Otoño: calabaza, charco, uva, paraguas, llover, tempestad

Spanish idioms with calabaza (pumpkin)

Idiom Explanation Example
dar calabazas to turn someone down Ignacio le ha pedido una cita a Inma y ella le ha dado calabazas.Ignacio asked Inma out and she turned him down.

Spanish idioms with charco (puddle)

Idiom Explanation Example
meterse en todos los charcos to get involved unnecessarily — He ayudado a Ricardo con su trabajo de clase y ahora casi no tengo tiempo para hacer el mío.–I helped Ricardo with his homework and now I don’t have any time to do my own.
— Deberías dejar de meterte en todos los charcos.–You should stop getting involved in other people’s problems.
cruzar el charco to go across the pond (the Atlantic Ocean) Miriam ha decidido cruzar el charco y se mudará a Venezuela.Miriam has decided to go across the pond and move to Venezuela.

Spanish idioms with uva (grape)

Idiom Explanation Example
estar a por uvas to have your head in the clouds (often used in the context of football) Cuando te tiré las llaves, estabas a por uvas y por eso te dieron en la cara.When I threw you the keys you had your head in the clouds and that’s why they hit you in the face.
dar las uvas to be here all night, something takes a long time Para cuando terminen de arreglarse para el concierto, ya nos habrán dado las uvas.By the time they’ve finished getting ready for the concert we will have been here all night.

Spanish idioms with paraguas (umbrella)

Idiom Explanation Example
abrir el paraguas antes de que llueva to jump the gun (literally: to open your umbrella before it start raining) Siempre abriendo el paraguas antes de que llueva… Sólo estoy constipada, no hace falta que te coloques una mascarilla.You’re always jumping the gun … I only have a cold, there’s no need to wear a face mask.

Spanish idioms about autumn

Idiom Explanation Example
no (siempre) llueve a gusto de todos you can’t please everyone Hubiera preferido ir al cine, pero no siempre llueve a gusto de todos.I would have preferred to go to the cinema, but you can’t please everyone.
después da la lluvia/tempestad siempre llega la calma the calm comes after the storm Ellos dos se odiaban y ahora se aman. Ya se sabe que después de la tempestad llega la calma.They both hated each other and now they love each other. You know that the calm comes after the storm.
show special characters
display incorrect answers

Exercises C1

Complete the sentences with the word below.
calabazas, charco, charcos, uvas (2x)

  1. Si no te das un poco más de prisa, nos van a dar las  .dar las uvasIf you don’t hurry up we’re going to be here all night.
  2. No sabes mantenerte al margen y te encanta meterte en todos los  .meterse en todos los charcosYou don’t know how to sit on the fence, you love to poke your nose into everything.
  3. Metieron un gol fácilmente mientras el portero estaba a por  .estar a por uvasThey scored a goal easily while the goalkeeper had his head in the clouds.
  4. Me da miedo preguntarla si quiere bailar conmigo por si me da  .dar calabazasI’m scared to ask her if she wants to dance with me in case she turns me down.
  5. Después de la guerra civil, muchos españoles se vieron forzados a cruzar el  .cruzar el charcoAfter the civil war, lots of Spanish people were forced to go across the pond.

Choose the phrase that best fits to each sentence.

  1. Cada vez que llaman al teléfono, mi madre tarda mucho en ir a cogerlo.Every time the phone rings my mum takes ages to answer it.
    She has her head in the clouds.

  2. Estuvimos discutiendo durante horas y al final tuvimos que ceder en un par de cosas.We were arguing for hours and in the end we had to give in on a few things.
    You can’t please everyone.

  3. — He ido al médico y tengo el azúcar alto. Voy a dejar de comer dulces.–I went to the doctor and I have high blood sugar. I have to stop eating sweets.
    –There’s no need to be so radical. You shouldn’t…
    … jump the gun.

    — No hace falta que seas tan radical. No deberías…
  4. Deberías preguntarle si quiere salir contigo. Lo peor que puede pasar es que…You should ask her if she wants to go out with you. The worst that can happen is that…
    … she turns you down.

  5. He avalado a mi amigo y ahora no puede pagar el préstamo. ¿Quién me mandará a mi…I acted as a guarantor for my friend and now he can’t pay the loan. Who told me to get involved in things that don’t concern me?
  6. Es mejor que te vayas ya, si me esperas a que acabe de trabajar…It’s better if you go now, if you wait for me to finish work…
    … you’ll be here all night.

Go back