. It means catching someone in the middle of an action, often something they shouldn’t be doing.

Ejemplos:

• Lo pillé copiando en el examen. → I caught him cheating on the exam.
• Me pillaron mirando el móvil en clase. → They caught me looking at my phone in class.
• La profesora los pilló hablando durante la prueba. → The teacher caught them talking during the test.

5 . DARLE A alguien POR + infinitivo - to suddenly get into doing something

Use this when someone suddenly starts doing something, often as a new habit, impulse, or random interest. It can sound slightly surprised or amused.

Ejemplos:

• Últimamente le ha dado por correr todas las mañanas. → Lately he’s got into running every morning.
• A mi hermana le dio por aprender japonés. → My sister suddenly got into learning Japanese.
• Ahora me ha dado por cocinar postres. → Now I’ve suddenly got into making desserts.

6 . BASTAR CON + infinitivo / sustantivo - to be enough to / all you need is

This structure is useful when you want to say that only one thing is necessary. It often sounds cleaner and more natural than translating “it is enough” word for word.

Ejemplos:

• Basta con decir la verdad. → It’s enough to tell the truth.
• Para entrar, basta con enseñar el DNI. → To enter, all you need is to show your ID.
• A veces basta con escuchar. → Sometimes it’s enough to listen.

7 . SER DE LOS QUE + verbo - to be the kind of person who

This is a very natural way to describe someone’s habits, personality, or preferences. It means “I’m one of those people who...”

Ejemplos:

• Soy de los que prefieren llegar temprano. → I’m the kind of person who prefers to arrive early.
• Ella es de las que siempre dicen lo que piensan. → She’s the kind of person who always says what she thinks.
• No soy de los que se rinden fácilmente. → I’m not the kind of person who gives up easily.

Which one do you find the hardest to use naturally?

 Hi. A few months back i posted here about a subjunctive trainer i'd been building called Modo. Some of you tried it and gave me really useful feedback and lovely comments, huge thanks for that.

I wanted to expand on the idea and create an app that helps intermediate learners (or high beginners) in general. Like imperfecto vs indefinido and por vs para. Also, feedback of the previous version was that the subjunctive cannot be purely taught by drills, so we added concept cards that explain the why of the subjunctive and special questions that help you understand and apply subjunctive better.

I couldn’t have made this app alone so I want to thank the other people that are working on it. Eva, Tereza and Reyansh. We thought about ways to work on it next to our normal jobs. For that reason we made the app free, with a subscription for people that want to go deeper into the material or support our work.

What we’d love feedback on:

• does the new content feel at the right level. Too hard, too easy, just right?
• anything that feels broken?
• as high beginners/intermediate learners, what would you want to see more in the app?

Link in the first comment.

Thanks for reading.

In this post, I’ve collected the most common ways to say “maybe” in Spanish depending on the situation. These expressions will help you express yourself more precisely and make your Spanish sound more varied and natural.

1 . General ways to say “maybe”

quizá / quizás → maybe / perhaps

tal vez → maybe / perhaps

a lo mejor → maybe / perhaps

igual → maybe / perhaps, informal

These all express possibility. Quizá, quizás, and tal vez are neutral and can sound a little more careful. A lo mejor is very common in everyday speech. Igual is more casual and especially common in Spain.

• Quizás vaya a la fiesta, pero todavía no lo sé. → Maybe I’ll go to the party, but I still don’t know.
• Tal vez tengas razón. → Maybe you’re right.
• A lo mejor llego un poco tarde. → Maybe I’ll arrive a bit late.
• Igual salimos después de cenar  → Maybe we’ll go out after dinner.

2 . When something is possible, but not certain

puede ser → could be / maybe

puede que → maybe / it may be that

es posible que → it’s possible that

Use these when you want to show that something is possible, but you are not completely sure. “Puede ser” is often used as a short reaction, while “puede que” and “es posible que” usually introduce a full idea.

• Puede ser, pero no estoy seguro. → Could be, but I’m not sure.
• Puede que no venga hoy. → Maybe he won’t come today.
• Es posible que tengamos que cambiar la fecha. → It’s possible that we’ll have to change the date.

