These contain some examples of vulgar language.
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 Poor health
Good health
The human body
(* = familiar, ** = very familiar, *** = vulgar, R = plain rude, Lit. = Literally)
Estar pachucho (*) Lit. To be overripe. To be poorly.
Estar hecho polvo (*) Lit. To have turned into dust. To be knackered/poorly.
Warning - don't confuse with echar un polvo (***), literally to throw a piece of dust, which means to have sexual intercourse.
Estar achacoso (*) To suffer ailments of old age but it can also be used in a more general sense to indicate you're not feeling your best.
Está muy achacoso con sólo 25 años (*) He has so many aches and pains and he's just 25.
El/La matasanos (*) Lit. The one who kills the healthy. A derogative or humorous way to refer to a doctor.
Son las pastillas que me recetó el matasanos (*) They're the pills the doctor prescribed me. back to the top Estar como un cañón (*) Lit. To be like a canon, i.e. in great health and full of energy.
Desde la operación está como un cañón (*) Since the operation he's as good as new.
Ser mano de santo (*) Lit. To be a saint's hand. You can use this expression to refer to something that has done you a lot of good.
El anís es mano de santo para el estómago (*) Aniseed is a miracle cure for the stomach.
Estar vivo/a y coleando To be alive and kicking. In Spanish, instead of kicking, you wag your tail.
Sano/a como una manzana (*) Lit. To be as healthy as an apple, i.e. to have very good health. back to the top El tarro, el coco (*) Lit. The jar, the coconut. Both mean the head.
Me duele el tarro (*) I have a headache.
Comerse el tarro/el coco (*) Lit. To eat away at the jar/coconut. Figuratively speaking it means worrying thoughts are eating away at your brain.
No me comas el tarro con tus historias (*) Don't bug me with your tales.
En pelotas/En pelota picada (*) Literally "in balls". Butt naked.
Abrió la puerta en pelotas, ¡imagínate! (*) He opened the door butt naked, can you imagine!
La jeta (*) Literally, the nose of some animals, but in human slang, the full face. Also used to indicate that someone is cheeky:
Y no ha vuelto a pagar, ¡qué jeta tiene! (*) Yet again she hasn't paid, what a cheek!
Las patas (*) Lit. Legs of an animal or a thing. However, for comic effect it can refer to a person's legs.
Llevo todo el día andando. ¡Tengo las patas rotas! (*) I've been walking around all day. My legs are broken!
La panza (*) Lit. An animal's belly. Used to refer to the well-rounded human variety, hence Sancho Panza's name in Don Quixote. back to the top |
