Test your knowledge of the Spanish that you were never taught at school with this multiple-choice quiz. All the answers can be found in Harrap’s Pardon My Spanish! and Rude Spanish. Just try and match up the Spanish sentence with the right English translation. Then, at the end, click on "Submit" to see how you have done.
3. What does this gesture mean?
Serves you bloody right!
Get lost!
How cool am I!
4. Al ver la dolorosa por poco le da un patatús
He realized it hurt but he kept stuffing himself
When he saw the bill he nearly had a heart attack
It really hurt to have to pay so much for a few chips
5. Fumaba como un carretero. Cogió un cáncer de pulmón y la palmó
He used to smoke like a chimney. He got lung cancer and he snuffed it
He used to smoke like a chimney. But he didn’t want to get lung cancer and he gave up
He was a light smoker. Even so he snuffed it from lung cancer
6. La pava esa está como para mojar pan
That girl’s gorgeous
That girl’s high on something
That girl eats like a pig
7. Los cabezas cuadradas se despidieron a la francesa
The frogs are as stubborn as the krauts
The frogs left without saying goodbye
The krauts left without saying goodbye
8. Mi novia es más corta que hecha de encargo. Un día de estos me piro y no me ve el pelo ni en pintura
My girlfriend’s very stupid. One day I’ll just leave and that’ll be the last she sees of me
My girlfriend’s very stupid. She wants to become a painter but she’s never seen a brush in her life
My girlfriend’s very short. I prefer taller girls so I’m going to leave her
9. Mi vieja es un tostón insoportable; se pasa todo el día comiéndome la olla
My Mum’s a real pain; she’s spends all day telling me I have to eat more
My Mum’s a real cow; she spends all day eating
My Mum’s a real pain; she spends all day hassling me
10. Cortó con Juan porque le ponía los cuernos con otra
She was very stupid not to realize that Juan was seeing someone else
She stabbed Juan because he was seeing someone else
She dumped Juan because he was seeing someone else
11. Estuvo toda la evaluación haciéndole la pelota al profe pero al final acabó cateando el examen
He bought a basketball for the teacher thinking that it might help him to pass the exam. But in the end he failed miserably
He spent the whole term sucking up to the teacher, but in the end he failed his exam
He spent the whole term sucking up to the teacher, and it paid off because he got an A in the exam
12. Me he cogido una maría esta evaluación. Seguro que saco un sobre
María and I are studying together this term. I bet you we get an A
I’ve chosen a really easy subject this term. I bet you I get an A
María, this term’s teacher, has given me an A
13. Se puso un chubasquero y se preparó para meterle marcha al cuerpo
He put on his raincoat and left looking for some action
He put on a condom and got ready for some action
He went for a run to cool himself down
14. Estábamos dándole al ñacañaca y mi marido nos pilló en el ajo
We were having a bit of rumpy-pumpy when my husband walked in on us
I didn’t want to have any rumpy-pumpy because my husband stank of garlic
My husband thinks that garlic is an aphrodisiac
15. A finales de mes siempre tira de plástico
Towards the end of the month he throws his credit card away
Towards the end of the month he uses his credit card a lot
Towards the end of the month he runs out of credit
16. Le dieron puerta por no saber hacer la “o” con un canuto
He was fired because they caught him smoking dope
He was smoking dope just outside the main door
He was fired because he is useless
17. José hace más horas que un reloj y encima con lo que cobra no le llega ni para pipas
José works very long hours and with his salary he can’t even afford a bag of crisps
José works very long hours but enjoys the odd break to have a bag of sunflower seeds
José works very long hours so that with the extra money he might get he will be able to afford an expensive watch
18. Se pusieron hasta el culo con un vino peleón
They got into a fight after drinking some wine
They drank some wine and mooned at some tourists
They got drunk on some rough wine
19. Se metió tres coscorrones en el cuerpo y cogió un pedo impresionante
He downed three tequila slammers and started farting like there was no tomorrow
He was so plastered he didn’t realize he was farting in front of everybody
He downed three tequila slammers and got plastered
20. Han dejado al portero vendido y el delantero le coló un golazo sin despeinarse
The club sold the goalkeeper because he was a real butterfingers
They left the goalkeeper up shit creek and the attacker easily scored a great goal
The club has just signed a new goalie because the old one was a real butterfingers
