People and animals have always had a close relationship, one that has been present throughout history. This relationship has been so important that it has also seeped into our language. In fact, all languages around the world contain a variety of expressions related to animals, especially to animals that have been, and are still, close to people.

 

It is believed that many of these expressions come from Ancient Greece and that over the years, they have been transmitted through both spoken and written language. Specifically,  it was Aesop, the famous Greek writer and storyteller, who created many of the animal-related expressions that are found in various different languages today.

 

Spanish, however, may not be the language with the most idiomatic expressions related to animals. In fact, according to research, Spanish has only 86 animal-related idiomatic expressions, while German has up to 206! However, as you you may have noticed in my previous article about expressions related to food, Spanish speakers use such expressions constantly.

 

Once again, as a native Spanish speaker, I can assure you that learning and being able to use and understand these kinds of expressions can be the difference between a basic Spanish student and a person who is truly fluent in the Spanish language and culture. Even though they are very old expressions, you can be sure that you will be able find them in texts and books.

 

So here’s a look at twenty idiomatic expressions related to animals that you may not have learned at school or at an academy. In each case, you will learn the expression in Spanish, as well as an explanation (in Spanish and in English) and an example for each. Links to pictures of each animal are included so it will be easier to identify them!

 

Estar como una cabra

 

Always used in the feminine form (una cabra) whether you are speaking about a man or a woman.

 

Meaning:

 

  • Estar loco(a) (To be crazy).

 

Example:

 

  • Isabel está haciendo locuras todo el día. Realmente está como una cabra (Irene has been doing nothing but nonsense all day long. She is really crazy).

 

Ser un/una gallina

 

Used for both men and women. The only thing you need to change is the article: un gallina or una gallina.

 

Meaning:

 

  • Ser un(a) cobarde (To be a coward).

 

Example:

 

  • Miguel tiene miedo de todo: de la oscuridad, de las arañas, de las alturas... Es un gallina (Miguel is afraid of everything: darkness, spiders, heights... He's a coward).

 

Ser (muy) rata

 

Always used in the feminine form for both men and women.

 

Meaning:

 

  • Ser tacaño, miserable (To be cheap).

 

Example:

 

  • Pablo es muy rata: nunca cena fuera porque no quiere gastar nada de dinero (Pablo is very cheap: he never has dinner out because he doesn't want to spend any money).

 

Hablar como una cotorra

 

Always used in the feminine form.

 

Meaning:

 

  • Hablar mucho (To talk too much).

 

Example:

 

  • Estar con Patricia me cansa mucho. No se calla nunca, habla como una cotorra (Being with Patricia is so tiring. She never keeps quiet, she speaks too much).

 

Estar pez

 

Always used as estar pez for both men and women.

 

Meaning:

 

  • Tener ningún o poco conocimiento sobre un tema (To know very little or nothing at all about something).

 

Example:

 

  • Estoy muy pez en política española (I don't know a thing about Spanish politics).

 

Dar gato por liebre

 

Meaning:

 

Engañar en la calidad de algo con otra cosa peor que se le parece (To lie about the quality of something by using something similar, but of lesser value).

 

Example:

 

  • Creo que este diamante no vale lo que has pagado por él. Me parece que te han dado gato por liebre (I think this diamond is not worth what you paid for it. I think you have been cheated).

 

Tener (una) memoria de elefante

 

Meaning:

 

  • Tener muy buena memoria (To have a great memory).

 

Example:

 

  • Irene es increíble, siempre se acuerda de todo. Tiene una memoria de elefante (Irene is incredible, she remembers everything. She has a great memory).

 

Pagar el pato

 

Meaning:

 

  • Recibir un castigo no merecido o que merece otra persona (To suffer a punishment that is not deserved or that should go to another person).

 

Example:

 

  • ¿Recuerdas el problema que tuvieron Marta y Luis? La culpa fue de Marta pero al final Luis pagó el pato (Can you remember the problem that Marta and Luis had? It was Marta's fault, but in the end Luis was the one who was punished).

 

Andar como un pato

 

Meaning:

 

  • Andar torpemente (To walk clumsily).

 

Example:

 

  • Eres muy gracioso cuando te emborrachas. ¡Siempre andas como un pato! (You are so funny when you get drunk. You always walk clumsily!)

 

Estar fuerte como un toro

 

Used for both men and women in the masculine form

 

Meaning:

 

  • Estar muy sano (To be truly healthy).

