Cable Girls S05E05: Spanish study pack

Show 7 more expressions

ponerse al día / poner al díato catch someone up / to be brought up to speed

colloquial

Used to mean updating someone on recent events. 'Me ha puesto al día' = 'he/she filled me in'. Very common in everyday conversation.

Llevo una semana de vacaciones; ponme al día con lo que ha pasado en la oficina.I've been on holiday for a week; catch me up on what's happened at the office.

estar bajo mínimosto be running on empty / to be at a critical low point

colloquial

Literally refers to a fuel gauge near zero. Used figuratively for people, organisations, or situations that are dangerously depleted of resources, energy, or morale.

Después de tres semanas sin dormir bien, estoy bajo mínimos.After three weeks of poor sleep, I'm running on empty.

hacerse a la ideato get used to the idea / to come to terms with something

colloquial

Expresses the mental process of accepting a new or difficult reality. Often used in the negative ('no me hago a la idea') to mean the speaker still can't quite believe or accept something.

Me cuesta hacerme a la idea de que ya no trabaja aquí.I'm struggling to get used to the idea that he no longer works here.

lo que pasa es quethe thing is… / the problem is…

colloquial

Extremely common discourse filler used to introduce an explanation, excuse, or complicating factor. Often softens what follows.

Lo que pasa es que no tengo tiempo suficiente para terminar todo esto hoy.The thing is, I don't have enough time to finish all of this today.

menudo/a + nounwhat a…! (exclamation of surprise, admiration, or sarcasm)

colloquial

Used as an exclamative intensifier. 'Menudo susto' = 'what a fright'. Tone is context-dependent: can be genuinely impressed, shocked, or ironically critical.

¡Menudo lío has armado con solo un correo mal enviado!What a mess you've made with just one badly sent email!

coñodamn / Christ (strong expletive of surprise or frustration)

vulgar

Very high-frequency vulgar interjection. Can express anything from genuine shock to mild irritation depending on tone. Also used mid-sentence for emphasis.

¡Coño, no me habías dicho que venía tanta gente!Christ, you hadn't told me so many people were coming!

disimularto pretend not to notice / to act natural / to conceal one's feelings

Often used as an imperative instruction ('disimula') telling someone to look unaffected or behave normally so as not to draw attention. Key word in tense or clandestine situations.

Cuando me vio llorar, intenté disimular mirando hacia otro lado.When she saw me crying, I tried to act natural by looking the other way.

Chapter 37: Insanity

Expressions to listen for

Key vocabulary