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.
Ready to make your Spanish sound a lot more natural? A few well-matched words can do more heavy lifting than a whole toolbox, so scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable common Spanish collocations vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable common Spanish collocations flashcards.
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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. |
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