| be | Podrías estar desperdiciando tu futura fertilidad. | You could be squandering your future fertility for all you know. |
| be | Deberíamos estar alineándolos, no instalándolos. | We should be aligning them by now, not installing them. |
| be | Dicha exigencia deberá estar debidamente motivada. | When making such a request, full reasons shall be given. |
| be | Parecía estar desarrollándose a pasos agigantados. | It was believed to be on the fast track to development. |
| be | Y podía estar dondequiera que quisiera estar. | And could just be wherever it wanted to be. |
| be | Los hostiles podrían estar diviendose para poder estar con ambos grupos... y mantenerlos en línea. | The hostiles might be splitting up so they can be with both groups... to keep them in line. |
| be | Debería estar, debería estar por aquí. | It should be, it should be around here. |
| be | Aquí deberían estar, deberíamos estar. | Here they'd be, here we'd be. Yes, sir. |
| be | Nunca estoy donde debería estar cuando debería estar. | I'm never where I should be when I should be there. |
| be | Aunque supongo que debería estar acostumbrada a estar excluida del círculo estos días. | Although I guess I should be used to being cut out of the loop these days. |
| be | Puedo estar con quien quiera estar. | I can be with who I want to be with. |
| be | Ojalá pudieran estar aquí sin estar aquí. | I wish they could be here without being here. |
| be | Prefiero estar sola a estar con un hombre como Judd. | I would rather be alone than be with a man like Judd. |
| be | Es sólo estar donde no debes estar. | Just being someplace you're not supposed to be. |
| be | Es imposible estar seguros, pero parecen estar operativas. | It's impossible to be certain, but they appear to be operational. |
| be | No necesito estar drogada para estar contigo. | No, I just don't need to be high to be with you. |
| be | Es extraño estar vivo, cuando la evidencia dice que debería estar muerto. | It's a little strange to be walking around when every shred of evidence says I should be dead. |
| be | El profesor está enfadado con nosotros. | The teacher is angry with us. |
| be | El director está en su despacho. | The director is in his office. |
| be at each other's throats | Mi perro Vobo siempre anda a la greña con el de los vecinos: se llevan fatal. No sé como esos dos siguen juntos si siempre están a la greña. | I heard raised voices from my neighbors: they were at each other's throats all evening. |
| be lacking in [sth] | Este guiso está escaso de sal. | This stew is lacking in salt. |
| be light years away | El fin de la crisis parece estar a años luz. | The end of the crisis seems like it is light years away. |
| be light years away from | Ese problema está a años luz de resolverse. | This problem is light years away from being sorted out. |
| be up to [sth] | Con su actitud, Esteban demostró que no está a la altura y que acertamos al despedirlo. | Esteban demonstrated with his attitude that he was not up to the job and that we were right in firing him. |
| be commonplace | En aquella época, los secuestros estaban a la orden del día en el país. | At the time, kidnappings were commonplace in the country. |
| be at daggers drawn with [sb] | Estoy a matar con mi prima; si ella va a la fiesta yo no voy. | I'm at daggers drawn with my cousin; I won't go to the party if she does. |
| be around the corner | Hay que recoger todo que tus padres están al caer. | You have to pick everything up because your parents are around the corner. |
| be with it | Si quieres estar al loro de lo que se lleva esta temporada tienes que ver esta revista de moda. | It you want to be with it in what is trending this season, you have to look at this fashion magazine. |
| be on the ball | Vino un niño a pegarle al suyo en el parque, pero la madre estuvo al quite y lo apartó a tiempo. | A child tried to punch her son in the park, but she was on the ball and pulled him out of the way in time. |
| have another think coming | ¡Si cree que después de lo que ha hecho voy a ir con él al baile, está apañado! | If he thinks that after what he's done I'm going to go to the ball with him, he's got another think coming! |
| be in trouble | Si no me ayudas, estoy apañado. | If you don't help me, I'm in trouble. |
| be in good [sth] | A sus 85 años, mi suegra está bien de salud. A pesar de que ya casi no camina, el abuelo está bien de la cabeza. | At the age of 85, my mother-in-law is in good health. |
