Best funny Spanish phrases

Embarking on a delightful exploration of language, this article invites readers into the whimsical and humorous realm of Spanish expressions, where idioms, proverbs, and phrases spark laughter and add a touch of wit to everyday conversations. Spanish, renowned for its rich linguistic heritage, boasts an array of playful and amusing expressions that not only reflect the cultural nuances of the language but also unveil the clever and humorous spirit of its speakers. From whimsical proverbs to quirky idioms, the world of funny Spanish phrases is a treasure trove of linguistic charm. Join us on this linguistic journey as we unravel the wit and humor embedded in these colorful turns of phrase, offering a window into the cultural playfulness that defines Spanish communication. ¡Prepárense para reírse! (Get ready to laugh!)

It’s generally a good idea to make a habit of learning phrases that native speakers actually use, even if they may be based on slang and local dialect. Thank about all of the English sayings that you use everyday that would never be taught in a textbook, but are a crucial part of your speech.

That’s why memorizing vocabulary can only get you so far. Native Spanish speakers have their fair share of strange figures of speech. These idioms and proverbs may sound unusual (just like some of the English sayings that you are familiar with would be absurd to an outsider). But, mastering them will set you apart as a knowledgeable and adept Spanish speaker. You will sound more natural and casual, and less forced in your conversations. They are not only impressive, but also a great way to lighten the mood.

You will soon see that native Spanish speakers adore playing around with their words. If you’ve ever noticed your Spanish friends laughing among themselves while you are scratching your head, you can probably relate. These phrases will help you understand, and make you sound more like a native when you are conversing with your friends and family. Here is a comprehensive list of humorous Spanish phrases that you may hear in Mexico, Spain, Colombia, and other Spanish-speaking countries. You’ll likely hear these from a native speaker, but you probably won’t learn them in any class!

