Do idioms help in the DELE B2 speaking test? Yes, as long as they fit what you’re saying. Vocabulary is one of the four categories used to mark the speaking test, and a well-chosen idiom shows natural Spanish. Here are 12 idioms used both in Spain and in Latin America that fit the B2 tasks, 5 it’s better to avoid because of their register, and how to use them without sounding as if you learnt them by heart.
How much do idioms count in the speaking mark?
The B2 speaking test is marked on two scales: a holistic one (the overall impression), worth 40 %, and an analytic one, worth 60 %, with four categories: coherence, fluency, accuracy and range. The three tasks don’t weigh the same on the analytic scale: Task 1 and Task 2 are worth 35 % each and Task 3, 30 %.
Idioms fall under range, which measures how broad and precise your vocabulary is. For band 2, the scale asks for a wide repertoire to describe and give opinions “without obvious searching for words”, and it allows for “some imprecision or error in word choice”. In other words, there are no extra points for counting idioms, but they help you show that repertoire. And in my course I stress that taking a risk with advanced vocabulary is valued, even if you sometimes get it wrong.
What do I say if a word won’t come?
This is where idioms get you out of trouble. If you forget a word, instead of going silent, say so naturally:
- “Lo tengo en la punta de la lengua…” (It’s on the tip of my tongue…)
- “Ahora mismo no se me viene a la cabeza…” (It’s not coming to me right now…)
Then describe what you mean: “es el aparato que sirve para amplificar la voz”. That way you turn a blank into a sample of idiomatic Spanish, and the fluency scale specifically mentions using circumlocution and paraphrase. If you’re worried about going blank, here are strategies to recover in the speaking test.
Which 12 idioms work in the DELE B2 speaking test?
I chose them because they’re common, understood across the Spanish-speaking world, have a register that suits a conversation with the interviewer and come up naturally with B2 topics.
1. Echar una mano
To help out. Useful for talking about family, work, volunteering or neighbours.
Example: “Cuando me mudé, mis compañeros de trabajo me echaron una mano con las cajas”.
2. Ir al grano
To get straight to the point.
Example: “Prefiero las reuniones cortas en las que se va al grano; si no, se pierde mucho tiempo”.
3. Merecer la pena (or valer la pena)
To be worth it, worth the effort or the money. Perfect for assessing proposals in Task 1.
Example: “Creo que merece la pena invertir en más carriles bici, aunque al principio sea caro”.
4. Dar en el clavo
To hit the nail on the head. Use it to say which proposal you think is best.
Example: “Para mí, la tercera propuesta da en el clavo, porque ataca la causa del problema”.
5. Matar dos pájaros de un tiro
To kill two birds with one stone.
Example: “Si el colegio abre la biblioteca por la tarde, mataría dos pájaros de un tiro: los niños estudian y los padres pueden trabajar tranquilos”.
6. Costar un ojo de la cara
To cost an arm and a leg.
Example: “Esa solución está muy bien, pero costaría un ojo de la cara y no creo que el ayuntamiento pueda pagarla”.
7. No dar abasto
To be unable to keep up with everything. Very useful in Task 2, when you imagine a busy situation.
Example: “Parece que el camarero no da abasto: el restaurante está lleno y está él solo”.
8. Ser pan comido
To be a piece of cake. Use it for your skills or hobbies, not for the exam.
Example: “Cocinar para diez personas es pan comido para mi madre; para mí, en cambio, es un reto”.
9. No tener pelos en la lengua
To speak your mind, to not mince your words.
Example: “Mi abuela no tiene pelos en la lengua: si algo no le gusta, lo dice”.
10. Salir el tiro por la culata
To backfire.
Example: “Quería sorprender a mi pareja con una cena, pero me salió el tiro por la culata: él había preparado lo mismo”.
11. Tener los pies en la tierra
To be realistic, to have your feet on the ground.
Example: “Es una idea muy bonita, pero hay que tener los pies en la tierra: no hay presupuesto para todo”.
12. Consultarlo con la almohada
To sleep on it.
Example: “Antes de cambiar de trabajo, yo lo consultaría con la almohada”.
Which 5 idioms are better avoided in the speaking test?
