Binomial Pairs

Despite its obscure name, binomial pairs are all around us, and they help us sound (and be!) more natural when we speak. All languages have this type of set phrases that combine two words related for some usually very apparent reason.

Check out the list below and start applying them in your conversations:

• Lo bueno y lo malo
• El bien y el mal
• Blanco y negro
• Acá y allá
• De punta a punta
• Causa y efecto
• Cuestión de vida o muerte
• No saber si reír o llorar
• Tarde o temprano
• A lo largo y a lo ancho
• A todo o nada
• Más y mejor
• Cuerpo y alma
• Ajo y agua
• Jamón y queso
• Pan y vino
• Alto y claro
• Leer y escribir
• Dicho y hecho
• Sano y salvo
• Sal y pimienta
• Genio y figura
• Largo y tendido
• Pan y vino

You’ll probably find there are similar groupings like these in English.

Have fun, and thanks for stopping by.

You might also want to read these articles:

• Cancherear
  Dive into the nuances of the word ‘canchero’ and how ‘cancherear’ can make or break a moment.
• Hacer una vaquita
  I’m not going to argue how ridiculous this phrase may sound at first. Let me just tell you what it means in Argentina.
• Pizza in Argentina
  An appreciation post dedicated to pizza—specifically, Argentine-style pizza.
• Put your pen to ink
  Do you need some motivation and ideas to do some writing practice in Spanish? Click right here!
• The Paradox of Choice
  Today, I want to introduce the concept of paradox of choice, and show you how it’s detrimental to your progress.
• Argentinian Spanish Input (part 1)
  In this post, I included podcasts you can try to leverage your learning with natural input.