Spanish idioms with Indian twins

Here's something that delights almost every Indian learner of Spanish. You hear a Spanish saying for the first time, work out what it means, and think: wait, we have exactly this in Hindi! Sometimes the picture is different but the idea is identical. Sometimes even the picture is almost the same, down to the animal's teeth.

Idioms are where a language shows its personality. They're also where learners usually get stuck, because translating them word by word gives you nonsense. The trick is to connect each new Spanish idiom to one you already know. If you grew up with Hindi, you already have dozens of these "hooks" ready to use.

In this post I'll pair some of the most common Spanish idioms with their Indian twins, explain what each one really means, show you how to use it in a sentence, and warn you about a couple of pairs that only look like twins. It's a B1 topic, but if you're at A2 and curious, jump in.

Why learning Spanish idioms is worth it at B1

At A1 and A2, you're busy building the basics: verbs, everyday words, simple sentences. By B1, you can hold a real conversation, and that's exactly when idioms start appearing everywhere. Spaniards use them constantly, in conversation, on TV, in WhatsApp messages and in newspaper headlines.

Idioms are also useful in the DELE exam. Using one or two naturally in the speaking or writing tasks shows you're comfortable with the language. The key word is naturally. One well-placed idiom sounds great. Five in one paragraph sounds like you swallowed a phrasebook!

Spanish idioms and their Hindi twins

Let's go through them one by one. For each, I'll give you the Spanish, a literal translation, the Hindi twin, and an example you can steal.

Más vale tarde que nuncaBetter late than neverIt's better to do something late than not at all.

Literally: "late is worth more than never". This one is almost the same as English, and our Hindi twin is a favourite: देर आए दुरुस्त आए (der aaye durust aaye, you came late, but you came right).

Use it when someone finally does something they should have done long ago:

• Por fin has empezado a estudiar español. ¡Más vale tarde que nunca!You've finally started studying Spanish. Better late than never!Has empezado is the present perfect, very common in Spain.

A caballo regalado no le mires el dienteDon't look a gifted horse in the toothDon't criticise something you got as a gift.

This is my favourite pair, because the picture is almost identical. Spanish says "don't look at the tooth of a gifted horse". Hindi says दान की बछिया के दाँत नहीं गिने जाते (daan ki bachhiya ke daant nahin gine jaate, you don't count the teeth of a calf given in charity). Same idea, same teeth, different animal!

Why teeth? You can tell a horse's age, and so its value, by looking at its teeth. Checking the teeth of a gift would be like checking the price tag.

Notice the grammar: no le miresdon't look at itA negative command with tú, which uses the subjunctive. is a negative command, and negative commands in Spanish use the subjunctive. You'll also hear the version A caballo regalado no se le mira el dienteYou don't look a gifted horse in the toothAn impersonal version of the same saying.. Both are correct.

Perro ladrador, poco mordedorA barking dog doesn't bite muchPeople who make loud threats rarely act on them.

Literally: "barking dog, little biter". It means that people who shout and threaten the most are usually the least dangerous. The Hindi twin is lovely: जो गरजते हैं वो बरसते नहीं (jo garajte hain woh baraste nahin, clouds that thunder don't rain).

• No te preocupes por tu jefe. Perro ladrador, poco mordedor.Don't worry about your boss. All bark and no bite.A comforting thing to say to a friend.

Estar entre la espada y la paredTo be between the sword and the wallTo be stuck between two bad choices.

Literally: "to be between the sword and the wall". Imagine your back against a wall with a sword in front of you. There's no good way out. In Hindi we'd say आगे कुआँ, पीछे खाई (aage kuan, peechhe khaai, a well ahead, a ditch behind). In English: between a rock and a hard place.

• Estoy entre la espada y la pared: si acepto el trabajo, tengo que mudarme.I'm stuck: if I accept the job, I have to move.Mudarse means to move house.

Echar leña al fuegoTo throw firewood on the fireTo make an argument or problem worse.

Literally: "to throw firewood on the fire". In Hindi, we pour something richer: आग में घी डालना (aag mein ghee daalna, to pour ghee on the fire). Same meaning: making a bad situation worse.

• No digas nada más, que solo vas a echar leña al fuego.Don't say anything else, you'll only make it worse.Que here means "because".

Matar dos pájaros de un tiroTo kill two birds with one shotTo get two things done with one action.

Literally: "to kill two birds with one shot". English uses a stone, Spanish uses a shot, and Hindi uses an arrow: एक तीर से दो निशाने (ek teer se do nishaane, two targets with one arrow).

• Voy a Madrid por trabajo y visito a mi prima: así mato dos pájaros de un tiro.I'm going to Madrid for work and I'll visit my cousin, so I kill two birds with one stone.Así means "that way".

Ser pan comidoTo be eaten breadTo be very easy.

Literally: "to be eaten bread". Something so easy it's already done, like bread that's already eaten. English says "a piece of cake". Hindi says बाएँ हाथ का खेल (baayen haath ka khel, a left-hand game, something you could do even with your weaker hand).

• Para ti, este examen es pan comido.For you, this exam is a piece of cake.Use ser, not estar, with this idiom.

Notice it uses serTo be (permanent)For what something is: identity, origin, profession., not estarTo be (right now)For how or where something is: feelings, states, location.. If serTo be (permanent)For what something is: identity, origin, profession. and estarTo be (right now)For how or where something is: feelings, states, location. still trip you up, my post on ser vs estar will help.