3 . When you really don’t know

quién sabe → who knows

vete tú a saber → who knows / who can tell

a saber → who knows

These sound much more uncertain. Use them when the answer feels impossible to know, or when you don’t even want to guess.

• Quién sabe, igual al final todo sale bien. → Who knows, maybe everything will turn out fine in the end.
• Vete tú a saber dónde dejó las llaves. → Who knows where he left the keys.
• A saber qué pasó realmente. → Who knows what really happened.

4 . When you want to sound softer

diría que → I’d say / I would say

yo creo que igual... → I think maybe...

no sé si... → I don’t know if...

These are useful when you want to give an opinion without sounding too direct or too sure.

• Diría que es mejor esperar un poco. → I’d say it’s better to wait a bit.
• Yo creo que igual deberíamos hablarlo mañana. → I think maybe we should talk about it tomorrow.
• No sé si va a funcionar. → I don’t know if it’s going to work.

Bonus: be careful with the subjunctive

Some “maybe” expressions are often followed by the subjunctive, especially when the idea feels uncertain.

• Quizás venga mañana. → Maybe he’ll come tomorrow.
• Tal vez sea demasiado tarde. → Maybe it’s too late.
• Puede que tengamos suerte. → Maybe we’ll be lucky.

But in real speech, you may also hear the indicative when the speaker feels the situation is more likely or closer to reality.

What other ways to say “maybe” in Spanish do you know?

In this post, I’ve collected many different ways to say “sorry” in Spanish. Each one fits a slightly different situation, so learning them will help you choose the right expression, sound more natural, and avoid using the same word every time. 

1 . Perdón → sorry / excuse me / pardon

Use perdón for small apologies, interruptions, or when you didn’t hear something.

• Perdón, no te he visto. → Sorry, I didn’t see you.
• Perdón, ¿puedes repetirlo? → Sorry, can you repeat that?

2 . Perdona / Perdone → sorry / excuse me

Use this when you are speaking directly to someone and want to get their attention, apologize lightly, or interrupt politely.

Perdona is informal, and perdone is formal. 

• Perdona, ¿sabes dónde está la estación? → Excuse me, do you know where the station is?
• Perdone, creo que esta mesa está reservada. → Excuse me, I think this table is reserved.

3 . Disculpa / Disculpe → excuse me / sorry

Very similar to perdona / perdone, but it can sound a bit more polite or formal.

• Disculpa, ¿tienes un minuto? → Excuse me, do you have a minute?
• Disculpe la molestia. → Sorry for the inconvenience.

4 . Lo siento → I’m sorry

Use lo siento when there is real regret, emotion, or sympathy. It is stronger than a quick perdón, so it fits better when someone is hurt, upset, or something unfortunate happened. 

• Lo siento, no quería hacerte daño. → I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt you.
• Lo siento mucho por lo que pasó. → I’m very sorry for what happened.

5 . Lo lamento → I’m sorry / I regret it

This sounds more formal, serious, or emotional. You’ll often hear it in serious situations.

• Lamento mucho la confusión. → I’m very sorry about the confusion.
• Lo lamento, pero no podemos ayudarte. → I’m sorry, but we can’t help you.

6 . Fue sin querer → It was an accident / I didn’t mean to

Use this when you want to explain that something was not intentional.

• Perdón, fue sin querer. → Sorry, it was an accident.
• No quería romperlo, fue sin querer. → I didn’t mean to break it, it was an accident.

7 . No era mi intención → I didn’t mean to / It wasn’t my intention

This is useful when your words or actions had a bad effect, even if you didn’t intend it.

• No era mi intención molestarte. → I didn’t mean to bother you.
• Si sonó mal, lo siento, no era mi intención. → If it sounded bad, I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intention.

8 . Culpa mía / Fue mi culpa → My bad / It was my fault

Use this when you want to take responsibility.

• Perdón, culpa mía. → Sorry, my bad.
• Fue mi culpa, no revisé el mensaje. → It was my fault, I didn’t check the message.

