Thematic Vocabulary and Expressions

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Thematic Vocabulary and Expressions

Thematic Vocabulary and Expressions

Vocabulario y Expresiones por Temas

Table of Contents

  1. Diminutives and Augmentatives
  2. Idioms by Theme
  3. Modern Thematic Vocabulary

1. Diminutives and Augmentatives

In Spanish, suffixes are added to nouns, adjectives, and adverbs to express nuances such as size, affection, or contempt.

A. Diminutives (Diminutivos)

-ito/-ita (Most Common)

Expresses affection, small size, or friendliness

Original Diminutive Meaning Nuance
casa casita small house cute, cozy
perro perrito puppy, small dog cute
gato gatito kitten cute
libro librito small book small size
momento momentito just a moment softening
ahora ahorita right now immediacy
café cafecito a cup of coffee friendliness
hermano hermanito little brother affection
hermana hermanita little sister affection
abuelo abuelito grandpa affection
abuela abuelita grandma affection
amigo amiguito friend affection
pequeño pequeñito very small emphasis
poco poquito very little softening
cerca cerquita very close emphasis
bajo bajito very short softening
gordo gordito chubby affection/softening
flaco flaquito skinny affection/softening
pan panecito small bread cute
agua agüita water friendliness
beso besito little kiss affection
regalo regalito small gift modesty
favor favorcito small favor softening
viejo viejito old man affection
nuevo nuevecito brand new emphasis
lindo lindito very pretty emphasis
bonito bonitito very pretty emphasis
caliente calientito nice and warm emphasis
solo solito all alone (lonely) emotion emphasis
temprano tempranito very early emphasis

-illo/-illa

Slightly less affectionate, sometimes derogatory

Original Diminutive Meaning Nuance
chico chiquillo kid slightly derogatory
pan panecillo roll size
ventana ventanilla small window, counter size
guerra guerrilla guerrilla small war
camisa camisilla undershirt size
cigarro cigarrillo cigarette small cigar
paso pasillo corridor narrow passage
silla sillita small chair size
cuchara cucharilla teaspoon size
mesa mesilla nightstand small size
bolso bolsillo pocket small bag
libro librillo small booklet size
palo palillo toothpick small stick
tornillo tornillo screw small thing
ladrón ladronzuelo petty thief contempt

-ico/-ica (Regional: Caribbean, Aragon)

Original Diminutive Meaning Region
momento momentico just a moment Caribbean
rato ratico a little while Costa Rica
chico chiquitico very small Cuba
perro perrico puppy Aragon
poco poquitico very little Central America

-ín/-ina (Regional: Asturias)

Original Diminutive Meaning
pequeño pequeñín very small
chico chiquitín tiny kid
guapo guapetón → guapín handsome

Diminutive Formation Rules

1. Words ending in a vowel: - Drop vowel + -ito/-ita - casa → casita - perro → perrito

2. Words ending in a consonant: - As is + -ito/-ita (or -cito/-cita) - amor → amorcito - pan → panecito (e inserted)

3. Words ending in -co/-ca: - c → qu + -ito/-ita - poco → poquito - chico → chiquito

4. Words ending in -go/-ga: - g → gu + -ito/-ita - amigo → amiguito - largo → larguito

5. One-syllable words: - -ecito/-ecita - flor → florecita - pan → panecito - pez → pececito

B. Augmentatives (Aumentativos)

-ote/-ota

Large size, sometimes coarse or rough feeling

Original Augmentative Meaning Nuance
libro librote thick book size
palabra palabrota swear word coarse word
grande grandote very big size emphasis
amigo amigote close friend intimacy
feo feote very ugly emphasis
perro perrote big dog size
gato gatote big cat size
coche cochazo → cochote big car size
gordo gordote very fat emphasis
alto altote very tall emphasis

-azo/-aza

Large size, blow, impressive thing

Original Augmentative Meaning Nuance
golpe golpazo hard blow strong hit
perro perrazo big dog size
coche cochazo awesome car impressive
hombre hombrazo big man impressive
mano manaza big hand size
noticia notición → noticiazo big news importance
fiesta fiestazo great party emphasis
regalo regalazo great gift emphasis
gol golazo great goal impressive
libro librazo masterpiece, thick book impressive