Ser uña y carneTo be nail and fleshTo be inseparable friends.

Literally: "to be nail and flesh". Your fingernail and the skin under it are impossible to separate, and so are these two friends. Our Hindi twin: दाँत काटी रोटी (daant kaati roti, sharing bread bitten from the same piece), which describes a really close friendship.

• Ana y Lucía son uña y carne desde el colegio.Ana and Lucía have been inseparable since school.Desde means "since".

Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eresTell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you areYou're judged by the company you keep.

Literally: "tell me who you walk with, and I'll tell you who you are". Every Indian parent's favourite warning! In Hindi: जैसी संगत वैसी रंगत (jaisi sangat vaisi rangat, as your company, so your colour).

It's also a neat little grammar lesson: dimetell meThe tú command of decir, with me attached. is a command, and te diréI will tell youThe future of decir, which is irregular. is the irregular future of decirto say or tellAn irregular verb..

Hacer castillos en el aireTo build castles in the airTo make unrealistic plans.

This one is a true twin in all three languages. Spanish says "castles in the air", English says the same, and Hindi says हवाई किले बनाना (hawaai kile banaana, to build castles in the air).

• Deja de hacer castillos en el aire y busca trabajo.Stop daydreaming and look for a job.Dejar de plus infinitive means "to stop doing".

Tirar la casa por la ventanaTo throw the house out of the windowTo spend a lot of money on a celebration.

Literally: "to throw the house out of the window". You use it when someone spends lavishly, usually for a celebration. Honestly, this idiom could have been invented for Indian weddings. Our closest twin is पानी की तरह पैसा बहाना (paani ki tarah paisa bahaana, to let money flow like water).

• Para la boda de su hija, tiraron la casa por la ventana.For their daughter's wedding, they went all out.Tiraron is the preterite of tirar.

No hay mal que por bien no vengaThere's no bad that doesn't come for some goodSomething good often comes out of something bad.

This one is a little harder to translate literally, but the idea is: every bad thing brings something good with it. In Hindi we'd say जो होता है, अच्छे के लिए होता है (jo hota hai, achchhe ke liye hota hai, whatever happens, happens for the good).

• Perdí el tren, pero conocí a mi mejor amiga en la estación. No hay mal que por bien no venga.I missed the train, but I met my best friend at the station. Every cloud has a silver lining.Perdí and conocí are both preterite.

All the Spanish-Hindi idiom pairs in one table

Save this table for revision.

Careful: idioms that look like twins but aren't

Not every pair lines up perfectly. These two are close cousins rather than twins, and the difference matters.

Ojos que no ven, corazón que no sienteEyes that don't see, heart that doesn't feelWhat you don't know can't hurt you.

It's tempting to match this with आँख ओझल, पहाड़ ओझल (aankh ojhal, pahaad ojhal), which is like "out of sight, out of mind". But they don't mean the same thing.

• The Hindi saying is about forgetting: once something is out of sight, you stop thinking about it.
• The Spanish saying is about not being hurt: if you don't find out about something bad, it can't upset you. It's closer to "what you don't know can't hurt you", or "ignorance is bliss".

So use the Spanish one when someone is better off not knowing something, not when someone has forgotten you.

En casa de herrero, cuchillo de paloIn the blacksmith's house, a wooden knifeExperts often neglect their own home.

Literally: "in the blacksmith's house, a wooden knife". The blacksmith makes knives all day, but at home he uses a wooden one. It means people often don't use their own skills for themselves: the doctor who never has a check-up, the web designer whose own website is out of date. English says "the shoemaker's children go barefoot".

The Hindi cousin is चिराग तले अँधेरा (chiraag tale andhera, darkness under the lamp). The overlap is the surprise: the thing is missing exactly where you'd expect to find it. But the Hindi saying is used more widely, for example when something bad happens right under the nose of the person who should prevent it. The Spanish one is specifically about professionals neglecting their own home. Keep that difference in mind and you'll use both correctly.

How to use Spanish idioms without sounding strange

A few tips I share with every B1 student:

1. Learn the exact words. Idioms are fixed. Matar dos pájaros de un tiroTo kill two birds with one stoneThe fixed form of this idiom. works. Changing the birds to three won't!
2. Learn the verb and conjugate it. The verb in the idiom changes with the person and tense: somos uña y carnewe are inseparableSer conjugated for "we"., tiraron la casa por la ventanathey went all outTirar in the preterite..
3. Listen first, use later. Notice idioms in series, songs and conversations before you use them. When you hear one twice in real life, you're ready to try it.
4. One at a time. In an exam or a conversation, a single natural idiom is better than three forced ones.
5. Watch for regional versions. Some idioms change between Spain and Latin America. The ones in this post are all widely used in Spain.

For more of the informal side of Spanish, have a look at my post on Spanish slang from Spain. And if you love spotting Hindi in Spanish, you'll enjoy Spanish words that sound like Hindi.

Test yourself: Spanish idioms quiz

Five quick questions. Try to answer without scrolling up!

Keep going

Every idiom you learn is a small window into how Spaniards think, and connecting them to the Hindi sayings you grew up with makes them stick for good. At B1, we work on exactly this kind of natural, real-life Spanish: idioms, opinions, stories and the grammar that holds them together. If you're ready to go beyond the basics, take a look at my B1 batches, live on Google Meet with up to 5 students. Poco a pocoLittle by littleProgress comes step by step., you'll sound more and more like yourself in Spanish.