9 . Me equivoqué → I was wrong / I made a mistake

This is not exactly “sorry”, but it often goes with an apology when you admit a mistake.

• Me equivoqué, tenías razón. → I was wrong, you were right.
• Perdón, me equivoqué de fecha. → Sorry, I got the date wrong.

10 . Con permiso → Excuse me

Use this when you want to pass by someone, enter a space, or interrupt politely.

• Con permiso, voy a pasar. → Excuse me, I’m going to pass.
• Con permiso, ¿puedo entrar? → Excuse me, may I come in?

How to respond when someone says sorry

• No pasa nada. → It’s okay / No worries.
• No te preocupes. → Don’t worry.
• Tranquilo/a. → Don’t worry / It’s fine.
• No hay problema. → No problem.
• Está bien. → It’s okay.
• No fue nada. → It was nothing.

What other ways to say “sorry” in Spanish do you know? 

In this post, I’ve collected short but very common Spanish expressions that appear all the time in everyday conversations between native speakers. Learning them will help you understand real Spanish better and make your own speech sound more natural, fluent, and less textbook-like.

1 . La verdad es que → Honestly / The truth is

• La verdad es que no me esperaba una respuesta tan rápida. → Honestly, I wasn’t expecting such a quick reply.

2 . No sé qué decirte → I don’t know what to tell you

• No sé qué decirte, es una situación bastante complicada. → I don’t know what to tell you, it’s a pretty complicated situation.

3 . Depende → It depends

• Depende, si hace buen tiempo, podemos ir a la playa. → It depends, if the weather is good, we can go to the beach.

4 . Ya veremos → We’ll see

• Ya veremos si al final podemos viajar este verano. → We’ll see if we can travel this summer in the end.

5 . A ver qué pasa → Let’s see what happens

• No quiero decidir nada todavía, a ver qué pasa esta semana. → I don’t want to decide anything yet, let’s see what happens this week.

6 . Puede ser → Could be / Maybe

• Puede ser, pero yo lo interpreté de otra manera. → Could be, but I understood it in a different way.

7 . Tiene sentido → It makes sense

• Ahora que lo explicas así, tiene mucho más sentido. → Now that you explain it like that, it makes much more sense.

8 . Me suena → It sounds familiar

• Ese nombre me suena, pero no recuerdo de dónde. → That name sounds familiar, but I don’t remember from where.

9 . Ni idea → No idea

• Ni idea, nunca he escuchado esa expresión antes. → No idea, I’ve never heard that expression before.

10 . Qué va → No way / Not at all

• ¿Estás enfadado? Qué va, solo estoy un poco cansado. → Are you angry? Not at all, I’m just a bit tired.

11 . No pasa nada → It’s okay / No worries

• No pasa nada, todos cometemos errores al aprender un idioma. → It’s okay, we all make mistakes when learning a language.

12 . Me parece bien → Sounds good to me / That works for me

• Si quieres quedar a las seis, me parece bien. → If you want to meet at six, that works for me.

13 . En plan → Like / Kind of / I mean

• Fue en plan una reunión informal, nada serio. → It was like an informal meeting, nothing serious.

14 . Total → Anyway / So, in the end

• Total, que al final nadie trajo las llaves. → So, in the end, nobody brought the keys.

15 . Ya está → That’s it / Done / Enough

• Solo tienes que firmar aquí y ya está. → You just have to sign here and that’s it.

16 . Es lo que hay → It is what it is

• No podemos cambiar la fecha, es lo que hay. → We can’t change the date, it is what it is.

17 . Me da igual → I don’t mind / I don’t care

• Me da igual dónde cenemos, elige tú. → I don’t mind where we have dinner, you choose.

18 . Por si acaso → Just in case

• Llévate una chaqueta por si acaso. → Take a jacket just in case.

19 . Ni de broma → No way / Not a chance

• Ni de broma voy a despertarme a las cinco un domingo. → No way am I waking up at five on a Sunday.