-azo indicating a blow: | Noun | -azo form | Meaning | |------|-----------|---------| | puño | puñetazo | punch | | codo | codazo | elbow hit | | cabeza | cabezazo | headbutt | | rodilla | rodillazo | knee hit | | pistola | pistoletazo | gunshot/shot | | zapato | zapatazo | shoe hit | | bala | balazo | gunshot wound | | manotazo | manotazo | slap |

-ón/-ona

Large size, sometimes exaggerated characteristic

Original Augmentative Meaning Nuance
silla sillón armchair big chair
casa casona mansion big house
cuchara cucharón ladle big spoon
taza tazón large cup size
caja cajón drawer big box
soltar solterón/a old bachelor/spinster exaggeration
barriga barrigón potbelly exaggeration
cabeza cabezón/a stubborn negative
mandar mandón/a bossy negative
llorar llorón/a crybaby exaggeration
comer comilón/a big eater exaggeration
dormir dormilón/a sleepyhead exaggeration
preguntar preguntón/a nosy exaggeration
responder respondón/a backtalk negative

C. Nuance Summary of Diminutives/Augmentatives

Use Example Meaning
Affection Mi hijito / My dear son Loving
Size Una casita / A small house Physical size
Softening request ¿Me das un favorcito? / Could you do me a small favor? Reducing burden
Irony ¡Qué bonito! (sarcastic tone) / How nice! (sarcastically) Irony
Contempt Es un libraco / It's a terrible book Negative evaluation
Emphasis Está cerquita / It's really close Degree emphasis
Friendliness ¿Tomamos un cafecito? / Shall we have coffee? Comfort

2. Idioms by Theme

A. Weather Idioms

Idiom Literal Meaning Korean
Llueve a cántaros It rains by the pitchers It's pouring Heavy rain
Caer chuzos de punta To fall pointed stakes It's pouring Pouring rain
Hacer un frío que pela To make a cold that peels Freezing cold Bone-chilling cold
Hacer un calor de muerte To make a deadly heat Extremely hot Scorching heat
Estar en las nubes To be in the clouds Daydreaming Spacing out
Después de la tormenta viene la calma After the storm comes calm Things get better Better times ahead
No hay mal que por bien no venga There's no bad that doesn't come for good Every cloud has a silver lining Blessing in disguise
Llover sobre mojado To rain on wet Adding insult to injury When it rains, it pours
Tener la cabeza en las nubes To have one's head in the clouds To be distracted Absent-minded
Ser un rayo de sol To be a ray of sunshine To be cheerful Sunny person
Quedarse helado To be left frozen To be shocked Frozen with shock
Estar como agua para chocolate To be like water for chocolate To be furious Boiling mad
Hacer buen/mal tiempo To make good/bad weather Nice/bad weather Good/bad weather
Salir el sol The sun comes out Things improve Things look up
Tener un humor de perros To have a dog's mood To be in a bad mood Bad mood

B. Money/Work Idioms

Idiom Literal Meaning Korean
Ganarse la vida To earn one's life To make a living Make a living
Estar sin blanca To be without a penny To be broke Penniless
Tirar la casa por la ventana To throw the house through the window To spare no expense Spend lavishly
No tener donde caerse muerto To not have where to fall dead To be dirt poor Destitute
Costar un ojo de la cara To cost an eye from the face To cost a fortune Very expensive
Costar un riñón To cost a kidney To be very expensive Extremely expensive
Rascarse el bolsillo To scratch one's pocket To pay reluctantly Pay grudgingly
Trabajar como un burro To work like a donkey To work very hard Work like a dog
Vivir del cuento To live from the story To be a freeloader Mooch off others
Hacer el agosto To make the August To make a killing Make a fortune
Ser un maniroto To be loose-handed To be a spendthrift Big spender
Apretarse el cinturón To tighten the belt To cut expenses Tighten one's belt
Pagar a tocateja To pay on the nail To pay cash Pay cash
Ganarse el pan To earn the bread To earn one's living Earn money
Estar forrado To be lined To be rich Loaded with money

