November is moving in a strange direction in terms of Spanish learning, but here we go…
MIERDA lends itself to several different and ingenious expressions in Spanish. The list below is living proof:
- ¡Qué mierda!: This phrase is an expression of frustration, anger, or annoyance. It’s used when something goes wrong or is undesirable.
- Una mierda: This translates to “a piece of shit” or “crap.” It’s used to describe something as worthless, bad, or of poor quality.
- [noun] + de mierda: This translates to “of shit” or “shitty.” It’s used as an adjective to express dissatisfaction with something.
- Mucha mierda: This is the equivalent of the English phrase “break a leg.” It’s used to wish someone good luck, particularly before a performance, test or event.
- Hacerse mierda: I guess this phrase literally translates to “to turn to shit.” It’s a colloquial expression used to describe a violent or severe accident or to indicate that someone or something has been severely damaged or destroyed.
In some expressions, MIERDA and CARAJO are closely knit together
- Mandar a la mierda/al carajo a alguien: These phrases mean “to tell someone to go fuck themselves.” They are strong expressions of anger or frustration and are used to dismiss or reject someone in a rude or offensive manner.
- Irse a la mierda/al carajo: You would use these phrases to tell someone they crossed a line. Interestingly enough, when someone makes a positively surprising thing (for example they give us an important present) we sometimes also use it.
I hope you understand why I thought it was necessary to get into this after my last article on the body and bodily functions.
Until next time!
You might also want to read these articles:
- CancherearDive into the nuances of the word ‘canchero’ and how ‘cancherear’ can make or break a moment.
- Hacer una vaquitaI’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 ArgentinaAn appreciation post dedicated to pizza—specifically, Argentine-style pizza.
- Put your pen to inkDo you need some motivation and ideas to do some writing practice in Spanish? Click right here!
- The Paradox of ChoiceToday, 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.