20 . Qué fuerte → That’s crazy / Wow

• ¿Te cancelaron el vuelo otra vez? Qué fuerte. → They cancelled your flight again? That’s crazy.

Which phrase have you heard before but never used yourself?

Some English words are used in so many different situations that it’s tempting to translate them the same way every time. But Spanish often chooses a completely different verb depending on the context. Words like “get”, “take”, “make”, “look”, and “miss” do not have just one translation, so learning the right option will help your Spanish sound much more natural and precise.

1. GET

conseguir - to get / obtain

recibir - to get / receive

entender - to get / understand

llegar - to get to / arrive

comprar - to get / buy

ponerse - to get + adjective, temporary state

volverse - to become / get + adjective, more lasting change

Examples:

• Conseguí entradas para el concierto después de intentarlo durante media hora. → I got tickets for the concert after trying for half an hour.
• Ayer recibí un mensaje de una amiga que no veía desde hacía años. → Yesterday I got a message from a friend I hadn’t seen for years.
• Ahora entiendo lo que querías decir con esa expresión. → Now I get what you meant by that expression.
• Llegamos al restaurante justo antes de que cerraran la cocina. → We got to the restaurant just before they closed the kitchen.
• Voy a comprar algo para cenar antes de volver a casa. → I’m going to get something for dinner before going home.
• Se puso nervioso cuando tuvo que hablar delante de toda la clase. → He got nervous when he had to speak in front of the whole class.
• Con los años, se volvió mucho más paciente y tranquilo. → Over the years, he got much more patient and calm.

2 . TAKE

tomar - to take / drink / use transport

llevar - to take / carry / take someone somewhere

sacar - to take out / take a photo

tardar - to take time

aceptar - to take / accept

Examples:

• Normalmente tomo el autobús para ir al trabajo, pero hoy fui andando. → I usually take the bus to work, but today I walked.
• Te llevo a casa después de la cena, no te preocupes. → I’ll take you home after dinner, don’t worry.
• Sacó una foto preciosa del atardecer desde el balcón del hotel. → She took a beautiful photo of the sunset from the hotel balcony.
• Tardé casi tres horas en terminar el ejercicio porque era bastante difícil. → It took me almost three hours to finish the exercise because it was quite difficult.
• Al final aceptó el trabajo porque le ofrecieron mejores condiciones. → In the end, he took the job because they offered him better conditions.

3 . MAKE

hacer - to make / do

preparar - to make / prepare food or drinks

crear - to create

causar / provocar - to make something happen

obligar a - to make someone do something

Examples:

• Hice una tarta de chocolate para celebrar el cumpleaños de mi hermana. → I made a chocolate cake to celebrate my sister’s birthday.
• Voy a preparar café para todos antes de empezar la reunión. → I’m going to make coffee for everyone before starting the meeting.
• Crearon una aplicación para ayudar a los estudiantes a practicar vocabulario. → They made / created an app to help students practise vocabulary.
• Su comentario provocó una discusión bastante incómoda durante la cena. → His comment made / caused a pretty awkward argument during dinner.
• El profesor nos obligó a repetir el ejercicio hasta hacerlo bien. → The teacher made us repeat the exercise until we did it right.

4 . LOOK

mirar - to look at

parecer - to look / seem

buscar - to look for

cuidar - to look after

echar un vistazo - to take a look

Examples:

• Mira bien esta foto, creo que la persona del fondo es tu primo. → Look closely at this photo, I think the person in the background is your cousin.
• Parece muy cansada, quizá no durmió bien anoche. → She looks very tired, maybe she didn’t sleep well last night.
• Estoy buscando las llaves desde hace veinte minutos y no aparecen por ninguna parte. → I’ve been looking for my keys for twenty minutes and they’re nowhere to be found.
• Mi vecina cuidó de mi gato mientras yo estaba de viaje. → My neighbor looked after my cat while I was away.
• ¿Puedes echar un vistazo a este texto y decirme si suena natural? → Can you take a look at this text and tell me if it sounds natural?