C. Time Idioms

Idiom Literal Meaning Korean
En un abrir y cerrar de ojos In an opening and closing of eyes In the blink of an eye In a flash
A cada rato At each moment All the time Frequently
De un momento a otro From one moment to another Any moment now Momentarily
De vez en cuando From time to time Occasionally From time to time
En el acto In the act Immediately Right away
A la larga In the long In the long run Eventually
De la noche a la mañana From night to morning Overnight Overnight
A primera hora At the first hour First thing First thing
A última hora At the last hour At the last minute Last minute
En un santiamén In a saint amen In no time In a jiffy
Más tarde o más temprano Sooner or later Sooner or later Eventually
De buenas a primeras From good to first All of a sudden Suddenly
A deshora At odd hour At an inconvenient time At an odd hour
Matar el tiempo To kill time To kill time Pass time
Perder el tiempo To lose time To waste time Waste time

D. Emotion Idioms

Idiom Literal Meaning Korean
Morirse de risa To die of laughter To laugh a lot Laugh to death
Ponerse de los nervios To put oneself of the nerves To get nervous Get anxious
Estar que arde To be burning To be furious Boiling mad
Estar en la luna To be on the moon To be distracted In another world
Estar hecho polvo To be made dust To be exhausted Worn out
Quedarse de piedra To be left of stone To be shocked Stunned
Estar como un flan To be like a flan To be very nervous Shaking
Tener los nervios de punta To have nerves on edge To be on edge On edge
Ponerse rojo como un tomate To turn red like a tomato To blush Blushing red
Llorar a moco tendido To cry with extended snot To cry a lot Cry buckets
Saltar de alegría To jump with joy To be overjoyed Jump for joy
Tener el corazón partido To have the heart broken To be heartbroken Heartbroken
Estar en el séptimo cielo To be in the seventh heaven To be in heaven On cloud nine
Dar saltos de alegría To give jumps of joy To jump for joy Jumping with joy
Caérsele el alma a los pies For the soul to fall to the feet To be devastated Devastated
Echarse a perder To throw oneself to lose To go bad Go bad
Armarse un lío To arm oneself a mess To get into trouble In trouble
Hervir la sangre For the blood to boil To be furious Blood boiling
Perder los estribos To lose the stirrups To lose one's temper Lose temper
Subirse por las paredes To climb the walls To hit the roof Hit the roof

E. Relationship Idioms

Idiom Literal Meaning Korean
Llevarse bien/mal To carry oneself well/badly To get along well/badly Get along well/badly
Caer bien/mal To fall well/badly To make a good/bad impression Like/dislike someone
Ser uña y carne To be nail and flesh To be inseparable Inseparable
Romper el hielo To break the ice To break the ice Break the ice
Dar la espalda To give the back To turn one's back Turn one's back
Echar de menos To throw less To miss someone Miss someone
Tener buena/mala onda To have good/bad wave To have good/bad vibes Good/bad vibes
Hacer buenas migas To make good crumbs To hit it off Hit it off
Meterse en la vida de To get into the life of To meddle Meddle
Tirar la toalla To throw the towel To give up Throw in the towel
Dar plantón To give a stand-up To stand someone up Stand up
Poner los cuernos To put the horns To cheat on Cheat on
Pedir la mano To ask for the hand To propose Propose
Quedarse para vestir santos To stay to dress saints To remain single Remain single
Sentar cabeza To sit head To settle down Settle down

F. Food Idioms

Idiom Literal Meaning Korean
Ser pan comido To be eaten bread To be a piece of cake Piece of cake
Estar como un queso To be like a cheese To be attractive Attractive
Dar calabazas To give pumpkins To reject Dump someone
Ponerse como un tomate To turn like a tomato To blush Turn red
Ser la media naranja To be the half orange To be one's better half Better half
Comerse el coco To eat one's coconut To overthink Overthink
Estar en su salsa To be in one's sauce To be in one's element In one's element
No ser santo de mi devoción Not to be a saint of my devotion To not like someone Not fond of
Importar un pepino To matter a cucumber To not care at all Not care at all
Ponerse las pilas To put in the batteries To get one's act together Get act together