100 Funny Spanish phrases, idioms, and proverbs

Funny Spanish phrase	Literal translation	What they're actually saying
¡Eres la leche!	You’re the milk!	You're the bees knees.
¡Que pedo!	What a fart!	“What’s up?” or “what’s the matter?"
A cada puerco le llega su sabado	Every dog ​​has its Saturday	Everyone gets their just deserts in the end
A falta de pan, buenas son tortas	When bread is lacking, cakes are just as good	We will have to make do with whatever we have
A la ocasion la pintan calva.	On the occasion while the sun shines.	Better to strike while the iron is hot
A pan de quince dias, hambre de tres semanas	A fortnight bread, three-week hunger	Beggars can’t be choosers
A quien no le sobra pan, no crie can	To those who do not have bread, do not raise dogs	Don't spend your money before you get it
A rey muerto, rey puesto.	A dead king, king laid.	When one opportunity leaves, another comes
Andar con pies de plomo	To walk with lead feet	To be overcautious
Aquellos polvos traen estos lodos.	The dirt brings the mud.	The chickens have come home to roost
Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda	The monkey might be dressed in silk, but it's still a monkey	Can't polish a turd
Borron y cuenta nueva.	Clean sweep.	Let bygones be bygones.
Botar la casa por la ventana	To throw the house through the window	To spare no expense, or that money is no object
Buena onda	Good wave	Good vibes
Burro hablando de orejas	A donkey talking about ears	“The pot calling the kettle black”
Busco tres pies al gato	I look for the three feet on a cat	Make things more complicated than they are
Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente	The shrimp who falls asleep gets washed away	You'll miss an opportunity if you don't pay attention (“you snooze, you lose!")
Caras vemos corazones no sabemos.	You can see a face but you don't no a heart	You can't judge a book by its cover
Comiendo moscas	Eating flies	Always going off on tangents
Con el dinero, baila el perro	With money, even a dog will dance	Enough money can make anything at all possible
Corto de luces	Short of lights	Not the brightest bulb in the box
Creerse la última Coca-Cola del desierto	You think you're the last Coke in the desert	To be full of oneself
Criar fama y echarse a dormir	Get famous and go to sleep	A reputation sticks with you
Dame pan Y dime tonto	Give me bread and tell my I'm dumb	It doesn't matter what you think of me, as long as I get what I want
Dando y dando, pajarito volando.	Giving and giving, the bird is flying	You scratch my back, and I will scratch your back
Dar calabazas a alguien	To give somebody pumpkins	Brush somebody off or reject them
Dar gato por liebre	To give cat for hare	Rip somebody off
Dar la lata	To give the can	To make someone angry, annoyed, or bored
Dar la vuelta a la tortilla	To turn the omelette around	To turn the tables
Dar una leche	Give a milk	Get injured
De golosos y tragones, están llenos los panteones	Cemeteries are full of greedy people	Greed is bad for the health
Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho.	There's lot of space between the saying and the action	Easier said than done!
Despacio que tengo prisa	Slowly in a rush	Take your time and you won't have to backtrack
Disfrutar como un enano	To enjoy yourself like a dwarf	Having a grand old time
Duermo a pierna suelta	I sleep with a loose leg	I sleep like a log, I sleep like a baby
Échale ganas	Insert desire	Try your best
Echando leches	Pouring milk	Doing something overly hastily ("at full tilt")
Echar los perros	To throw the dogs (at somebody)	Show someone that you are romantically interested
Echarse al agua	To get in the water	Get married (“tie the knot”)
El cambio es inevitable, excepto cuando se trata de de una máquina expendedora.	Change is inevitable, unless you're talking about a vending machine.	Change is the only constant
Encontrar tu media naranja	To find your half orange	To find your other half (the perfect partner)
Entre broma y broma la verdad se asoma.	The truth lurks within jokes	Every joke is based in truth
Entre la espada y la pared	Between the sword and the wall	Stuck in between a rock and a hard place.
Eres del año de la pera	You are from the year of the pear	You are so old you're from another era
Eres un gallina	You are a hen	You are a chicken (coward)
Eres un rata	You are a rat	You are stingy
Es el mismo perro con diferente collar	The same dog, but with a different collar	People never change
Estar como una cabra	To be like a goat.	Acting crazy!
Estar de mala leche	To be of bad milk	You're a cranky pants
Estar en la edad del pavo	To be in the turkey age	To be pubescent
Estar hecho un ají	To be made a chili	Someone is hopping mad
Estar más sano que una pera	To be healthier than a pear	"Fit as a fiddle!"
Estar pelado	To be stripped	To be penniless
Estar sin blanca	To be without white	To be a deadbeat
Estar vivito y coleando	Alive and kicking	Alive and well
Estoy entusado	I'm love-torn	To be in unrequited love
Estoy tragada de ella	I am swallowed by her	I am deeply in love with her
Feliz como una lombriz	Happy as a worm	Happy as a clam
Hablando del Rey de Roma…	Speaking of the King of Rome	Speak of the devil
Hablar caspa	Talk dandruff	Run your mouth
Hacer su agosto	Make your August	Made a fortune (got very rich)
Hail to the Virgin	Hail to the Virgin	Happy-go-lucky
Irse por las ramas	To go through the branches	Beating around the bush, avoiding a subject intentionally
Lo que soy yo, me pinto de colores	What I am, I paint colors	I have to go now
Mandar a alguien por un tubo.	Send someone through a tube.	Tell someone to shove off.
Mas cara que espalda	More face than back	Cheeky
Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por sabio	The devil knows more because of his age than because he is the eevil	Experience knows best
Más se perdió en Cuba	More was lost in Cuba.	"Could be worse!"
Me pica el bagre	The catfish is pecking me	Starving ("so hungry I could eat a horse!")
Mejor malo conocido que bueno por conocer	Better a bad guy you know than a good one you don't	Better the devil you know
Mi bebida se siente sola. ¿Te gustaría acompañarme con la tuya?	My drink is feeling lonely. Would you like to bring yours over here?	Will you join me for a drink?
Monta un cristo	Make a Christ	Make a scene
No hay mal que por bien no venga	Everything happens in the name of a greater good	Every cloud has a silver lining
No importar un pepino	Doesn't matter a cucumber	I don't care about that at all
No sabes ni papa de __	You don't know a potato about it	You're clueless
No tener ni pies ni cabeza	Without feet or head	Without rhyme or reason
No ves tres en un burro	You can't see three on a donkey	You are as blind as a bad
Palabras necias, oídos sordos.	Annoying words, deaf ears.	If you don't have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all
Papando moscas	Catching flies	Daydreaming idly
Poner verde a alguien	To turn someone green	To be a gossip about someone
Ponte las pilas	Put in your batteries	Liven up!
Quedarse con los brazos cruzados.	Staying with your arms crossed.	Frozen in place
Quedarse de piedra	Be like a stone	Be flabbergasted or astounded
Querer es poder	To want to, is to be able to	If you want to, you can. ("Where there’s a will, there’s a way.")
Sacar los trapitos al sol	Hang your clothes in the sun after doing the laundry	"Air your dirty laundry"
Sacar los trapos al sol	To take the rags out in the sun	"Air your dirty laundry"
Se fue de Guatemala a Guata-peor.	It went from Guate-bad to Guata-worse.	It went from bad to worse
Se puso hasta las chanclas	He put himself up to the sandals	Has had too much alcohol to drink ("Put on the beer goggles")
Ser pan comido	To be eaten bread	It's no trouble, very easy, a "piece of cake"!
Ser uña y mugre	To be nail and dirt	Always together (“joined at the hip”)
Sin pelos en la lengua	Without hair in your tongue	When someone tells it like it is (doesn't bite their tongue)
Te metiste en camisa de once baras	You’ve put on a shirt made from eleven sticks	You’ve bitten off more than you can chew
Te tira los tejos	Throw disks at you	To hit on someone
Temblar como un flan	You tremble like pudding	You are a scaredy-cat
Tener mala leche	To have sour milk	To have bad luck
The devil knows more because of his age than because he is the devil	To put in the paw	I screwed up royally (and I'm sorry!)
Tienes memoria de pez	You have the memory of a fish	You can't remember anything
Tienes vista de lince	You have the eyesight of a lynx	You have an eagle eye
Tomar el pelo	Grab the hair	Tease, "pull the leg"
Verle las orejas al lobo	To see the ears of the wolf	To see the writing on the wall (danger)

