From the category archives:

Expresión del Día

Expresión del Día – meterse algo en la cabeza

March 15, 2010

meterse algo en la cabeza – to put something in one’s head, to obsess
may-TAYR-say ahl-goe ayn lah kah-bay-sah
Ejemplo:
Cuando él se mete algo en la cabeza, siempre lo hace.
When he puts something in his head, he always does it.
Vea tambien:  estar muy metido en
The links will take you to Spanish words and phrases that are related [...]

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Expresión del Día – meterse con

March 14, 2010

meterse con – to provoke, to pick a quarrel with
may-TAYR-say kone
Ejemplo:
Sería mejor no meterse con el juez.
It would be better not to provoke the judge.
Meterse con un mafioso es cosa seria.
To pick a quarrel with a mafia member is a serious matter.
Vea también: hacer las paces
Sometimes it’s useful to look at Spanish expressions with meanings [...]

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Expresión del Día – estar muy metido en

March 13, 2010

estar muy metido (da) en – to be deeply involved in
ays-TAHR mooy may-TEE-doe ayn
Ejemplo:
Ella está muy metida en sus estudios.
She is deeply involved in her studies.
Él está muy metido en su relación con su esposa.
He is deeply involved in his relationship with his wife.
Vea: meterse en lo que no le importa;  meterse algo en la [...]

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Expresión del Día – acordar una tregua

March 12, 2010

acordar una tregua – to declare a truce, to agree to a truce
ay-kore-DAHR OO-nah TRAY-gwah
Ejemplo:
Las dos pandillas acordaron una tregua.
The two gangs declared a truce.
The two gangs agreed to a truce.
Abandonaron la huelga tras acordar una tregua de 30 días.
They abandoned the strike after declaring a 30-day truce.
Vea también:  tregua
 
If you’ll read the example sentences [...]

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Expresión del Día – apartar el grano de la paja

March 11, 2010

apartar el grano de la paja – to separate the wheat from the chaff
ah-pahr-TAHR ayl GRAH-noe day lah PAH-hah
Ejemplo:
En este caso, es difícil apartar el grano de la paja.
In this case, it’s difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
 
This expression exists in both Spanish and English, so although grano means grain, the Spanish-to-English translation [...]

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Expresión del Día – ser dueño de sí mismo

March 10, 2010

ser dueño de sí mismo – to have self-control
sayr DWAY-nhoe DAY see MEES-moe
Ejemplo:
Ella siempre es dueña de sí misma.
She always has self-control.
Don’s forget to make the gender change to misma when applying the expression in the feminine.
Stay on track with your review of Spanish words and expressions. Adding one Spanish word and one Spanish expression [...]

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Expresión del Día – exhalar el último suspiro

March 9, 2010

exhalar el último suspiro – to breathe one’s last
ayk-sah-LAHR ayl OOL-tee-moe soos-PEE-roe
Ejemplo:
La anciana exhaló el último suspiro en su propia cama.
The elderly lady breathed her last in her own bed.
Vea también:  estirar la pata;  exhalar
The Spanish word anciana offers a more polite alternative to the harsher vieja.  As in English, word choice in the Spanish [...]

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Expresión del Día – hacer (algo) a lo bestia

March 8, 2010

hacer (algo) a lo bestia – to do a bad or sloppy job
ah-SAYR … ah loe BAYSS-teeah
Ejemplo:
Juan hizo su tarea a lo bestia.
John did a sloppy job on his homework.
This Spanish expression is limited in scope to a few countries and seems related to the Brazilian-Portuguese expression fazer besteira, which means to do something foolish [...]

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Expresión del Día – darse maña para

March 7, 2010

darse maña para – to contrive; to manage
DAHR-say MAH-nhah
Ejemplo:
La muchacha se dio maña para recibir una invitación al baile.
The girl contrived (with skill) to receive an invitation to the dance.
El vendedor se da maña para vender su mercancía.
The salesman manages (with skill) to sell his merchandice.
Vea también:  destreza
Implicit in the Spanish expression darse maña para [...]

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Expresión del Día – vestido de noche

March 6, 2010

vestido de noche – evening dress
vays-TEE-doe day NOE-chay
Ejemplo:
Ella compró un nuevo vestido de noche para el baile.
She bought a new evening dress for the dance.
Vea también:  llevar puesto
 
Spanish words and phrases are related in lots of ways.  They may have common roots, or they may follow threads of ideas.  In either event, learning related groupings [...]

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