3. Modern Thematic Vocabulary

A. Technology/Social Media

Spanish English Korean
la red social social network Social network
el influencer / influenciador influencer Influencer
el seguidor follower Follower
seguir to follow Follow
dar me gusta to like Like
compartir to share Share
publicar to post Post
el perfil profile Profile
la historia story Story
en vivo / en directo live Live
el contenido content Content
viral viral Viral
la tendencia trend Trend
el hashtag / la etiqueta hashtag Hashtag
etiquetar to tag Tag
el meme meme Meme
el video corto short video Short video
el algoritmo algorithm Algorithm
la notificación notification Notification
silenciar to mute Mute
bloquear to block Block
reportar to report Report
la cuenta account Account
la contraseña password Password
iniciar sesión to log in Log in
cerrar sesión to log out Log out
descargar to download Download
subir to upload Upload
la nube cloud Cloud
el enlace link Link
la aplicación / app application/app App
actualizar to update Update
el streaming streaming Streaming
la suscripción subscription Subscription
suscribirse to subscribe Subscribe

B. Environment

Spanish English Korean
el cambio climático climate change Climate change
el calentamiento global global warming Global warming
el efecto invernadero greenhouse effect Greenhouse effect
la huella de carbono carbon footprint Carbon footprint
las emisiones emissions Emissions
reciclar to recycle Recycle
el reciclaje recycling Recycling
reutilizar to reuse Reuse
reducir to reduce Reduce
sostenible sustainable Sustainable
la energía renovable renewable energy Renewable energy
la energía solar solar energy Solar energy
la energía eólica wind energy Wind energy
biodegradable biodegradable Biodegradable
el plástico de un solo uso single-use plastic Single-use plastic
la contaminación pollution Pollution
el medio ambiente environment Environment
la deforestación deforestation Deforestation
la extinción extinction Extinction
en peligro de extinción endangered Endangered
la biodiversidad biodiversity Biodiversity
el ecosistema ecosystem Ecosystem
ecológico ecological Ecological
orgánico organic Organic
la bolsa reutilizable reusable bag Reusable bag

C. Health/Wellness

Spanish English Korean
la salud mental mental health Mental health
el bienestar wellbeing Wellbeing
el estrés stress Stress
la ansiedad anxiety Anxiety
la depresión depression Depression
la meditación meditation Meditation
el mindfulness mindfulness Mindfulness
hacer ejercicio to exercise Exercise
el gimnasio gym Gym
el entrenamiento workout Workout
el yoga yoga Yoga
el pilates pilates Pilates
la dieta diet Diet
la alimentación saludable healthy eating Healthy eating
el vegetariano vegetarian Vegetarian
el vegano vegan Vegan
sin gluten gluten-free Gluten-free
el suplemento supplement Supplement
la vitamina vitamin Vitamin
la proteína protein Protein
las calorías calories Calories
el IMC (índice de masa corporal) BMI BMI
el insomnio insomnia Insomnia
la terapia therapy Therapy
el autocuidado self-care Self-care

D. Work/Remote Work

Spanish English Korean
el teletrabajo remote work Remote work
trabajar desde casa to work from home Work from home
el trabajo híbrido hybrid work Hybrid work
la videoconferencia video conference Video conference
la reunión virtual virtual meeting Virtual meeting
la oficina en casa home office Home office
el espacio de coworking coworking space Coworking space
el equilibrio trabajo-vida work-life balance Work-life balance
la productividad productivity Productivity
el agotamiento laboral burnout Burnout
la flexibilidad flexibility Flexibility
el horario flexible flexible schedule Flexible schedule
la gestión del tiempo time management Time management
el proyecto project Project
el plazo deadline Deadline
la tarea task Task
el feedback feedback Feedback
el colaborador collaborator Collaborator
el freelance freelance Freelance
el emprendedor entrepreneur Entrepreneur
la startup startup Startup
el networking networking Networking
el currículum / CV resume/CV Resume
la entrevista interview Interview
el contrato contract Contract

Study Tips

  1. Diminutive Practice: Use diminutives to express friendliness in everyday conversation
  2. Augmentative Caution: Augmentatives often have negative nuances, context is crucial
  3. Regional Differences: Diminutive preferences vary by region (Mexico: -ito, Caribbean: -ico)
  4. Idiom Context: Always learn idioms with context
  5. Modern Vocabulary: Acquire latest vocabulary through social media and news
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