First of all:
This is the English version of the transcript of one of our "Trocitos de Real Spanish". Un trocito is a little bit of something (usually something to eat). This Trocito is a preview of our online Spanish course “Español con noticias y documentales 2: La historia de tres regiones bilingües de España”. The additional learning materials referred to in the video are available in the complete course. You’ll find a link to this and all our courses below.
If you want to push yourself, try reading the Spanish version of this blogpost and video transcript first (just click on “español” in the menu above) — then come back here to check anything you're not sure about.
Hello! I’m Elizabeth, from Real Spanish, and a dedicated student of Spanish.
I love learning new expressions in Spanish. As you know, most of them can’t be translated literally because they are based on the culture and history of the Spanish-speaking world. Some are local to a particular country or region. Some are so interesting that they deserve a video all to themselves!
If you’ve spent any time with Spanish speakers, you’ve probably heard someone suddenly lower their voice and mutter ¡Moros en la costa! — maybe when the boss walks in, or when a sibling appears at an inconvenient moment. But where does this expression come from, and what do Moors have to do with it?
The story takes us back to medieval Spain, a network of coastal watchtowers (torres vigía), and a very real danger that kept entire villages on permanent alert for centuries.
The video below explains the origin of ¡Moros en la costa!, one of the most colourful idioms in everyday Spanish, which can be traced back to its historical roots: the constant raids by North African Muslims along the Mediterranean coast, and the very real danger that kept coastal villages on permanent alert. It also touches on a related expression, prometer el oro y el moro, and looks honestly at why both expressions carry some cultural baggage worth knowing about.
Wishing you all the best for your adventures in Spanish,
Elizabeth from Real Spanish
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT (English translation)
Hello and welcome to this Real Spanish mini-lesson! Today we’re going to learn some interesting things about Catalonia. Throughout this lesson, pay attention to the various uses of «se», such a small but so important word in Spanish. We’ll explain them in the grammar sheet.*
You probably already know that in Catalonia, Catalan is spoken alongside Spanish. Although both are official languages in this autonomous community, schools teach in Catalan and official bodies tend to use Catalan more than Spanish. In the inland areas of Catalonia, which are less touristy, you tend to hear more Catalan than Spanish, while in Barcelona and the coastal areas you’ll hear more people speaking Spanish, since there are more people from other Spanish regions and from other countries.
The early history of Catalonia is very similar to the rest of Spain. The Romans and the Greeks passed through. But history began to get more complicated with the arrival of the Arabs — although Charlemagne stopped them in their tracks, because they wanted to continue invading the rest of France.
Did you know that in Spain there are some colloquial expressions related to the Arab world? For example, people often say (no) hay moros en la costa [“there are (no) Moors on the coast”]. This expression relates to the attacks by North African Arabs in the Mediterranean. In Spain, the inhabitants of this part of Africa were called moros [Moors]. The coastal villages of the Mediterranean were on constant alert to prevent the Moors from invading. So, if there were no Moors on the coast, there was no danger.
This expression, however, can come across as quite racist, because it associates North African residents with danger or threat. Nevertheless, many people use it without thinking about its literal meaning.
As we mentioned earlier, in Spain the term moro is used, which comes from maurus (ancient Mauritania). This word can sound derogatory, but it depends on the tone and context.
(No audio) This photo is from the Moros y Cristianos [Moors and Christians] festival, held in late July in Alicante and other towns in Spain. It’s quite a spectacle, but there are those who criticise it today for perpetuating stereotypes.
There are other colloquial expressions with this word — for example, querer or prometer el oro y el moro, which means wanting or promising things that cannot be had or given. It’s also used to criticise someone who asks or demands too much, or someone who deceives by claiming they can give everything.
Well, if you’re interested in the history of Catalonia, its customs and culture, you’ll love our course “Español con noticias y documentales 1: Tres regiones bilingües de España”.
See you there!
*In the complete lesson
That’s the magic of expressions like this one — they’re living fossils of the culture that created them. Every time a Spanish speaker whispers ¡Moros en la costa! across a dinner table, they’re unknowingly echoing the voice of a medieval lookout scanning the horizon for sails.
If you enjoyed this video, you'll like a related video featuring the expression “Como Pedro por su casa”, another popular Spanish saying based on historical events.
You might also be interested in the complete course “Español con noticias y documentales 2: Tres regiones bilingües de España”. Visit us to learn more and try some free sample lessons.
If you like learning expressions like this, check out our YouTube playlists.
Ready for something more demanding? Take a look at our online Spanish courses.
Real Spanish: online Spanish video lessons for intermediate and advanced learners who love the language and want to use it with confidence.
0 responses on "Un trocito de Real Spanish | "Moros en la costa": meaning and origin of this curious Spanish idiom"