Idiomatic Uses of Spanish Verbs
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Caer has several idiomatic uses:
- Este vestido le cae bien: This dress fits her well.
- Caer en gracia: To fall into the good graces of one.
- La puerta cae á oriente: The door is on the east side.
- Ya caigo, ya caigo en ello: Now I understand.
- Caerse redondo: To fall flat.
Dar:
- Dar en el clavo (= acertar): To hit it.
- Dar por concedido, dar de barato: To grant for the sake of argument.
- Lo doy por bueno: I consider it as good.
- Dar los naipes: To deal cards.
- Dar la enhorabuena, el pésame, los buenos días: To congratulate, to condole with, to wish good day.
- Dar la hora: To strike the hour.
- Dar en caprichos: To give oneself up to whims.
- Dar en un error: To incur an error.
- Darse preso: To give oneself up.
- Darse al estudio: To apply or devote oneself to study.
- Dar á creer: To make believe.
- Dar con una persona: To come across a person.
- No se me da nada: I do not care a bit.
- Ahí me las den todas: I do not care a bit.
Many other idioms are formed with dar for which a good dictionary should be consulted.
dejar de - to cease from, to omit, to fail to.
- Dejemos de hablar: Let us cease talking.
- Dejó de hacerme la remesa que me había prometido: He omitted to send me the remittance he promised me.
- No dejaré de ejecutar su orden: I shall not fail to execute your order.
Echar - to throw. Forms also many idioms for which the dictionary should be consulted:
- Echar á correr, á reir, etc.: To start running, laughing, etc.
- Echar á perder: To spoil, to ruin.
- Echar de beber: To pour out drink.
- Echar de ver: To perceive, to notice.
- Esto se echa de ver: This is obvious.
- Echar menos or de menos: To miss, to feel the want of.
- Echar la llave, el cerrojo, la tranca: To lock, to bolt, to bar (the door).
- Echar la culpa: To lay the blame.
- Echar mano: To lay hold, to lay hands upon.
- Echar un cigarillo, un puro: To smoke a cigarette, a cigar.
Estar - to be.
- Estar en que: To be of opinion.
- Estar por: To be in favour of.
- Estar para: To be on the point of.
- Estar por hacer: To be yet to be done.
Faltar - to fail, to be wanting.
- Faltó a la promesa: He failed to his promise.
- Me faltan cinco duros: I am short of five dollars.
"Me hacen falta cinco duros" is "I need five dollars."
Guardarse de - to take care, to guard against It carries with it a negative meaning.
- Me guardaré bien de hacerlo: I shall take care not to do it.
("I shall take care to do it" would be translated "cuidaré de hacerlo.")
hacerse - to become
ponerse - to become
volverse - to become
llegar á ser - to become
when this is not rendered by turning the English adjective into a verb, as:
- Se hizo todo un inglés: He became quite an Englishman.
- Se puso colorado: He became red in the face.
- Se volvió loco de contento: He became mad with joy.
- Llegó á ser famoso: He became famous.
- Se enriqueció: He became rich.
hacer una cosa - to have a thing done.
- Me hice enviar los bultos: I had the packages sent to me.
- Hice escribir una carta: I had a letter written.
Llevar - to carry, to wear.
- Llevar á mal: To take amiss.
- Llevarse bien con todos: To get on with everybody.
- Llevarse chasco: To be disappointed.
- Llévese V. estos valores: Take these securities with you.
Meter bulla - to make a noise, to shout, to clamour.
Volver - to return, i.e., to come or go again is used before an infinitive to denote a repetition of its action:
- Volver á decir: To say again.
- Decir otra vez: To say again.
- Decir de nuevo: To say again.
Category: General Spanish