More than the sum of the words
With an idiom, the meaning doesn't follow from the individual words: someone who mete la pata isn't sticking a leg anywhere, they're putting their foot in it. Idioms make language vivid and personal. But they are fixed, and almost all of them belong to colloquial speech.
Neutral and figurative
Neutral
Este piso es carísimo.
This flat is very expensive.
Hoy estás muy distraído.
You're very distracted today.
Idiomatic
Este piso cuesta un ojo de la cara.
This flat costs an arm and a leg.
Hoy estás en las nubes.
Your head's in the clouds today.
A core set for everyday use
Spanish shares some images with English, such as estar en las nubes and dar en el clavo. Others are entirely its own: English pays with an arm and a leg, Spanish with an eye. The following idioms are widespread in Spain and Latin America.
Idiom and equivalent
| Spanish | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| costar un ojo de la cara | cost an arm and a leg |
| estar en las nubes | have your head in the clouds |
| meter la pata | put your foot in it |
| tomar el pelo a alguien | pull someone's leg |
| no tener pelos en la lengua | not mince your words |
| ser pan comido | be a piece of cake |
| dar en el clavo | hit the nail on the head |
| no pegar ojo | not sleep a wink |
| irse por las ramas | go off on a tangent |
In a sentence
Metí la pata: le pregunté por su mujer y se habían separado.
I put my foot in it: I asked after his wife, and they'd split up.
¿En serio? ¿No me estás tomando el pelo?
Seriously? You're not pulling my leg?
Mi jefa no tiene pelos en la lengua.
My boss doesn't mince her words.
Tranquila, el examen va a ser pan comido.
Don't worry, the exam will be a piece of cake.
Con el ruido de la obra no pegué ojo en toda la noche.
With the noise from the building site, I didn't sleep a wink all night.
No te vayas por las ramas y dime qué pasó.
Stop going off on a tangent and tell me what happened.
