Have you ever noticed how Spanish speakers use the word gracia in different ways? Today, we'll explore this versatile word and its various meanings through real-world examples.
One of the most common uses of gracia refers to the special charm or appeal of something:
La gracia de esta ensalada está en el bacalao.
The charm of this salad is in the codfish.
Captions 81-82, Soledad Ensalada de alcachofa
Play Caption
This meaning extends to physical grace and elegance in movement:
¡Qué salero tiene esta niña!", pero la niña no lleva nada de sal encima, quiere decir que tiene mucha gracia, en su manera de actuar o hablar o bailar.
What a salt shaker this girl has!" but the little girl isn't carrying any salt, it means that she has a lot of charm in her manner of acting or talking or dancing.
Captions 17-20, Aprendiendo con Silvia Frases hechas - Part 1
Play Caption
Ahora, tenés que levantarte también lentamente con mucha gracia,
Now, you have to stand up also slowly with a lot of grace,
Caption 24, Muñeca Brava 43 La reunión - Part 4
Play Caption
The word gracia frequently appears in contexts related to humor and entertainment. Let's look at some examples:
Pero bueno, fue un poco de susto y un poco de gracia también.
But, well, it was a bit of a scare and a bit funny too.
Caption 98, Sevilla, España Hotel Kivir - Part 2
Play Caption
The expression hacer gracia means to find something amusing or funny:
¿Qué cosas te hacen gracia, por ejemplo? Pues me hacen gracia... las comedias de televisión, también los monólogos divertidos y los chistes que cuenta mi hermana.
What things do you find funny, for example? Well, I find funny... TV comedies, also fun monologues, and the jokes my sister tells.
Captions 49-52, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y sentimientos
Play Caption
Sometimes people try to be deliberately funny:
y mi padre, por hacer la gracia, decidió regalarle a mi madre carbón dulce.
and my father, to be funny, decided to give my mom sweet coal.
Captions 62-63, Isabel y Paula contigo Día de Reyes - Part 1
Play Caption
Gracia can refer to the unique quality or special characteristic that makes something valuable:
¿Y la gracia de tu trabajo no consiste en no pagar?
And the beauty of your job doesn't consist of not paying?
Caption 43, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 3 - Part 9
Play Caption
In religious contexts, gracia takes on a spiritual meaning:
Llena las almas la gracia de Dios
The Lord's grace fills our souls
Caption 12, Villancicos Jacky canta "Noche de Paz"
Play Caption
The word gracia can also be used ironically, often to describe someone's questionable ideas or actions:
donde a alguien se le ocurra la gracia de meterse con algún miembro de mi familia.
where someone has the bright idea of messing with any member of my family.
Captions 3-4, Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal Capítulo 1 - Part 2
Play Caption
When talking about food, "sin gracia" means without taste or bland:
Importante, si no la crema va a quedar muy sosa. O va a quedar sin gracia.
It's important; if not, the cream is going to end up really bland. Or it's going to end up without taste.
Captions 26-27, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 4
Play Caption
This versatile expression can mean:
- To find something funny
- To try to be funny
- To amuse someone
Can mean:
- To be naturally funny
- To have charm
- To be ironic (in certain contexts)
Used to describe:
- Something tasteless (in food)
- Something boring or dull
- A person without charm or grace
Refers to:
- The special quality of something
- The purpose or point of something
- The charm or appeal of something
1. Pay attention to context - The same expression can have different meanings depending on the situation.
2. Watch for tone - Especially in ironic uses.
3. Notice regional variations - Some expressions might be more common in certain Spanish-speaking countries.
4. Consider the setting - Religious vs. casual contexts use "gracia" differently.
Remember that mastering the various uses of gracia will help you sound more natural in Spanish and better understand native speakers. Practice using these expressions in your conversations!
Have you encountered other interesting uses of gracia in Spanish? Share your experiences with us! Don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
The Spanish verb dar (to give) is very useful, especially to ask and receive good things in life. It can be used in a very literal way to express the idea of giving all sort of things, concrete or abstract, and it's also used in many idiomatic expressions. Let's analyze a few examples:
Let's start with the basic meaning of dar. The imperative mode is a big favorite:
Señorita, la foto es suya. -¡Dame, dame la foto!
Miss, the picture is yours. -Give me, give me the photo!
Caption 56, Yago - 3 La foto
Play Caption
Remember that the actual conjugated form of the verb here is only da (you give). However, in the imperative form it is very common to attach object pronouns to the verb forms, in effect using them as suffixes. In this case the pronoun me (to me) functions as the indirect object of the verb. It's also very common to also attach more than one pronoun, for example to substitute the direct object as well. In this case the direct object is la foto, a feminine noun. So Morena could have also simply said dámela (give it to me). If there were many fotos it would be dámelas (give them to me), and if we were talking about, let's say, zapatos (shoes), then it would be dámelos (give them to me). You know, it's just an important thing to learn. There is a saying in Spanish that goes, al que no habla, Dios no lo oye (he who doesn't speak, God won't hear).
The verb dar is also used to deal with abstract ideas of giving. For example, just as in English we can say something like "you give me a headache," a Spanish speakers would say me das dolor de cabeza. Spanish extends the use of dar even more, though, to express ideas for which English instead uses verbs such as "to produce," "to yield," or "to bear."
Mil seiscientos cincuenta da el kilo y nos pesamos.
The kilo yields one thousand six hundred fifty and we weigh it.
Caption 8, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
Play Caption
Digamos en la costa, también da buenas frutas.
Let's say in the coast, it also produces good fruit.
Caption 18, Rafael T. - Guatemala Hermosa
Play Caption
In fact, the list of uses of dar is quite extensive. You can learn many here and maybe try to find examples in our videos. We'll focus now on the use of dar in idiomatic expressions, where the meaning of dar (to give) is completely transformed into something very different. For example, dar is used to express that something happens:
No sé, se dio así.
I don't know, it happened that way.
Caption 24, Yago - 9 Recuperación
Play Caption
There is also the expression darse cuenta (to realize):
Mirala bien y te das cuenta que es una minita.
Look at her closely and you'll realize that it's a chick.
Caption 10, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
Play Caption
The expression se me da por is used to express the idea of getting into the habit or liking of doing something. For example:
Papá, mira la casualidad,
Dad, look what a coincidence,
ahora que se me da por caminar te encuentro siempre.
now that I got into the habit of walking, I always run into you.
Captions 56-57, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
Play Caption
On the other hand, when someone says that something se le da, it means that something comes natural to the person, that it is a natural talent he or she has:
Que se me dan bastante bien los idiomas.
That I'm pretty good at learning languages.
Caption 4, Club de las ideas - Pasión por el golf
Play Caption
Or not...
A mí no se me da eso de andar en reversa
I'm not good at driving in reverse
Caption 5, Gloria Trevi - Cinco minutos
Play Caption
One last example. From the expression darse por vencido (to give up, literally "to give oneself as defeated") comes the useful question-and-answer pair, ¿Te das? - Me doy. You must learn both if you like adivinanzas (riddles). This is how you use them:
-Oro parece, plata no es. ¿Qué fruta es? / -It looks like gold, it's not silver. What fruit it is?
-No sé. Me doy. / -I don't know. I give up.
-¿Te das? / -Do you give up?
-¡Sí, me doy! / -Yes, I give up!
- Fácil. Es el pláta-no. / Easy. It's the banana.
French
German
Italian
Chinese
English
English 
Français
Deutsch
Español
Italiano
Português
