Video: Commonly Used Spanish Expressions (Spain)

Meet my classmates as they explain the most commonly used expressions from Spain!

Every so often, I like asking my classmates to get involved in helping me create content that is both useful and a loving reminder of the fact that time truly flies. One of the best parts about being immersed in a language is that you not only learn the grammar of the language but also the many cultural additions to the language such as the many expressions and vulgarisms used in daily speech. My classmates and I had a blast creating this video of the most commonly used expressions in Spain that we could think of, and I was so pleasantly surprised by the number of classmates who wanted to participate.

The video is quite long, but I know I will look back at it so fondly in the future. It features more of my classmates than any other post or video. I did not add subtitles, but rather, there are small descriptions in English of what is being said in the video. Apart from the video, I have included a list below of all the common expressions that I’ve been able to collect over my time here.

I even recorded a quick intro for this video impromptu today - and I was so surprised by how I did not have to think much to say any of what I said. I even used a hard past imperfect subjunctive conjugation with the word “ayudasen” (and I felt so proud!). The first thirty seconds of the video are me in Spanish, and many people here have told me that my Spanish has improved a ton.

Here are all the commonly used Spanish expressions I’ve collected (and there are 20!):

1. Vale - This one almost literally translates to “okay”, although it’s used more often. (0:35)

2. Ser mono - The word “ser” is a verb that means “to be”. Ser mono means “to be cute/adorable”. (0:54)

3. Acho - This one is native to Extremadura, specifically the lower part of the province that includes Badajoz. Acho translates to “bro”, and it’s usually used to call attention. (1:17)

4. Madre Mia - This one somewhat translates to “Oh My Gosh!”. It is commonly used to express surprise. (1:43)

5. Ser la caña - This phrase literally translates to: “to be the cane”. It refers to someone who is very jovial and to be “the life of the party”. (2:04)

6. Eres de pata negra - This literally translates to “you are that of a pig’s leg”. Since ham is a prized product of Spain, ham of good quality is highly regarded. This expression refers to something of good quality, like that of good ham. (2:23)

7. Guiri - A guiri is a tourist in Spain, although most people use the word to refer to any foreigner. I was told that I am a guiri :) (2:39)

8. Eres una maquina - To “be a machine” is actually a good thing in Spain. It refers to someone who does a task very well and efficiently. (2:59)

9. Que tostón - This phrase is used to call out boredom. It translates to: “how boring!” (3:22)

10. Baboso - This word is used to describe someone who is very annoying or constantly after others (bugging them). (3:33)

11. Ser la leche - Much like phrase #5, this phrase refers to the state of “being the life of the party” and is directed at a person/group of people. (4:05)

12. Eres un pavo - Pavo in Spanish means turkey. Someone who “is a turkey” is someone who is clumsy or a clutz. (4:38)

13. Flipar - I have a feeling “to flip out” and flipar have the same roots. Flipar is a verb that somewhat means “to flip out” or to be amazed by something. (4:59)

14. Majo/Maja - This word is an adjective used to describe a person who is very nice or kind. (5:22)

15. Risorio - A risorio is a fool. This word is most commonly used in Badajoz, specifically in my neighborhood! (5:43)

16. Estar como una cabra - This one refers to someone who acts crazy because they are tied up. Cabra refers to a type of snake in Spanish. (5:59)

17. Molar - Molar is a verb that means “to like” something, whether it be an object or a person. (6:21)

18. Se le fue la pinza - This phrase refers to someone who “lost it” or “went crazy”. (6:33)

19. Ser pesado - Pesado is one of my favorite words in Spanish. This word does not have a literal translation into English, although it loosely translates to “annoying” or “overbearing” (sometimes). Ser pesado loosely means to “be annoying”. (6:50)

20. Chulo/Chuli - Something that is chulo is very “cool”. (7:18)

I know the video is long, but I really do think this video will be relevant many years from now. Thank you to all my classmates for helping me out, and I really appreciate all of you so much :)