Spanish idioms with parts of the body (video lesson)

Spanish is full of idioms built with parts of the body. This short lesson presents some of the most common ones and explains what they really mean.

Learn some fun and useful idioms in Spanish with this free Spanish lesson brought to you by Tilde Madrid Spanish school in Madrid

Key points

Many everyday Spanish idioms use parts of the body: la cabeza, los ojos, la boca, la mano, el pelo.
Their meaning cannot be guessed word by word, so they are learnt as a whole.
Typical examples of this kind of idiom: echar una mano (to help), costar un ojo de la cara (to be very expensive), tomar el pelo (to pull someone's leg).

What does echar una mano mean?

To help someone: ¿Me echas una mano con la mudanza?

What does costar un ojo de la cara mean?

To be very expensive, like the English to cost an arm and a leg: Este piso cuesta un ojo de la cara.

What does tomar el pelo mean?

To tease someone or pull their leg: No te creo, me estás tomando el pelo.

Part of Spanish Sessions, the YouTube channel of the teachers at Tilde Madrid — more than 3 million views.