ECHAR
Apart from its most common literal meaning of "to throw out" or "to expel", "echar" is also used in a large number of expressions and phrases. On this page we include some of the most common and useful ones.
Spanish |
English |
| FRASES COMUNES | |
| echar de menos algo / a alguien Te echo de menos Te echaba mucho de menos cuando estabas en Francia. | to miss I miss you I really missed you when you were in France. |
| echar una mano ¿Me puedes echar una mano con este ejercicio? | to lend a hand Can you give me a hand with this exercise? |
| me echaron la culpa a mí ¡no me eches la culpa a mí! | they put the blame on me dont put the blame on me! |
| echar un vistazo echó un vistazo a su alrededor | to have a look at something she glanced around |
| echar leña al fuego | to add fuel to the fire: This is used in a figurative sense, meaning to make a bad situation worse by negative actions or comments. |
| echarse atrás Ya es demasiado tarde para echarse atrás. Se echó atrás en el último momento | to back out / withdraw / to go backwards It's too late to back out now. She backed out at the last moment |
| echar raíces echar anclas | to put down roots (for a person) to drop anchor |
| echarse a (infinitive) echarse a llorar se echó a llorar se echó a llorar se echó a correr | this expression is often used to express that something starts suddenly: to burst into tears she burst into tears she burst into song he broke into a run |
| echar una cabezada | to have a nap |
| me voy a echar una siesta | I'm going to have a siesta |
| echar una carrera Tendrás que echar una carrera si quieres coger el tren. | to get a move on You'll have to get a move on if you want to catch the train. |
| echar una corrida Tuve que echar una buena corrida para coger el tren. | to run for it I really had to run for it to catch the train. |
| echar la casa por la ventana Echó la casa por la ventana para la boda de su hija. | to push the boat out / to go overboard / to spare no expense He went overboard for his daughter's wedding. |
| echar el cerrojo | to bolt the door |
| echar los dados | to throw the dice |
| echar a alguien me echaron me echó de casa | to sack / fire someone / to throw someone out they gave me the sack / fired me he threw me out of the house |
| echar eche el aceite en un bol | pour pour the oil into a bowl (from a recipe) |
| echar algo en falta Lo que se echa en falta es más tiempo | to miss / lack What is needed is more time. |
| echar una mirada a algo | to have a look at something |
| echar un ojo a alguien o algo | to take a quick look at something / someone |
| echar un partido de tenis Vamos a echar un partido de tenis. | to have a game of tennis Let's have a game of tennis. |
| echar un pulso | to arm wrestle |
| echarse en la cama | to lie down on the bed |
| Le tengo que echar gasolina. | I have to get some petrol. |
| echar las cortinas | to draw the curtains |
| FRASES NO TAN COMUNES | |
| echar brotes | to sprout |
| echar las campanas al vuelo | to shout it from the rooftops to get excited about something |
| echar su cuarto a espadas | to stick one's oar in |
| echar los hígados | to bust a gut (higado = liver) |
| echar a alguien a los leones | to throw someone in at the deep end |
| echar luz sobre algo | to shed / cast light on something |
| echarse las manos a la cabeza Se echó las manos a la cabeza cuando vio lo que había hecho. | to throw one's hands up in horror She threw her hands up in horror when she saw what he had done. |
| echar mano de algo Si tenemos problemas de dinero siempre podemos echar manos de nuestros ahorros. | to fall back on If we have money problems we can always dip into our savings. |
| echar algo a perder Las lluvias echaron a perder la cosecha | to ruin / spoil something The rains ruined the havest. |
| echar pestes de alguien Siempre me está echando de pestes. | to run someone down She's always slagging me off. |
| echar el resto | to go all out |
| ¿Cuántos años me echas? | How old do you think I am? |
| Se ha echado novio. | She's found herself a boyfriend. |
| echar rayos y centellas | to fume (colloquial) (centella = sparks) |
| echar algo a suerte | to toss / draw straws for something etc. |
| echar tierra a / sobre algo | to cover / hush something up |
| echar algo por tierra Van a echar este monumento por tierra. | to knock down / demolish They're going to knock down that monument. |
| echar la toalla | to throw in the towel |
| echar algo por la ventana | to throw something away to spoil / squander something |
| echar de ver He soon realised that he had been robbed. | to realise / notice Pronto echó de ver que le habían robado. |