Using idioms in a foreign language can significantly contribute to blending in with native speakers and assimilating into a new cultural environment for several reasons:

Cultural Integration: Idioms are deeply rooted in cultural contexts, reflecting the history, values, and customs of a community. Incorporating idioms into your speech demonstrates an understanding of the culture, making it easier to integrate and connect with native speakers.

Expressing Nuance: Idioms often encapsulate nuanced meanings that may not be easily conveyed through literal translations. By using idioms, you show a more profound grasp of the language, allowing for more nuanced and culturally appropriate communication.

Natural Communication: Native speakers frequently use idioms in everyday conversation. Incorporating these expressions makes your language use sound more natural, helping you avoid sounding overly formal or like a textbook speaker.

Building Rapport: Using idioms can create a sense of camaraderie and shared understanding. Native speakers may appreciate your efforts to embrace colloquial language, fostering a stronger connection and potentially leading to more meaningful interactions.

Demonstrating Fluency: Mastery of idioms signals a certain level of fluency in a language. It suggests that you have moved beyond basic vocabulary and grammar rules, showcasing a deeper familiarity with the language’s subtleties.

Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and using idioms also reflects cultural sensitivity. It shows that you are attuned to the local customs and nuances, which can be crucial for navigating social situations and avoiding misunderstandings.

Enhancing Communication Skills: Learning and using idioms improves your overall communication skills. It challenges you to think creatively and contextually, fostering adaptability in diverse linguistic situations.

Eliciting Positive Responses: Native speakers often appreciate the effort of a language learner who incorporates idioms into their speech. Your attempts to use idiomatic expressions may be met with positive reactions, encouraging further engagement and interaction.

Fitting In Socially: Language is a crucial aspect of social integration. Using idioms can help you fit in more seamlessly within social circles, making it easier to connect with locals and participate in social activities.

In essence, incorporating idioms into your foreign language use not only showcases linguistic prowess but also serves as a powerful tool for cultural assimilation, facilitating connections with native speakers and enhancing your overall language experience in a new environment.

Funny Spanish sayings that don’t quite translate

All languages share the common trait of having funny expressions and sayings. You may have even already heard some confusing expressions in Spanish movies, TV, or from your Spanish friends. Sometimes, they don’t seem to make sense in the context of the conversation. Even if you’ve been speaking Spanish in a classroom for a long time, these idioms often only crop up with actual conversational Spanish experience. Some colorful and funny phrases in Spanish might sound a little bit odd when translated literally to English, which is why we’ve included the closest comparable in English, or “what they really mean”. After this, you may be interested in reading our collection of funny Spanish puns.

Funny Spanish phrases that will make everyone laugh

Some phrases may be more universal, while others are hyper-regional. If you say one that is uncommon in the area you are visiting, you may get a questioning look. So keep your ears open for what you hear, and learn by imitation! You will soon get a feel for the inside jokes, plays on words, and funny phrases that are common in the dialect of Spanish spoken where you are. Are there any other phrases that you our your Spanish-speaking friends use every day? Let us know in the comments.

In conclusion, our journey through the world of funny Spanish phrases, idioms, and proverbs has been a delightful expedition into the humor and linguistic playfulness that enriches the Spanish language. From the charmingly absurd to the cleverly witty, these expressions not only bring laughter but also provide a glimpse into the cultural quirks and colloquialisms that make Spanish a language full of character. As we wrap up this exploration, may the joyous resonance of these humorous phrases linger in our linguistic repertoire, fostering not only a deeper appreciation for the Spanish language but also a shared sense of amusement that transcends cultural boundaries. ¡Que la risa siga acompañándonos en nuestro viaje lingüístico! (May laughter continue to accompany us on our linguistic journey!)

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