Spanish Idioms using the verb “Ser” (To be)

Impress someone with an authentic Spanish expression! First you have the Spanish expression, followed by the literal translation with the English equivalent meaning in brackets.

Ser más fuerte que un roble – To be stronger than an oak tree (To be as strong as an ox)

Ser uña y carne – To be nail and flesh (To get on really well/be really close)

Es pan comido – It is bread that has been eaten (It’s a piece of cake)

Ser más del campo que las amapolas – To be more from the country than the poppies (To be a hick)

Ser como guitarra en un entierro – To be like a guitar at a funeral (To stick out like a sore thumb)

Ser un pedazo de pan – To be a piece of bread (To be a really nice person)

Ser un águila – To be an eagle (To be very sharp)

Ser del montón – To be of the heap (To be nothing special/nothing to write home about)

No es cosa del otro mundo – It isn’t from another world (Nothing to write home about)

Ser un culo de mal asiento – To be a backside that can’t sit still (To have ants in your pants)

Ser el ojo derecho de alguien – To be someone’s right eye (To be the apple of someone’s eye)

Ser plato de segunda mesa – To be a second table dish (To play second fiddle)

Ser un espantapájaro – To be a scarecrow (To be really ugly)

Learn more Spanish sayings using “Estar” (the temporary/situational verb to be) here.