| serve [sb] right | Se lo merece, le está bien empleado después de lo que le hizo a su esposa. | It serves him right after what he did to his wife. |
| feel well | Si no estás bueno pide una cita con el médico. | If you don't feel well, make a doctor's appointment. |
| have a fever, run a fever | Ramón estaba caliente cuando despertó y por eso no fue hoy a la oficina. | Ramón had a fever when he woke up and that's why he didn't go to work today. |
| be crazy | Juan está como un cencerro. Ya tiene edad de sentar la cabeza. | Juan is crazy. He's already at the age where he should settle down. |
| be completely mad, be off your head | Estás como una cabra, deja de bailar encima de la mesa. | You're completely mad, stop dancing on the table. |
| be crazy | Estás como una regadera, deja de hacer tonterías. | You must be crazy! Stop being so foolish. |
| be over it | Si me hubieras contado eso hace unos diez años, tal vez me habría preocupado un poco, pero a estas alturas ya estoy curado de espanto. | If you had told me that ten years ago, maybe it would have worried me a little, but at this point in life, I'm already over it. |
| chat | Mi padre está siempre de cháchara al teléfono. | My dad is always chatting on the phone. |
| be in a bad mood | Hoy tuve un día difícil y estoy de malas pulgas: mejor ni me hables. | I had a tough day today and I'm in a bad mood, so you'd better not speak to me. |
| be in a bad mood | No sé qué te pasa últimamente, siempre estás de morros. Nuestra hija está de morros porque la castigamos. | I don't know what's up with you lately, you are always in a bad mood. |
| be down on your luck | Javier está de pega, de nuevo le han robado la bicicleta. | Javier is down on his luck: his bike has been stolen again. |
| be in luck | Ese día los ladrones estaban de suerte y se salvaron de que los atraparan. | That day, the thieves were in luck and avoided capture. |
| to die for | Esta lasaña está de vicio. | This lasagna is to die for. |
| laze around | Se está de vicio en esta hamaca. | He's lazing around in this hammock. |
| be in on [sth] | Mi hermana se hace que no sabe, pero yo sé que está en el ajo. | My sister makes out that she doesn't know, but I know she's in on it. |
| be in the spotlight | La reina de belleza está en el candelero. | The beauty queen is in the spotlight. |
| be in the spotlight | Las noticias de las celebridades siempre están en el candelero. | News concerning celebrities are always in the spotlight. |
| be within [sb]'s rights | Los clientes están en su derecho a quejarse si algo no les gusta. Ya sabes que estás en tu derecho a pedirles respeto a tus jefes. | It is within the customers' rights to complain if something isn't to their liking. |
| be in seventh heaven, be on cloud nine | Mis padres están en la gloria desde que se jubilaron y se fueron a vivir al campo. | My parents have been in seventh heaven since they retired an went to live in the countryside. |
| be in the dark | Será una fiesta sorpresa; el homenajeado está en la inopia. | It will be a surprise party; the guest of honour is in the dark. |
| be distracted, be far away, be miles away | ¿Te pasa algo? Desde esta mañana estás en la inopia. | Is something wrong with you? You've been miles away since this morning. |
| have your head in the clouds | ¿Perdiste la billetera otra vez? Siempre estás en la luna. | Did you lose your wallet again? You always have your head in the clouds. |
| be daydreaming | El profesor nota si los estudiantes están en las nubes. | The professor notices if the students are daydreaming. |
| have your head in the clouds | Lucía está en las nubes desde que se casó y tuvo a su primer hijo. | Lucy has had her head in the clouds ever since she got married and gave birth to her first son. |
| have your head in the clouds | Es bonito estar en las nubes, pero no todo el día. | It is nice to have your head in the clouds, but not all day long. |
| be on your last legs | Voy a visitar a mi abuela al hospital todos los días porque está en las últimas. | I'm visit my grandfather in hospital every day because he's on his last legs. |
| be on its last legs | Voy a comprarme una computadora nueva porque esta ya está en las últimas. | I'm going to buy a new PC because this one is on its last legs. |
| not have two pennies to rub together | Después de ese mal negocio, el joven empresario está en las últimas. | After that failed business venture, the young entrepreneur doesn't have two pennies to rub together. |
| be certain, be right | Estaba en lo cierto cuando dije que esta inversión no era buena. | I was right when I said that this investment wasn't worthwhile. |
| stand by what's been said, stand by your word | Estoy en lo dicho: ese joven no me agrada y no pienso cambiar de opinión. | I stand by my word: I don't like that young man and I won't change my opinion. |
| be in diapers | El proyecto está en mantillas, pero pronto veremos resultados. | The project is still in diapers but we'll soon see the results. |
| be wet behind the ears | Estoy en mantillas: todavía no sé de qué se trata el trabajo ni cuánto van a pagarme. | I'm wet behind the ears: I still don't know what my job is about nor when I'm going to get paid. |
| be distracted | Hoy ese estudiante está en orsay y no se entera de nada. | The student is distracted today and isn't taking anything in. |
| be in your element | La biología no es lo mío, pero, si hablamos de computadoras, ahí sí estoy en mi elemento. | Biology is not my thing, but, if we talk about computers, I'm really in my element. |
| be in the cards | Estaba escrito que se cruzarían nuestros caminos: era inevitable. La historia ya estaba escrita: el dictador llegó al poder aquel año. | It was in the cards that our paths would cross; it was inevitable. |
| be lovey dovey | Aunque Andrés tuvo un disgusto muy fuerte ayer con su novia, hoy otra vez está hecho un almíbar. | Even though Andrés had a tiff with his girlfriend yesterday, today he's all lovey dovey again. |
| be as thin as a pencil | Martín se puso a dieta y ahora está hecho un espárrago. | Martin went on a diet and is now as thin as a pencil. |
| be all wrinkly, be all crumpled up | La cara de la anciana estaba hecha un higo. | The old lady's face was all wrinkly. |
| be beaten and bruised | Mi hijo está hecho un lázaro porque estaba jugando rugby. | My son is beaten and bruised because he was playing rugby. |
| be in tatters, be in shreds | Cámbiate de ropa que no puedes estar hecho un lázaro cuando venga la visita. | Change your clothes because you can't be seen to be in tatters when the guest arrives. |
| be a bundle of nerves | Cuando llegó al hospital por el parto de su mujer, el joven estaba hecho un manojo de nervios. | When he arrived at the hospital for the birth of his child, he was a bundle of nerves. |
| doubled up | Durmió en el sofá hecho un ocho y, cuando se despertó, le dolía todo. | He slept doubled up on the sofa and when he woke up his whole body ached. |
| be pooped, be wiped out | No quiero hacer nada hoy; estoy hecho un pingajo. | I don't fancy doing anything today: I'm pooped. |
| be as wrinkled as a prune | Mi hermano está hecho una pasa; parece un anciano. | My brother is as wrinkled as a prune; he looks like an old man. |
| be on cloud nine | Desde que sabe que lo han admitido en la Facultad de Medicina está hecho unas pascuas. | Since he found out he's been admitted into the Faculty of Medicine, he is on cloud nine. |
| have a bad [+ body part] | Estoy mal del hígado; tengo hepatitis. La paciente está mal de los riñones. | I wanted to play basketball, but I have a bad knee. |
| be low on [sth] | En estos momentos no podemos comprar otro auto porque estamos mal de plata. | At the moment we can't buy a new car because we're low on funds. |
| be nutty, be loopy | Creo que mi vecina está mal de la cabeza: siempre que me ve, me dice su nombre como si no me conociera. | I think my neighbor is loopy: every time she sees me she tells me her name, as if we had never met. |
| be as old as the hills | Ese espectáculo está más visto que el tebeo. | This show is as old as the hills. |
| be as old as the hills | Tom Hanks está más visto que el tebeo. | Tom Hanks is as old as the hills. |
| be too old for | Estás muy grande para que te diga lo que debes hacer. Mi hermano está muy grande como para que mi papá todavía lo defienda. | My brother is too old for my dad to be standing up for him still. |
| have had it | Ese carro está para el tigre. En lugar de arreglarlo, mejor véndelo para repuestos. | That car has had it. Instead of fixing it, it's better to sell it for spare parts. |
| be sky-high, be through the roof | No puedo ir a visitarte este año porque los boletos de avión están por las nubes. | I can't come to see you this year because ticket prices are sky-high. |
| remain to be seen | Con los últimos escándalos de corrupción, los proyectos del alcalde están por verse. | The Mayor's projects remain to be seen in light of the latest corruption scandals. |
| remain to be seen | Los resultados de la inversión están por verse. | The results of the investment remain to be seen. |