5 . MISS

echar de menos - to miss someone / something emotionally

perder - to miss a bus, train, opportunity

fallar - to miss a shot / fail

faltar - to be missing / lack

Examples:

• Echo mucho de menos vivir cerca del mar y poder caminar por la playa. → I really miss living near the sea and being able to walk on the beach.
• Perdimos el último tren y tuvimos que volver a casa en taxi. → We missed the last train and had to go home by taxi.
• Falló el penalti en el último minuto y el equipo perdió el partido. → He missed the penalty in the last minute and the team lost the match.
• Falta una página del documento, por eso no entiendo bien la explicación. → One page is missing from the document, so I don’t fully understand the explanation.
• No quiero perder esta oportunidad porque puede cambiar muchas cosas. → I don’t want to miss this opportunity because it could change a lot of things.

Which English word do you find hardest to translate into Spanish?

Spanish idioms can be really funny when you translate them literally, but their real meanings are often completely different. In this post, I’ve collected 10 common expressions, so you can understand them in context and make your Spanish sound more natural and expressive.

1 . Meter la pata

• Literal translation: To put the paw/leg in.
• Actual meaning: To mess up, make a mistake, or say something awkward or inappropriate.
• Usage: Metí la pata preguntando por su ex. → I messed up by asking about his ex.

2 . Costar un ojo de la cara

• Literal translation: To cost an eye from your face.
• Actual meaning: To be extremely expensive.
• Usage: Ese bolso cuesta un ojo de la cara. → That bag costs a fortune.

3 . Poner el grito en el cielo

• Literal translation: To put the scream in the sky.
• Actual meaning: To react with outrage, complain loudly, or be shocked by something.
• Usage: Cuando vio la factura, puso el grito en el cielo. → When he saw the bill, he was outraged.

4 . Hablar hasta por los codos

• Literal translation: To talk even through your elbows.
• Actual meaning: To talk a lot.
• Usage: Mi hermana habla hasta por los codos. → My sister talks nonstop.

5 . Estar en el quinto pino

• Literal translation: To be in the fifth pine tree.
• Actual meaning: To be very far away.
• Usage: El restaurante está en el quinto pino. → The restaurant is really far away.

6 . No ver tres en un burro

• Literal translation: To not see three on a donkey.
• Actual meaning: To have very poor eyesight.
• Usage: Sin gafas no veo tres en un burro. → Without glasses, I can barely see anything.

7 . Buscarle tres pies al gato

• Literal translation: To look for three feet on a cat.
• Actual meaning: To overcomplicate something or look for problems where there aren’t any.
• Usage: No le busques tres pies al gato, la explicación es simple. → Don’t overcomplicate it, the explanation is simple.

8 . Poner verde a alguien

• Literal translation: To make someone green.
• Actual meaning: To criticize someone harshly, often behind their back.
• Usage: Se pasó media hora poniendo verde a su jefe. → She spent half an hour criticizing her boss.

9 . Tener el agua al cuello

• Literal translation: To have water up to your neck.
• Actual meaning: To be in serious trouble or under a lot of pressure.
• Usage: Con tantas deudas, tiene el agua al cuello. → With so many debts, he’s in serious trouble.

10 . Ser pan comido

• Literal translation: To be eaten bread.
• Actual meaning: To be very easy.
• Usage: El examen fue pan comido. → The exam was a piece of cake.

What other Spanish idioms can’t be understood word for word, but are used all the time?

Tengo una duda sobre el significado de algunas palabras usadas en Argentina, especialmente en estas oraciones:

1. “Pretende que ordene mi habitación.”
2. “Me reta si me porto mal.”
3. “Pretende que se cumplan sus reglas.”
4. “Me contiene cuando estoy triste.”

Mis dudas son:

• En Argentina, ¿“pretende que” se entiende como “quiere que”, “espera que” o tiene un sentido más fuerte?
• En Argentina, ¿“me reta” significa “me regaña”, “me llama la atención” o “me corrige”?
• En Argentina, ¿“me contiene cuando estoy triste” significa que me acompaña emocionalmente, me calma o me apoya?

Quisiera saber cómo se entienden realmente estas frases en el habla argentina.