{"id":10301,"date":"2026-06-04T16:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T16:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.realspanish.eu\/?p=10301"},"modified":"2026-06-05T19:10:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T19:10:53","slug":"con-el-culo-al-aire-spanish-body-part-idioms-for-real-conversations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realspanish.eu\/en\/blog\/useful-vocabulary-and-expressions\/con-el-culo-al-aire-spanish-body-part-idioms-for-real-conversations\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cCon el culo al aire\u201d: Expresiones en espa\u00f1ol con partes del cuerpo humano"},"content":{"rendered":"

First of all:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The videos below are \u201cTrocitos\u201d from our YouTube channel. Un trocito<\/em> is \u201ca little bit\u201d of something \u2014 usually something to eat.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to push yourself a bit, try reading the blog and viewing the videos in the Spanish version first. You can always come back here if you want to check a particular word or phrase. Just click on \u201cEnglish\u201d or \u201cEspa\u00f1ol\u201d in the menu above.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first video below is part of a complete lesson in our ebook \u201cSpanish for Perfectionists No. 2\u201d. See below for more information about our ebooks and a free sample lesson. You\u2019ll also find a bonus video featuring estirar la pata<\/em>, por los pelos<\/em>, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hi. I\u2019m Elizabeth, from Real Spanish, and a keen learner of Spanish, like you.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always been fascinated by how languages use the human body to express everything from mood and attitude to honesty and betrayal. Think of the expression \u201cto put your foot down\u201d in English.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spanish is full of such expressions. The first time I heard someone talk about a politician who\u2019d been pillado con el culo al aire<\/em> \u2014 literally \u201cwith their backside\/arse\/ass in the air\u201d \u2014 I guessed from the context that it was something like \u201ccaught with their pants\/trousers down\u201d (caught out in an embarrassing or scandalous situation). I loved the image. That\u2019s the thing about body part idioms in Spanish: they\u2019re vivid, memorable, and often very funny. Once you know them, you start hearing them everywhere. Con el culo al aire<\/em> is often used in conversations about corrupt politicians or badly-behaved celebrities. Every country has them!<\/span><\/p>\n

In this video, our virtual teacher Celia introduces several expressions with parts of the body. Some are perfectly polite in any situation, while others are a bit vulgar. But they\u2019re all real Spanish, used by native speakers every day, so it\u2019s definitely worth knowing what they mean, even if you choose not to use them yourself!<\/span><\/p>\n

Why not start your own collection of Spanish expressions? I keep a running list, and I add to it whenever I hear something new: in podcasts, films, or just chatting with native speakers. The key is to note them in context, so you remember how they\u2019re actually used. WordReference.com<\/strong> is brilliant for this: it gives you real examples, not just definitions.<\/span><\/p>\n

All the best for your adventures in Spanish,<\/span><\/p>\n

Elizabeth from Real Spanish<\/span><\/p>\n

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The video:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

In this video you\u2019ll hear these Spanish idioms related to parts of the body:<\/span><\/p>\n

dar la cara<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

levantarse con el pie izquierdo<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

dormir a pierna suelta<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

estar hasta las narices<\/em> \/ la coronilla<\/em> \/ el mo\u00f1o<\/em> \/ los cojones<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

tener la lengua muy larga<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

dejar (or pillar) a alguien con el culo en el aire<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

lamerle el culo a alguien<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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