 

Example:

 

  • He ido al médico para hacerme una revisión y todas las pruebas han sido perfectas. Puedo decir que estoy fuerte como un toro (I went to the doctor for a check up and all the tests were perfect. I can say that I am truly healthy).

 

Agarrar el toro por los cuernos

 

Meaning:

 

  • Enfrentarse a una situación (To face or deal with a situation).

 

Example:

 

  • Si no estás feliz en tu matrimonio, tienes que agarrar el toro por los cuernos y buscar una solución. (If you are not happy with your marriage, you should deal with the situation and find a solution).

 

Tener un humor de perros

 

Meaning:

 

  • Tener mal humor (To be in a really bad mood).

 

Example:

 

  • Creo que Sara ha tenido problemas en el trabajo porque hoy tiene un humor de perros (I think Sarah had some problems at work because she is in a really bad mood today).

 

A caballo regalado, no le mires el diente/el dentado

 

Meaning:

 

  • No debemos ser exigentes con las cosas regaladas (We must not be demanding when receiving gifts or “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”).

 

Example:

 

  • El regalo de Mercedes no es mi favorito pero bueno: a caballo regalado, no le mires el dentado. (The gift Mercedes gave me was not my favorite but I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth).

 

Ser un(a) cochino/a / un(a) puerco/a / un(a) cerdo/a

 

Meaning:

 

  • Ser sucio, poco higiénico (To be dirty, not hygienic).

 

Example:

 

  • ¡Eres un cerdo! Llevas cuatro días sin ducharte (You are so dirty! It has been four days since you had a shower).

 

Ponerse como un(a) cerdo/a

 

Meaning:

 

  • Comer mucho (To eat a lot).

 

Example:

 

  • Hoy me duele la barriga porque ayer me puse como un cerdo durante la cena (I have a stomach ache because I ate a lot last night).

 

Cortar el bacalao

 

Meaning:

 

  • Tener el poder de decisión en una situación (To have the power to make a decision in a specific situation).

 

Example:

 

  • Ni tú ni yo podemos hacer nada. Es nuestro jefe quién corta el bacalao en esta situación (Neither you nor I can do anything. It's our boss who can make a decision in this situation).

 

Dormir como un lirón

 

Meaning:

 

  • Dormir mucho y muy profundamente (To sleep a lot and deeply).

 

Example:

 

  • Mi novia se pasa más de diez horas durmiendo los fines de semana. ¡Duerme como un lirón! (My girlfriend spends more than ten hours sleeping on the weekends. She sleeps a lot and so deeply!)

 

Ser un zorro / Ser una zorra

 

Important note: This is very offensive.

 

Meaning:

 

  • Ser muy listo / Ser una prostituta (To be smart / to be very promiscuous or a b**ch).

 

Examples:

 

  • Es muy difícil engañar a mi padre, es muy zorro (It's so difficult to cheat my father, he is so smart.)
  • Tu amiga es una zorra, cada día duerme con un chico diferente (Your friend is very promiscuous; she sleeps with a different boy each night).

 

The shocking difference between the masculine and the feminine versions of this expression has filled pages upon pages of investigations. Spanish is quite a sexist language, but I will deal with that in another article.

 

Ser una víbora

 

Used in the feminine form for both men and women.

 

Meaning:

 

  • Ser mala persona (To be a bad person).

 

Example:

 

  • ¡Cuidado con tu nuevo compañero de trabajo! Dicen que es una víbora y te puede hacer mucho daño (Be careful with your new workmate! They say he is a very bad person and he may harm you).

 

Trabajar como una hormiga

 

Meaning:

 

  • Trabajar mucho y constantemente (To work hard and constantly).

 

Examples:

 

  • Lucía es la mejor empleada de mi empresa. Trabaja como una hormiga (Lucia is the best employee in my company. She works hard and constantly).

 

So, there they are: 20 of the 86 known animal-related expressions. It appears that we still have a long way to go! As you have seen, some of these can be used as a compliment and will be appreciated by any person you talk to. Others, however, are almost an insult and will not be well received by your conversational partner. So, think twice before using them!

 

As for comments, do you dare to include any of the 66 missing idioms along with an explanation and an example? We could build an even larger list of idiomatic expressions related to animals in Spanish. Or even better, why don't you give examples of animal-related expressions in your own native language? Are they similar to the Spanish ones?

 

Image Sources


Hero Image by Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center in Lenexa, KS (CC BY 2.0)