Spanish Body Parts: Vocabulary and Idioms

Did you know that you communicate 90% of your thoughts and feelings nonverbally, through your body language? That’s quite a lot to say without saying anything! If you plan on taking a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, you don’t want to get caught saying something silently that you really don’t mean. In this blog post, we’ve got you covered—we’ll explore everything related to the body in Spanish, like vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, as well as cultural tips on nonverbal communication.

Spanish Body Parts: The Vocab

The Spanish-speaking world, known in linguistics as the hispanosphere, is bursting at its seam with a variety of slang. These, of course, differ in each country, so we will focus only on the general words used and understood in every hispanophone (Spanish-speaking) culture. With an excellent basic foundation in understanding, you will be able to learn the relevant slang words much quicker and improve comprehension more efficiently by asking questions. Let’s look at some Spanish body parts!

Download these Exclusive Homeschool Spanish Academy Human Body Vocabulary flashcards to keep on hand!

The Human Body

The Head and Face

The Skeleton

Body-Part Idioms: Using the Vocab

Learning idioms is vital when communicating with the natives of a foreign country. They are the informal, figurative language we use in daily life that express feelings or situations in a phrase whose meaning doesn’t immediately stand out. For example, in English, we say “Hold your horses!” when we want to express the idea that the other person needs to wait. Clearly, we are not asking them to hold back their actual horses! This is informal, figurative (non-literal) language. To truly understand the conversation and the culture of a hispanophone country, we must be aware of these figurative phrases exist. Also, don’t be afraid to ask about them when you hear a strange phrase pop up!

List of Idioms

Body Gestures: Latin America and Spain

Watch out! (¡Ojo! / ¡Cuidado!) – put your index finger to your eye and hold or tap just below

I promise you. (Te lo juro.) – make a fist, bring the thumb to the mouth, kiss it and then flick it outwards quickly with thumb up to show that you really mean it

Slow down! (¡Más lento!) – hand open with the palm facing outward, moving in a patting motion

It’s delicious. (Está delicioso.) – fingers come together at the mouth then moved forward and opened

Come here. (Ven aca.) – hand out with fingers down, palm face down, move fingers simultaneously together, making a motion from the person toward your body

Thief! (¡Ladrón!) – palm down, while each finger touches the palm one at a time. You can do this if you’re on a bus or in a smaller space, and you notice a pickpocket nearby. This would be a great way to warn other people.

Body Gestures to Avoid

In Spain, people consider yawning or stretching in public vulgar. So, no matter how tired you are, avoid making this mistake! It is also a common cultural mix-up to use the standard American gesture of “come here” with your hand out, palm up, and index finger wiggling. This actually portrays a romantic interest in Latin culture, and people only use it in very specific situations. Remember to turn your hand over and use all your fingers in a sweeping motion toward your body to signal someone to come to you. On the other hand, if you’re in Latin America, avoid gesturing with your hand turned sideways with your fingers spread. This motion is a strong insult against the other person.

Let Your Brain Learn and Your Body Talk