In today’s lesson, you will learn 3 common Spanish terms or phrases for everyday conversational Spanish. I decided to write this article after a subscriber to my Spanish-language learning newsletter emailed me and said “Patrick, can you give me some everyday common Spanish terms or phrases that I may need to use with my Spanish speaking friend who does not speak any English.”

Well, I can think of 3 phrases:

1. How to say tie your shoe laces in Spanish:

Átate los cordones (de los zapatos).

Tie your shoe laces.

I have also heard Spanish speakers say:

Amárrate los cordones (de los zapatos).

Tie your shoe laces.

Both “atar” and “amarrar” mean the English verb “to tie.” And “cordones” means the English

word “laces.”

2. How to say close your zipper in Spanish:

Súbete el cierre.

Close your zipper.

A closer translation for “súbete el cierre” would be lift up or raise your zipper. Besides the phrase “súbete el cierre” you may also hear Spanish speakers say:

Súbete la cremallera.

Close your zipper.

I have heard both phrases used in Colombia. And when preparing this email, I telephoned a Dominican friend who has lived in Spain for just as long as I have lived in Colombia, and she told me that in Spain they often use the word “cremallera” (zipper).

But in both Spain and Colombia, “cremallera” is considered a more formal way to say zipper.

By the way, I didn’t bother to ask my Dominican friend how would Dominicans say “close your zipper.” She had lived in Nueva York for over 10 years before moving to Spain. And I am absolutely sure that if I had asked her that question what she would have told me is the way Spanish speakers in New York

and the other parts of the U.S. say the phrase. And the phrase that I have always heard ALL SPANISH SPEAKERS in Nueva York (New York) say is:

Súbete el siper (zipper).

I am not sure if the word “siper” (zipper) is a word from the Spanish language or the “Spanglish” language.

By the way, I remember an interesting question that a Mexican friend in Nueva York asked me when he was studying English:

He asked me why do Americans say “your fly is open” when they want to say “tienes el cierre abierto.”

Or as they would say in Colombia when speaking formally:

Tienes la cremallera abierta.

Your zipper is open.

3. The third and final common Spanish term for today is one that you may want to skip if you easily find things “asqueroso” (disgusting). And that’s how to say, you have a booger in your nose:

Tienes un moco en la nariz.

Notice that in Spanish the phrase “en la nariz” is used instead of “en tu nariz.” It is implied that YOU have it in YOUR nose and not in the nose of someone else.