They’re not wrong. The problem is register: in a conversation with someone you don’t know, in an exam, they can sound out of place. Each one comes with an alternative.
1. Estar de mala leche
To be in a bad mood, but it’s very colloquial and many people find it a bit rude. Better: “estar de mal humor”.
2. Estar como una cabra
To be crazy. Said about a specific person, it can sound disparaging. Better: “es muy excéntrico” or “tiene ideas muy originales”.
3. Importar un pepino (or un pimiento)
A very colloquial way of saying you couldn’t care less. In an exam where you’re asked for your opinion, it sounds as if the topic doesn’t interest you. Better: “no le doy mucha importancia” or “me resulta indiferente”.
4. Estar al loro
To be alert or in the know. It’s very marked colloquial slang from Spain. Better: “estar al tanto” or “estar al día”, which everyone understands.
5. Long proverbs forced in
“A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda” or “Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando” are correct, but if they don’t fit what you’re saying, they break your flow instead of enriching it. Only use them if they come out naturally.
How do I use idioms without sounding rehearsed?
- Inside longer answers. In a one-sentence answer the idiom stands out awkwardly. Inside an explanation of three or four sentences, it blends in.
- One per turn. Two or three well-placed idioms across the whole test are plenty.
- Linked to the task material. In Task 1, idioms for assessing fit well (“da en el clavo”, “merece la pena”, “costaría un ojo de la cara”); in Task 2, ones for describing situations (“no da abasto”, “le salió el tiro por la culata”); in Task 3, ones for nuanced opinions (“hay que tener los pies en la tierra”).
- If you get it wrong, correct yourself. The accuracy scale talks about mistakes the candidate “sometimes corrects”: correcting yourself naturally is valued.
Wrong and right examples
Wrong: “Mi rutina es ir al trabajo, comer y dormir. Es pan comido.” (A routine isn’t “easy” or “hard”; the idiom doesn’t fit.)
Right: “Levantarme a las seis ya es pan comido para mí; lo que me cuesta es acostarme pronto.”
Wrong: “El cambio climático me da en el clavo.” (That’s not what the idiom means.)
Right: “La propuesta de plantar árboles en los patios da en el clavo, porque baja la temperatura y además da sombra.”
Wrong: “Merece la pena.” (A bare answer with no context.)
Right: “Aunque es caro, creo que merece la pena, porque a largo plazo el barrio ahorraría en limpieza.”
Frequently asked questions about idioms in the DELE B2 speaking test
How many idioms should I use?
Two or three well-placed ones across the whole test. If you don’t use any, that’s fine: what matters is that your vocabulary is broad and precise.
Do idioms raise your mark a lot?
They don’t add points on their own. They count under range, together with the rest of your vocabulary.
What if I use one wrongly?
Correct yourself naturally and carry on. Taking a risk with advanced vocabulary is valued, and so is self-correction.
Can I use idioms in the writing test?
Yes, carefully. Don’t use colloquial expressions in a formal text, but neutral idioms like “merecer la pena” or “dar en el clavo” work well.
Are Latin American idioms OK?
Yes. The DELE accepts every variety of Spanish. What matters is using them correctly and in the right register.
What about the C1 and C2?
There a broader and more precise repertoire is expected. You’ll find more ideas in idioms and set phrases for the DELE C1 and C2.
In short
- Idioms count under range, one of the four categories in the speaking test.
- 12 that work: echar una mano, ir al grano, merecer la pena, dar en el clavo, matar dos pájaros de un tiro, costar un ojo de la cara, no dar abasto, ser pan comido, no tener pelos en la lengua, salir el tiro por la culata, tener los pies en la tierra and consultarlo con la almohada.
- 5 to avoid because of register: estar de mala leche, estar como una cabra, importar un pepino, estar al loro and proverbs forced in.
- If a word won’t come: “lo tengo en la punta de la lengua”, then describe it.
- Two or three well-placed idioms are worth more than ten forced ones.
If you want to work on the speaking test task by task, my DELE B2 course gives you strategies for each part of the exam, commented examples, a community, a chat for your questions and group calls: https://b2.aporeldele.com/. If you want to see what the test is like, here’s what Paper 4 of the DELE B2 looks like. And for free resources before each exam session, join the newsletter: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin.
¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸
