Idioms are commonly used in everyday Spanish. Learning and understanding them will help you improve your conversational skills.

In this article, we are going to learn the following 10 Spanish idioms with estar.

The Spanish Royal Academy states more than 25 meanings for the verb estar. Some of them may be interesting for some learners. We are going to get deeper into this verb and learn 10 common idioms with estar that you can use in your conversations.

Estar como pez en el agua (to feel completely at home)

Estar como pez en el agua means to feel completely at home. You can use this idiom when you are comfortable or when you are doing a task that is easy for you. Another English equivalent could be to be in one’s element. Estar como pez en el agua literally means to be like fish in the water. Since fish’s element is water, they are comfortable in it.

Trabajo en esta empresa desde 2015. Estoy como pez en el agua.

I have worked in this company since 2015. I feel completely at home.

Me encanta Barcelona. Voy mucho porque allí estoy como pez en el agua.

I love Barcelona. I go there a lot because I feel completely at home there.

Estar a gusto (to be comfortable)

Estar a gusto means to be or to feel comfortable. As you can see, there could be many idioms with estar with similar meanings.

¿Estás a gusto aquí o prefieres esperar en esa sala?

Are you comfortable here or do you prefer to wait in that room?

Enciende el ventilador, por favor. Estaremos más a gusto con él.

Switch the fan, please. We’ll be more comfortable with it.

Estar a la altura (to be up to the task)

Let’s continue studying idioms with estar. The following one can have many possible translations depending on the context. Estar a la altura could be translated as to be up to the task when you refer to things or tasks. However, if you refer to people, it would be to be in the same league as.

Estoy seguro de que estarás a la altura y aprobarás el examen.

I am sure that you will be up to the task and will pass the exam.

Te hemos llamado porque no estás a la altura de tus compañeros.

We have called you because you are not in the same league as your colleagues.

Estar fuera de lugar (to be inappropriate)

Estar fuera de lugar is used when something is inappropriate or when something is not suitable for a situation. In English, you could also translate it as to be out of place.

Tus preguntas están fuera de lugar. Ahora no es el momento de hacerlas.

Your questions are inappropriate. Now it is not the right moment to ask them.

Los malos comentarios sobre la exposición estuvieron fuera de lugar.

The bad comments about the exhibition were out of place.

Estar en Babia (to be daydreaming)

In Spain, estar en Babia is probably one of the most popular idioms with estar. It is used when you want to point out that someone is distracted or not realizing what is happening around them. It means to be daydreaming or to be in the clouds.

Creo que todavía sigue pensando en María. Está en Babia.

I think he is still thinking of María. He is daydreaming.

Estás siempre en Babia. Deberías prestar más atención a las cosas importantes.

You are always daydreaming. You should pay more attention to important things.

Estar en Babia literally means to be in Babia. The origin of this idiom is quite interesting. Babia is a town located in the province of León, Spain. When this province was a kingdom, the king used to holiday in Babia. When someone wanted to talked to him or to be with him, they said he was Babia meaning he was not available. Over the centuries, this idiom came to mean being daydreaming or being absent-minded.

Estar en la gloria (to be in heaven)

Estar en la gloria means to be in heaven.

Estamos en la gloria aquí en la playa. No quiero volver a la ciudad.

We are in heaven here at the beach. I don’t want to go back to the city.

Roberto estaba en la gloria rodeado de todos sus amigos.

Roberto was in heaven surrounded by all his friends.

Estar con el agua al cuello (to be in dire straits)

Estar con el agua al cuello means to be in it up to one’s neck. It is used when you are in a difficult situations. Another popular English equivalent is to be in dire straits.

La empresa está con el agua al cuello. Es posible que la cierren en enero.

The company is in dire straits. It is possible that it will be closed in January.

Estás con el agua al cuello porque debes mucho dinero a los inversores.

You are in dire straits because you owe a lot of money to investors.

Estar en los huesos (to be nothing but skin and bones)

Let’s continue studying Spanish idioms with estar with an interesting one. The idiom estar en los huesos means to be nothing but skin and bones. It refers to a very skinny person.

Por favor, come un poco más porque estás en los huesos.

Please eat a bit more because you are nothing but skin and bones.

Antonio está en los huesos por culpa de su enfermedad.

Antonio is nothing but skin and bones because of his illness.

Estar sin blanca (to be broke)

Estar sin blanca means to be broke or to be penniless.

No puedo salir esta noche, estoy sin blanca.

I can’t go out tonight, I am broke.

Ha gastado todo en comprarse ropa nueva y ahora está sin blanca.

He has spent all to buy new clothes and now he is broke.

This idiom comes from a medieval coin that was called Blanca del Agnus Dei. This coin had very little value, so if someone was without any blanca, it meant that they had no money at all.

Estar hasta el gorro (to be fed up)

There are many idioms with estar that means to be fed up. One of them is estar hasta el gorro.

Estamos hasta el gorro de tus bromas. No son divertidas.

I am fed up of all your jokes. They are not funny.

Mi prima está hasta el gorro de limpiar ella sola la casa.

My cousin is fed up of cleaning the house by herself.

Exercises

We have just reviewed ten of popular Spanish idioms with estar. In our blog, you can also practice idioms with echar, hacer, poner or tener. Now let’s practice today’s idioms with estar.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

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Idioms and PhrasesVerb Estar