{"id":5583,"date":"2023-10-17T06:39:44","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T06:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escuela-hablamos.com\/?p=5583"},"modified":"2023-10-17T06:39:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T06:39:44","slug":"animal-idioms-and-phrases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escuela-hablamos.com\/ja\/animal-idioms-and-phrases\/","title":{"rendered":"Animal idioms and phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this blog, we thought we\u2019d take a look at some more frases idiom\u00e1ticas (idiomatic phrases) and refranes (idioms) related to the world of animals<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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As in any language, Spanish has a rich range of colloquial vocabulary that you should try to learn and use when speaking Spanish<\/b> to help you sound more natural. Obviously, we don\u2019t mean that you should throw an idiom into every sentence, otherwise you\u2019ll sound a bit raro <\/b>(<\/i>weird<\/i><\/b>)<\/i>! However, as in your lengua materna <\/b>(<\/i>native language<\/i><\/b>)<\/i>, using them when appropriate is a good thing to do. As you learn more Spanish<\/b> you\u2019ll come across lots of these sorts of phrases so it\u2019s best to apuntarlos <\/b>(<\/i>write them down<\/i><\/b>)<\/i> so you remember them later. To get you started, let\u2019s recap a few basic animals <\/b>(<\/i>animals<\/i><\/b>)<\/i>.<\/p>\n

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Nombres de animales en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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Espa\u00f1ol<\/td>\nIngl\u00e9s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bear<\/td>\n(un) oso<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bull<\/td>\n(un) toro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cat<\/td>\n(un) gato<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chicken<\/td>\n(un) pollo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cow<\/td>\n(una) vaca<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dolphin<\/td>\n(un) delf\u00edn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dog<\/td>\n(un) perro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Donkey<\/td>\n(un) burro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Goat<\/td>\n(una) cabra<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Horse<\/td>\n(un) caballo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mouse<\/td>\n(un) rat\u00f3n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Octopus<\/td>\n(un) pulpo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pig<\/td>\n(un) cerdo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rabbit<\/td>\n(un) conejo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shark<\/td>\n(un) tibur\u00f3n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sheep<\/td>\n(una) oveja<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Turkey<\/td>\n(un) pavo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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So there you have some of the most common animals in Spanish. Let\u2019s now take a look at some idiomatic language which includes a few of the animals from our list!<\/p>\n

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Coger el toro por los cuernos \u2013 Take the bull by the horns<\/em><\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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If you\u2019re an English speaker, you\u2019ll probably already know this phrase as it\u2019s exactly the same in both languages. It means that, when faced with a difficult task or situation, you need to tackle it with courage and deal with the issue instead of being afraid. Por ejemplo<\/b>, Paula no quiere romper son su novio, pero debe coger el toro por los cuernos y hacerlo porque est\u00e1 muy infeliz y estar\u00eda mejor sin \u00e9l en su vida. (Paula doesn\u2019t want to break up with her boyfriend, but she should just take the bull by the horns and do it as she\u2019s really unhappy and would be better off without him in her life)<\/i>. <\/b>You see here the usage is exactly the same too, so take advantage of phrases like this when learning Spanish<\/b><\/span><\/a> and incorporate them into your own speech!<\/p>\n

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Llevarse como el perro y el gato \u2013 To get on like the dog and the cat<\/em>
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How well do cats and dogs get on? Well, we don\u2019t know about your pets, but in Spanish they don\u2019t get on at all! This phrase means when people have a very poor relationship and don\u2019t like each other. Por ejemplo, Juan y su hermano Pablo se llevan como el perro y el gato. Siempre se est\u00e1n peleando, nunca quieren compartir sus juguetes y me est\u00e1n volviendo loco. (Juan and his brother Pablo really don\u2019t get on well at all. They\u2019re always fighting, never want to share their toys and they\u2019re driving me mad)<\/i>. <\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Estar en la edad de pavo \u2013 To be in the turkey age<\/em><\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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You\u2019re probably thinking, what does \u201cthe turkey age\u201d mean? It\u2019s that awkward time when children start to become teenagers, or even a bit earlier, as they hit puberty and all the hormones rush in to make them be a bit rebellious and irritable. We\u2019ve all gone through this phase, and some people take a bit longer to come out of it than others (I\u2019m sure you know someone who still acts like this as an adult!). Here\u2019s an example of how to use it in context. Mi hija se ha puesto muy rebelde y casi nunca me escucha. Supongo que est\u00e1 en la edad de pavo aunque es muy dif\u00edcil tener paciencia con ella \u00faltimamente. (My daughter has become really rebellious and hardly ever listens to me. I guess she\u2019s at an awkward age but it\u2019s really difficult to be patient with her recently)<\/i>.<\/b><\/p>\n

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A caballo regalado, no le mires el diente \u2013 Never look a gift horse in the mouth<\/em><\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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Here\u2019s another useful refr\u00e1n <\/b>(<\/i>idiom<\/i><\/b>)<\/i> which will be recognisable to English-speaking readers. This one, if you don\u2019t know, means that you should always accept gifts graciously and not complain or be negative about the fact that someone has given you a present, even if you don\u2019t like or want it. Let\u2019s see how we can use it. Mi madre me compr\u00f3 unos pantalones verdes, que normalmente nunca me pondr\u00eda. Pero luego pens\u00e9 a caballo regalado, no le mires el diente<\/i> y simplemente le dije \u201cgracias\u201d. (My mum bought me some green trousers, which I\u2019d never normally wear. But then I thought to myself \u201cNever look a gift horse in the mouth\u201d and I just said \u201cthanks\u201d to her.)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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Estar como una cabra \u2013 To be like a goat<\/em><\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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Ok, what is a goat like? To a Spanish speaker a goat acts a bit weirdly, is a bit eccentric or might even be totally crazy. This expression, therefore, can be thought of as similar to \u201cto be a bit odd\u201d at one end of the spectrum, right up to \u201cto be off your rocker\u201d at the other extreme end of the crazy scale. It\u2019s not the most polite of expressions, as you might imagine, so you need to be careful when using it! Please don\u2019t start saying this about your boss, your partner or someone\u2019s mum! Anyway, here\u2019s un ejemplo <\/b>(<\/i>an example<\/i><\/b>)<\/i> of it in use in a conversation:<\/p>\n

Persona A: \u00a1Mira a Mario! Est\u00e1 bailando encima de la mesa y gritando. \u00bfQu\u00e9 le pasa?<\/b><\/p>\n

Persona B: Seguro que est\u00e1 borracho. Ha bebido un mont\u00f3n.<\/b><\/p>\n

Persona A: Vaya, \u00a1est\u00e1 como una cabra! \u00a1A ver qu\u00e9 dice su hermana cuando llegue!<\/b><\/p>\n

(Person A: Look at Mario! He\u2019s dancing on the table and shouting. What\u2019s wrong with him?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Person B: He must be drunk. He\u2019s drunk loads.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Person A: Wow, he\u2019s off his rocker! Let\u2019s see what his sister says when she gets here!)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

So, that\u2019s five animal-related phrases for you to start using when you\u2019re speaking Spanish. In your Spanish classes <\/b>at Hablamos<\/b>, we\u2019ll have you using all of these and more in natural, authentic conversations in no time. Why not take a look at our courses<\/b><\/span><\/a>, both face-to-face and online, and improve your level of Spanish, starting today?<\/p>\n

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Hablamos – full-on Spanish!<\/mark><\/a><\/span><\/h3><\/div>
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