Must know Spanish Phrases

Question

Greetings SpanishDict users!

Do you know a Spanish phrase that you just have to know if you are talking to a native? If you do, post it and its English equivalent.

The deadline?

This Sunday, October 31, 2010.

The winner is the person who accumulates the most votes!

Good Luck!

Do you mean October 31 ? - pesta, Oct 29, 2010

Ooops! Yes I did mean October 31, let me change that.... - espanol5555, Oct 29, 2010

Just a few hours left till the deadline, and we have some pretty good phrases! - espanol5555, Oct 31, 2010

Answer 1

"Que le vaya bien" means "That you go well". This is not really an idiom or anything but it is an ESSENTIAL courtesy in Mexico and it is used all the time. When someone says it to you you can say, "Igualmente (a Ud./Uds./ti)"

I will be sure to remember this one! - espanol5555, Oct 29, 2010

:) - athegr8, Oct 30, 2010

While it is not that frequent in Spain, it is also used and perfectly understood there as well. - lazarus1907, Oct 30, 2010

Congratulations, you won! - espanol5555, Oct 31, 2010

Yay! :-D - athegr8, Oct 31, 2010

Answer 2

I consider these to be the two most important phrases in every language:

Una cerveza, por favor
¿Donde están los servicios?

A beer, please.
Where are the restrooms?

That's my Kevin! - lazarus1907, Oct 30, 2010

I can order a beer and find the bathroom in 7 languages. In most of them that's all I can do. - KevinB, Oct 30, 2010

Has anyone noticed that these questions are related? - JoyceM, Oct 30, 2010

Of course. One thing leads to the other. - KevinB, Oct 30, 2010

Answer 3

¡A por ello! Go for it! no pasa nada that's okay no worries

Answer 4

In any ocassion: Parece que va a llover / Qué lindo dia... and any weather-related comment. (People just love talking about the weather)

If you go to a funeral: No somos nada.

Approaching a woman: Qué lindo te queda ese corte de pelo. Qué lindos zapatos / vestido / sandalias (whatever she´s wearing)

In a restaurant: Este vino tiene muy buen cuerpo (red wine). La cuenta, por favor.

Always useful: ¿Me puede indicar donde está el baño? ¿Dónde está la salida? El dinero no hace la felicidad, pero ayuda. A buen entendedor, pocas palabras.

Answer 5

If you're attending a long informational seminar and the speaker is going on and on, you might mention quietly to the person sitting next to you:

La mente capta solo lo que la nalga aguanta.

(The mind grasps only as much as the bottom can endure.)

Love that one and it's so true! - jayleebee, Oct 29, 2010

I'll have to remember that one. - KevinB, Oct 30, 2010

Thanks. I heard it at a meeting long ago. Might it require the subjunctive form for 'aguantar'? - Parrandero, Oct 30, 2010

Answer 6

Pase bien.
Cuidate.
Cuidese.
A ver.
Buenas.
Prestame la llave del baño.
Otra cerveza.
Chao.
Pase.
¿Cómo amaneció?

Answer 7

Tantas curvas y yo sin frenos...

:D

Answer 8

¡No seas fresco! = Don't be fresh! {someone who is "being fresh" is impolitely making their sexual interest known}

Answer 9

The phrase I always use when mortified, overwhelmed, or humiliated is "¡Trágame tierra!, "which translates, "May the earth swallow me up!"

An English equivalent, as far as colloquial speech goes, is, "I want to crawl in a hole and die!"

Answer 10

Ok I'll give it a try..

If I say: "Este tráfico esta bellaco", y me encuentro en cualquier parte del mundo excepto en Puerto Rico o Nueva York, dudo que alguien me entienda salvo las personas nativas o de origen Puertoriqueño.

"This traffic is heavy"

It will be understood by anyone who speaks well, even if this expression is not used elsewhere. Bellaco is a synonym of bad after all. - lazarus1907, Oct 30, 2010

Answer 11

¿Has dormido bien? No, bueno, más o menos si, pero es que estaban ladrando tantos malditos perros que me seguía despertando.

Did you sleep well? No, well, sort of, but the thing was, there were so many %amn dogs howling that I kept waking up.

Fíjate que el presidente dice que ya no hay crisis económica.
Whaddya know! The president says there's no more economic crisis.

Answer 12

Being someone who may safely be described as , "rather elderly and a male " with the

usual problems of a Prostatic nature , the most important phrase for me is,:

Por favor, ayúdame, necesito un baño a toda prisa.

Please help me , I need a toilet in a hurry.

LOL...Thank God for your English translation! when I read the Spanish sentence, I thought it was a little too late for a toilet... - Myneg, Oct 30, 2010

Remember, never stand between an old man and a toilet, it could get nasty! - ray76, Oct 30, 2010

Haha! - jayleebee, Oct 30, 2010

Answer 13

Esto está como el palo de un gallinero

(very dirty)

Tienes un morro que te lo pisas

(you are a cheeky)

Answer 14

I'll try! If I say "Che, que mina linda esa"o "ese chabon sabe mucho de lunfardo", excepto que estes en Argentina o Uruguay nadie podria entenderlo Bye!!!!

I forgot the English meaning. "Hey, What a pretty girl is this one" or "this bloke knows a lot of Benos Aires slang" - jortosar, Oct 29, 2010

Answer 15

I have got another one! "Hola, entre, entre no mas, tome asiento" (Hi, between, between no more, drink a sit- Gaturro- un comico de historietasargenitno, famoso que hace que sus caricaturas hablen ingles) means in English, " Hello, come in, take a sit". Espero q la disfruten!!!