A list of 18 Spanish flashcards that are commonly used by language learners. Options for adults and kids. Bilingual and with pictures.

Here is an illustration of the idiom “sell ice to an Eskimo” from the book Speaking Phrases Boricua. I have noticed that depending on the country there are a couple of variations in Spanish. Many variations will depend on the local word for refrigerator in Spanish. Sell Ice to an Eskimo Idiom in Spanish • […]

If you are looking for the Christmas song Jingle Bells in Spanish you have plenty of options. This song actually has two versions or lyrics: Cascabel, cascabel or Navidad, Navidad. Any of these versions have been adapted to different rhythms and here are some demo examples. Share with me which one is your favorite and […]

The nativity scene or special exhibition of art objects representing the scene of the birth of Jesus has different names in Spanish: NACIMIENTO, BELÉN, PESEBRE, PORTAL, PASITO or MISTERIO. La escena que recrea con figuras el nacimiento de Jesús en Belén tiene varios nombres en español. Dependiendo del país puede llamarse: NACIMIENTO, BELÉN, PESEBRE, PORTAL, […]

There are variations on how the same Spanish language proverb is known or expressed. For example, the complete saying Ladrón que roba ladrón… can be expressed as: 1. Ladrón que roba a ladrón, merece el perdón 2. Ladrón que roba a ladrón tiene cien años de perdón 3. El que roba a un ladrón tiene […]

You will hear the Spanish language phrase feliz como una lombriz in Latin America. This expression literally translates to “happy as an earthworm.” But the correct way to say feliz como una lombriz in English is by using the phrase “happy as a clam.” In my opinion, this is one expression that sounds better in […]

Translating a Spanish Phrase to English: SIN LA SOGA Y SIN LA CABRA Literal: To remain without the rope and without the goat Definition: A person that tries to take or grab too much, and ends up with nothing Similar Spanish Phrases: Quedarse sin el plato y la comida Equivalent in English: Bite off more […]

Have you ever felt out of place? If you want to express that feeling in Spanish you can use the phrase “fuera de lugar.” But that phrase sound a bit formal and serious. Here are two ways you can translate “like a fish out of water” maintaining the English phrase in Spanish. 1. Como sapo […]

Cuando las gallinas mean is a common Spanish idiomatic expression generally said to children when they speak when they are not supposed to. The full Spanish saying goes los niños hablan cuando las gallinas mean and literally translates to “children talk when hens piss.” For anyone that doesn’t know hens doen’t pee and this phrase […]

When I was reading the book Spanish Word Histories and Mysteries: English Words That Come From Spanish I learned the following fact about English-Spanish words: After French, Latin and Old English, “Spanish is one of the most important ingredients in English vocabulary.” I knew that there were Spanish words in the English language, but I […]

It is a fact that English is the language that most influences Spanish today. On the other hand, Spanish has more native speakers than English, so the blend among these two languages is inevitable… Spanglish! Spanish mixed with English in music has been around for decades. At least since Doris Day’s 1956 singing of Que […]

When it comes to translations, there is always room for error. I won’t even begin to talk about some of the terrible dubbing or subtitling I have seen – but let’s look at some titles. You’d think the people in charge of these things would be a little more focused on conveying the right message, […]

This is the second article of the series English Pronunciation Challenges: What a Latina Learned in an Accent Reduction Class where I share some of the resources I used during my class. These “tools” includes books, apps and web pages that will help you during this process. Posts in this series: English Pronunciation Challenges for […]