Every language has their own expressions and idioms unique to the culture. Many are the same across languages, some change a few words, and some completely change the expression.
Enjoy this list of 10 popular Spanish idioms with body parts. Use them to practice your Spanish and gain some insight into the Spanish culture.
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Body Vocabulary in Spanish
cabeza
cara
codo
mano
boca
ojo
cuello
nariz
pies
Spanish Idioms with Body Parts
[table]
| # | Spanish | English (Literal) | English (Translation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Estar hasta las narices |
To be up to the noses | To be fed up |
| 2 | Hacerse la boca agua |
To make the mouth water | Make ones mouth water |
| 3 | Estar con el agua al cuello |
To be with water to the neck | To be up to your neck / underwater |
| 4 | Echar una mano a alguien | To throw a hand to someone | To lend a hand to someone |
| 5 | Meterse hasta la cabeza en algo |
To get oneself up to the head in something | To be fully involved / completely immersed |
| 6 | No dar pie con bola |
To not give a foot with ball | Not be on the ball / can’t do anything right |
| 7 | Poner al mal tiempo, buena cara |
To put to bad weather, a good face | To put on a happy face / look on the bright side |
| 8 | Hablar por los codos | To talk through your elbows | To talk a lot / talk till your blue in the face / long winded |
| 9 | Levantarse con mal pie | To wake up with the wrong foot | To wake up on the wrong side of the bed |
| 10 | No pegar ojo |
To not paste an eye | Not sleep a wink |
For example …
La pasada noche no pegué ojo
Last night, I didn’t sleep a wink
Hoy todo va mal, me he levantado con mal pie
Today everything is going wrong, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed
María habla por los codos
She talks till she’s blue in the face
Es un periodo complicado, pero hay que poner al mal tiempo buena cara
It’s a complicated time, but you have to put on a happy face
Juan no está preparado para el trabajo. No da pie con bola
Juan is not ready for the job. He can’t do anything right
Ella está metida hasta la cabeza en el negocio
She is fully involved in the business
¿Te echo una mano con la mudanza?
Do you need a hand with your move?
No puedo pagar, estoy con el agua al cuello con deudas
I can’t pay, I’m up to my neck in debt
Cuando veo ese plato se me hace la boca agua
When I see that dish, it makes my mouth water
Estoy hasta las narices de mi jefe
I’m fed up with my boss
Your turn! Use the idioms in a comment below and we’ll correct any mistakes for you. Or, do know other English equivalents for these idioms? Share in the comments.
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Por algo, todo el día he estado hasta las narices.
It’s correct grammatically, but you sort of need a specific cause in the beginning of the phrase to make it sound more natural. So instead of ‘por algo’, something like ‘A causa de mi jefe’. Good work! 🙂
Creo que me he levantado con mal pie. 🙂
muy bien! perfecto 🙂
Entonces puedo decir…….hoy no doy pie con bola y ahora estoy hasta las narices……..?
Sí! Muy bien! 🙂 You could also say something like : ‘Estoy hasta las narices de no dar pie con bola’
Muchas gracias profe 🙂 y gracias por todo, me ayudáis mucho.
how do you “say she is very blunt”
Hola Doug! Well, the simple translation is ‘ella es muy directa’, as in she is very direct. But another Spanish idiom (with Spanish body parts) is ‘No tiene pelos en la lengua’, which translates to ‘She doesn’t have hair on the tongue’, and also means she is very blunt 🙂
Gracias?
El coche me costó un ojo de la cara. Fue carísimo.