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What do these Argentinian Spanish phrases mean?
Take a couple of minutes to think about the meaning of these phrases. The examples are there to give you context and help you figure out the meaning. Write down your answers before you continue reading. Good luck!
- Ponerle garra
What does this mean?
Example: María le puso toda la garra y ganó el concurso de canto.
- Hacer quilombo
What does this mean?
Example: El cachorro hace quilombo: muerde las almohadas y rompe las cortinas.
- Estar al horno con fritas
What does this phrase mean?
Example: Laura se enteró de mi infidelidad: estoy al horno con fritas.
- Tirarse a la pileta
What does it mean?
Example: Martín no se preparó para la entrevista pero igual se tiró a la pileta y, al final, lo contrataron.
- Irse al pasto
What does this mean?
Example: Juan le dijo “estúpida” a la profesora. ¡Se fue al pasto!
About these common Argentinian phrases
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The meaning of these phrases in Argentina
Ponerle garra
This is one of my favorite Argentine sayings. In Spanish when you add “garra”to something, it means you are doing this with all your energy, enthusiasm, and effort. See more examples below:
- Necesito ponerle garra al gimnasio antes del verano.
- Vos sí que le ponés garra a la vida. ¡Sos un luchador!
- María le puso toda la garra y ganó el concurso de canto.
- No vamos a ganar si no le ponemos garra.
- El equipo ganó porque los jugadores le pusieron toda la garra.
Hacer quilombo
What this Argentine phrase means is “to make a mess” or “to protest”. Quilombo is something messy, disorganized, or complicated. See more examples below:
- Si no me dan el cheque, hago quilombo.
- ¡Mirá el quilombo que hiciste en tu habitación! ¡Ponete a ordenar!
- El cachorro hace quilombo: muerde las almohadas y rompe las cortinas.
- Chicos, bajen la música y no hagan quilombo.
- Los estudiantes siempre hacen quilombo el último día de clases.
Estar al horno con fritas
Did you think this Argentinian saying was related to food? Well, we don’t use it talk about food. What this Argentine phrase means literally is “to be in the oven with fries”. We say this when we end up in a bad situation or in serious trouble. It’s similar to the idiom “to be fried” in English. See examples below:
- ¡No estudié nada para el examen! ¡Estoy al horno con fritas!
- ¿Rompiste el jarrón de mamá? ¡Estás al horno con fritas!
- Laura se enteró de mi infidelidad: estoy al horno con fritas.
- Estamos al horno con fritas porque nos olvidamos los pasaportes.
- La profesora los vio copiarse. Están al horno con fritas.
Tirarse a la pileta
The literal translation of this phrase is “to jump into the pool”. There is a huge risk of getting hurt if you jump into a pool without looking. There are two possible outcomes: you can end up breaking your bones or enjoy a nice swim. We use this phrase in Argentina to talk about someone being unprepared for something but still giving it a try. See more examples below:
- No me preparé para el examen, pero igual me tiro a la pileta.
- ¡Ya fue! Tirate a la pileta. Capaz tenés suerte y aprobás.
- Martín no se preparó para la entrevista pero igual se tiró a la pileta y, al final, lo contrataron.
- No sabíamos qué hacer, pero nos tiramos a la pileta igual.
- ¿No estudiaron? Bueno, tírense a la pileta igual. ¡Ya fue!
Irse al pasto
It makes no sense to think of the literal translation of this Argentinian saying which is “go to the grass”. What this phrase actually means is to take things too far or to cross the line. You can say this phrase when you find something so far-fetched that it is hard to believe. See more examples below:
- Me comí una docena de empanadas. ¡Me fui al pasto!
- ¿Te tatuaste el nombre de tu novia? ¡Te vas al pasto!
- Juan le dijo “estúpida” a la profesora. ¡Se fue al pasto!
- Le hicimos una broma a Ciro, pero se enojó. Nos fuimos al pasto.
- Los chicos corrieron 15 km descalzos. ¡Se van al pasto!
Argentine Spanish Phrases Quiz Results
So how did the quiz go? Were you familiar with these Argentine Spanish phrases? Put them into practice by writing down your own examples. If the examples are related to your personal life, you will remember them better. As for me, the example “Me comí una docena de empanadas. ¡Me fui al pasto!” is actually true. I just LOVE empanadas, especially if they are homemade. Write examples like this one and I guarantee you won’t forget these five Argentinian sayings.
What is your favorite phrase? Leave a comment below.
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