8 eggcellent Spanish expressions with eggs

1. Cuando seas padre comerás huevos

This odd Spanish expression has a story behind it. Back in the days when food was scarce, priority was given to the person who supported the family and needed the most strength which would normally be the father. For this reason, this expression is used as an answer to deny a young person something.

- Por qué no puedo hacer el carné de moto como mi amigo Juan?
- Cuando seas padre comerás huevos.

-Why can’t I get my motorcycle licence like my friend Juan?
-When you’re old enough you can do what you want.

2. Costar un huevo

This is basically like the expression in English “to cost an arm and a leg”, except it costs an egg. It can also describe something that is very difficult to do or requires a lot of effort.

El examen nos va a costar un huevo – me han dicho que es muy difícil.
The exam is going to be difficult – they told me it’s very hard.

Me costó un huevo reparar la pantalla de mi iPhone nuevo.
It cost me an arm and a leg to repair my new iPhone screen.

3. Para hacer una tortilla hay que romper algunos huevos

“To make an omelette, you have to break a few eggs.” What could be more Spanish than an idiom about the beloved tortilla de patata. To make something happen, you have to make an effort or a sacrifice. Makes sense, right?

- Estuve a punto de comer una pizza anoche. ¡Ya no aguanto la dieta!
- Falta una semana para el viaje a la playa – recuerda que para hacer una tortilla hay que romper algunos huevos.

-I was about to a pizza last night. I can’t take this diet anymore!
-There’s just a week left until our beach trip – remember that to get what you want, you need to make some sacrifices.

4. Ir pisando huevos / pisar huevos

Picture someone walking over eggs. They’d have to go very slowly so as not to break them. This Spanish expression means to do something very slowly and cautiously.

Vamos a llegar tarde si continúas así. ¡Parece que vas pisando huevos, tío!
We’re gonna be late if you keep on like this. You’re going like a turtle, man!

5. Importar un huevo

When you don’t care about something, you have a lot of foods to choose from to show just how much it doesn’t matter: cucumbers, peppers, radishes and in this case – eggs. In English, you would say I don’t give a [insert offensive term]. This expression is also quite slang and could offend some, so use with caution!

Me importa un huevo si Eva se disculpó. Le puso los cuernos a mi mejor amigo – no la voy a perdonar.
I couldn’t care less if Eva apologized. She cheated on my best friend – I’m not going to forgive her.

6. Estar hasta los huevos

When you are fed up and just can’t take it anymore, this expression could come in handy. Just a warning that it can be considered a bit rude as the eggs refer to part of the male anatomy. It’s similar to what you’d say in English: “I’ve had it up to here”.

¡Estoy hasta los huevos! La construcción bajo mi ventana empieza cada mañana a las 5 y llevo días sin dormir.
I’m so fed up! The construction under my house starts every morning at 5 am and it’s been days since I’ve slept.

“Un huevo”

When we hear un huevo in expressions it’s usually used to express intensity or a large amount. It’s like saying “a ton” or “a lot” and these are more so used in slang or informal speech. Take these expressions for example:

7. Molar un huevo

Molar is a slang Spanish expression used here in Spain. You can find it along with a whole list of Spanish expressions in this post. It means to be really cool or awesome. And to molar un huevo is to be extra super cool or awesome.

¡La fiesta en la playa moló un huevo! Conocimos a mucha gente guay y bailamos toda la noche.
The party on the beach was amazing! We met a lot of cool people and danced all night.

8. Saber un huevo

When you know a lot, you “know an egg”.

Si quieres mejorar tu inglés habla con María, ella sabe un huevo.
If you want to improve your English talk to Maria, she knows a ton.