Common Spanish Collocations gives you a practical set of Spanish words and expressions in one place, so you can study useful vocabulary without digging through scattered sources.
Each row is designed for quick review with meaning, example usage, and any available pronunciation help. When you want an offline copy, use the free Download PDF button below the table.
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Quick Quiz
Think you’ve locked these collocations into memory? The quiz below gives you a friendly nudge – no grades, just a quick spot-check to see which ones need another pass.
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| Collocation | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| llamar la atención | verb + noun | to attract attention; to scold | Ese ruido me llama la atención. | That noise catches my attention. |
| llevarse bien | reflexive | to get along | Nos llevamos bien. | We get along well. |
| pasar hambre | verb + noun | to go hungry | En algunos países, muchas personas pasan hambre. | In some countries, many people go hungry. |
| pasar la noche | verb + noun | to spend the night | Vamos a pasar la noche en un hotel. | We’re going to spend the night in a hotel. |
| pasar tiempo | verb + noun | to spend time | Me gusta pasar tiempo con mis amigos. | I like spending time with my friends. |
| perder el autobús | verb + noun | to miss the bus | Perdí el autobús esta mañana. | I missed the bus this morning. |
| perder el tiempo | verb phrase | to waste time | No pierdas el tiempo con eso. | Don't waste time on that. |
| perder tiempo | verb + noun | to waste time | No quiero perder tiempo en cosas innecesarias. | I don’t want to waste time on unnecessary things. |
| poner atención | verb + noun | to pay attention | Por favor, pon atención a la explicación. | Please pay attention to the explanation. |
| poner la mesa | verb + noun | to set the table | Mi hermana pone la mesa antes de cenar. | My sister sets the table before dinner. |
| poner música | verb + noun | to play music | Voy a poner música mientras cocino. | I'm going to play music while I cook. |
| poner un ejemplo | verb + noun | to give an example | ¿Puedes poner un ejemplo de esa palabra? | Can you give an example of that word? |
| ponerse de acuerdo | reflexive | to agree | Nos pusimos de acuerdo. | We agreed. |
| preparar la cena | verb phrase | to prepare dinner | Mi madre prepara la cena temprano. | My mother prepares dinner early. |
| prestar atención | verb + noun | to pay attention | Presta atención. | Pay attention. |
| quitarse la ropa | verb phrase | to take off clothes | Me quito la ropa antes de dormir. | I take off my clothes before sleeping. |
| sacar buenas notas | verb + noun | to get good grades | Saca buenas notas. | You get good grades. |
| sacar dinero | verb + noun | to withdraw money | Voy al cajero para sacar dinero. | I'm going to the ATM to withdraw money. |
| sacar fotos | verb + noun | to take photos | Sacamos fotos en el parque. | We take photos in the park. |
| sacar la basura | verb + noun | to take out the trash | Todos los días saco la basura por la noche. | Every day I take out the trash at night. |
| sacar una foto | verb + noun | to take a photo | Voy a sacar una foto del paisaje. | I’m going to take a photo of the scenery. |
| salir de casa | verb phrase | to leave home | Salgo de casa a las ocho. | I leave home at eight. |
| tener calor | verb + adjective | to feel hot | Hoy tengo calor. | I feel hot today. |
| tener cuidado | verb + noun | to be careful | Ten cuidado con el perro. | Be careful with the dog. |
| tener éxito | verb + noun | to succeed | Tuvo mucho éxito. | It was very successful. |
