English Idiomatic Expressions

Common English Idioms and Expressions

Use this glossary to understand common English idioms and expressions, the situations in which they are used, and the closest natural equivalents in Spanish. Idioms are fixed expressions whose intended meaning is different from the literal meaning of the individual words. The Spanish equivalents below convey a similar meaning, although they may not be literal translations and can vary by region, audience, and context.

Idioms about communication and understanding

Break the ice: Used to start a conversation or make people feel more comfortable in a new or tense situation. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Romper el hielo.”
Beat around the bush: Used when someone avoids addressing the main point directly. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Andarse por las ramas.”
Hit the nail on the head: Used when someone identifies or explains something exactly. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Dar en el clavo.”
Read between the lines: Used when someone understands a meaning that is suggested but not stated directly. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Leer entre líneas.”
Be on the same page: Used when people share the same understanding, expectations, or goals. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Estar en la misma sintonía.”
Speak your mind: Used when someone expresses their honest opinion openly. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Decir lo que uno piensa” or “hablar claro.”
Spill the beans: Used when someone reveals secret or confidential information. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Revelar el secreto” or “irse de la lengua.”
Pull someone’s leg: Used when someone jokes with another person by pretending something untrue is real. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Tomarle el pelo.”

Idioms about effort, decisions, and progress

Bite the bullet: Used when someone accepts and faces something difficult or unpleasant. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Hacer de tripas corazón” or “afrontar la situación.”
Go the extra mile: Used when someone makes more effort than is expected or required. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Hacer un esfuerzo adicional.”
No pain, no gain: Expresses the idea that valuable results usually require effort or sacrifice. Closest Spanish equivalent: “El que algo quiere, algo le cuesta.”
Get the ball rolling: Used when someone starts a process, project, or conversation. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Poner algo en marcha.”
Go back to the drawing board: Used when a plan or attempt has failed and must be redesigned or started again. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Volver a empezar” or “volver al punto de partida.”
The ball is in your court: Used to tell someone that it is now their turn to decide or act. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Ahora te toca a ti.”
Sit on the fence: Used when someone avoids taking a position or making a decision. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Estar indeciso” or “no tomar partido.”
Throw in the towel: Used when someone gives up after trying to succeed. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Tirar la toalla.”

Idioms about time, opportunity, and change

Call it a day: Used when someone decides to stop working or stop an activity for the time being. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Dejarlo por hoy.”
Once in a blue moon: Used to describe something that happens very rarely. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Muy de vez en cuando.”
Miss the boat: Used when someone loses an opportunity by waiting too long or failing to act. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Perder la oportunidad” or “perder el tren.”
In the nick of time: Used when someone does something just before it becomes too late. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Justo a tiempo.”
Time flies: Used to express surprise at how quickly time passes. Closest Spanish equivalent: “El tiempo vuela” or “cómo pasa el tiempo.”
Sleep on it: Used when someone waits before making an important decision, usually to think about it overnight. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Consultar con la almohada.”
Better late than never: Reminds people that doing something late is better than not doing it at all. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Más vale tarde que nunca.”
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it: Used when someone chooses not to worry about a future problem until it actually occurs. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Ya veremos cuando llegue el momento.”

Idioms about money, value, and risk

Cost an arm and a leg: Used to describe something that is extremely expensive. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Costar un ojo de la cara.”
Break the bank: Used when something costs more money than someone can reasonably afford or budget. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Salir muy caro” or “salirse del presupuesto.”
Make ends meet: Used when someone has just enough money to cover essential expenses. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Llegar a fin de mes.”
Put all your eggs in one basket: Warns against risking all of one’s resources or hopes on a single option. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Poner todos los huevos en una sola canasta.”
Worth its weight in gold: Used to describe someone or something that is extremely valuable or useful. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Valer su peso en oro.”

Idioms about consequences, appearances, and perspective

A blessing in disguise: Used when something that initially seems bad eventually produces a positive result. Closest Spanish equivalent: “No hay mal que por bien no venga.”
Out of the blue: Used when something happens unexpectedly and without warning. Closest Spanish equivalent: “De la nada” or “de repente.”
The last straw: Used to describe the final problem in a series of difficulties that causes someone to lose patience. Closest Spanish equivalent: “La gota que colmó el vaso.”
Add fuel to the fire: Used when an action or comment makes an already difficult situation worse. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Echar leña al fuego.”
Face the music: Used when someone accepts the consequences of their actions or decisions. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Afrontar las consecuencias.”
You reap what you sow: Reminds people that their actions often determine the results they eventually experience. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Se cosecha lo que se siembra” or “quien siembra vientos, cosecha tempestades.”
The elephant in the room: Describes an obvious or important problem that everyone notices but avoids discussing. Closest Spanish equivalent: “El tema que todos evitan mencionar.”
You can’t judge a book by its cover: Reminds people not to judge someone or something based only on outward appearance. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Las apariencias engañan.”

Idioms about feelings, everyday situations, and action

Under the weather: Used when someone feels slightly ill or generally unwell. Closest Spanish equivalent: “No sentirse bien” or “sentirse mal.”
Get cold feet: Used when someone becomes nervous or afraid and backs out of a planned action. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Echarse para atrás por miedo” or “acobardarse.”
Have butterflies in your stomach: Used when someone feels nervous or excited before an important event. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Tener mariposas en el estómago.”
Be on cloud nine: Used when someone feels extremely happy. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Estar feliz de la vida.”
Keep your chin up: Encourages someone to remain hopeful and positive during a difficult situation. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Mantener el ánimo” or “mantener la frente en alto.”
Kill two birds with one stone: Used when one action accomplishes two objectives. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Matar dos pájaros de un tiro.”
Be a piece of cake: Used to describe something that is very easy to do. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Ser pan comido.”
It’s raining cats and dogs: Used to describe very heavy rain. Closest Spanish equivalent: “Llover a cántaros.”

The use, meaning, and closest Spanish equivalent of an English idiom may vary among English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities. Tone, audience, region, and the relationship between speakers can influence whether an expression sounds humorous, encouraging, critical, or informal. When culturally adapting an idiom, consider the intended meaning and feeling rather than translating the words literally.