Idiom List
This is a list of common idioms you are likely to encounter in any text. Memorizing these will help speed up translation, but since the list is long it could help to work on memorizing them in groups. For instance, idioms that containa could be one group.
| acabar de + inf. | to have just done something |
| a decir verdad | truthfully, really |
| a despecho de | in spite of |
| a eso de | about |
| a fin de cuentas | in the end |
| a lo largo de | along, throughout |
| a lo mejor | at best, most likely |
| al principio | at the beginning |
| a más no poder | as hard as possible |
| a mediados de | in the middle |
| a menos que | unless |
| a menudo | often |
| a pesar de | in spite of |
| a principios de | at the beginning of |
| a propósito | by the way |
| caer en la cuenta | to catch on, to become aware |
| con respecto a | with regard to |
| dar ganas de | to feel like, to want to (do something), to get the urge to (do something) |
| dar lo mismo | to make no difference, to be all the same |
| darse cuenta de | to realize, to become aware of |
| dar un paseo | to take a walk/ride |
| dar un paso | to take a step |
| dar una vuelta | to take a stroll/ride |
| de al lado | next to, adjoining |
| debido a | due to |
| de esta manera | (in) this way/manner |
| de este modo | (in) this way/ manner |
| de hecho | in fact, indeed |
| dejar de + inf. | to stop doing something, to fail to do something |
| de nuevo | again |
| de pronto | suddenly |
| de súbito | suddenly |
| de todos modos | anyway, in any case |
| de vez en cuando | from time to time |
| echar a perder | to ruin, to spoil, to waste |
| echar de menos | to miss (emotionally) |
| echarse a + inf. | to begin to do something |
| en alguna parte | somewhere |
| en cambio | on the other hand |
| en cualquier parte | anywhere |
| en cuanto a | as to, regarding, in regard to |
| en ninguna parte | nowhere |
| en otra parte | elsewhere |
| en (por) todos lados | everywhere |
| en aquel/ese entonces | at that time, in that period of time |
| en el acto | immediately, on the spot |
| en seguida | immediately, right away |
| en todo caso | in any case, in any event |
| estar de acuerdo | to be in agreement, to agree on something |
| hacer caso a/de | to pay attention, to notice |
| hacerle gracia a uno | to strike someone as (being) funny |
| hay que + inf. | to be necessary to do something |
| he aquí | here is, this is, these are |
| más bien | rather, instead |
| ni siquiera | not even |
| no bien | once, as soon as |
| no es para tanto | it’s not that serious |
| no obstante | however, nevertheless |
| no más que | only, nothing but |
| oír decir que | to hear (it said) that |
| oír hablar de | to hear about (a person, an event) |
| pasar por alto | to overlook |
| pasarlo bien/mal | to have a good/bad time |
| pedir prestado (i) | to borrow |
| pese a | in spite of |
| ponerse a + inf. | to begin to do something |
| por consiguiente | therefore |
| por eso | therefore, that’s why |
| por lo tanto | therefore |
| por lo visto | apparently |
| por más + adj./adv. + que + subjunctive | no matter how + adj./adv. + subject + v. |
| por medio de | by means of |
| por mi parte | as for me, as far as I’m concerned |
| por otro lado | on the other hand |
| por supuesto | of course |
| por todos lados | everywhere |
| por último | finally |
| por un lado | on one hand |
| puede ser (que) | maybe, it may be (that) **If que is used, this structure is always followed by the subjunctive |
| puesto que | since, because |
| querer decir (ie) | to mean, to signify |
| rara vez | seldom, rarely |
| si bien | although |
| sin embargo | however |
| tener buena/mala cara | to look well/bad/sick |
| tener en cuenta | to take into account, to bear in mind |
| tener gracia | to be funny |
| tener por | to consider |
| tener que ver con | to have to do with (something) |
| tratarse de | to be a question of |
| verse bien/mal | to look well/bad |
| volver + a + inf. (ue) | to do something again |
