Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
THE LOCAL LIST

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Seven of the best cheesy chat up lines in Spanish

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and although the coronavirus means it may not be the best time to be dating right now, there's no reason why you shouldn't brush up on the lingo you'll need to woo a Spanish sweetheart for when the time comes.

Published: 10 February 2020 09:32 CET
Updated: 10 February 2021 16:32 CET
Seven of the best cheesy chat up lines in Spanish
Photo:AFP
Hace calor aquí? O eres tu? (Is it hot here? Or is it you?) 
 

Photo: Leo Hidalgo/Flickr
 
In the heat of a Spanish summer, this may be the perfect key to open the lock of that Spanish heart you've been trying to conquer. Try taking off your shirt or wearing your bathing suit to make the line doubly effective!
 
Si la belleza fuese delito, te hubiera dado cadena perpetua (If beauty was a crime, you deserve life in prison)
 

Photo: Minh Son Phan/Flickr 
 
Life in prison may not seem like the most romantic thing to wish upon your would-be lover, however this is sure to make them believe that you'd at least spend your confinement together. After all, you did just call her beautiful.
 
Crees en amor a primera vista? O vuelvo a pasarte otra vez (Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk past you again?)
 

Photo: Victor Bautista/Flickr 
 
If you just spotted someone who caught your eye, ask them if they felt the same way or if you should try walking by them again… if they don't catch you the first time, perhaps cupid needs a second chance.
 
Perdona, sabes dónde está la tierra? Porque desde que te vi ando en las nubes (Excuse me, do you know where the earth is? Because since I laid eyes on you my head is in the clouds)
 

Photo: Hadi Zaher/Flickr 
 
You're not trying to tell her that your skies are cloudy because of her, so make it sound as if she has dreamy effects on you and hopefully she’ll get the message.
 
Tu papa debe de ser pirata, porque tu eres un tesoro! (Your dad must be a pirate, because you are a treasure!)
 

Photo: Scott Smith/Flickr 
 
Not that you ever want to insult her dad (or any member of her family, as a matter of fact), but telling her that she's a treasure will sure make the two of you shine!
 
Hola, te pareces mucho a mi próxima novia (Hello, you look a lot like my next girlfriend)
 

Photo: Kyle Steed/Flickr 
 
Spanish women hate their men talking about their past girlfriends, but talk to her as if she was the woman of your future and you might just be on to a winner.
 
Como se siente al ser la chica mas guapa en esta habitación? (What does it feel like to be the prettiest girl in the room?)
 

Photo: Anne Worner/Flickr 
 
This will make any Spanish woman blush. If you want to exaggerate the effect, try calling her the
prettiest woman in the world by saying “como se siente al ser la chica mas guapa del mundo?”
 
By Olivia Mathieson

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Spanish Words of the Day: Top Manta

If you've spent time in any major Spanish city or tourist spot, you'll have no doubt seen 'top manta' happening.

Published: 3 May 2024 11:12 CEST
Spanish Words of the Day: Top Manta

Top manta is a Spanish expression used to refer to the illegal sale of fake and counterfeit goods on bedsheets and blankets in the street.

Known as manteros in Spanish, these street hawkers are usually from sub-Saharan African countries, and they sell fake and copied products such as CDs, DVDs and phone cases, as well as imitation clothes (often football shirts), handbags, watches and shoes.

Selling in this way is illegal in Spain, and the idea behind using bedsheets is that they can quickly wrap up their stuff in a sack (there’s often a string attached) and disappear whenever the police pass through the area.

The phrase is pretty simple: manta means bedsheet, blanket, or throw. Top is the English adjective (as in best), used to refer to the supposed quality of the goods on sale.

Many manteros are undocumented migrants, so street selling is often the only form of income they can find in Spain.

However, that hasn’t stopped a group of migrants in Barcelona forming a clothing collective and launching their own clothing brand ‘Top Manta’ that sells its own brand of shoes with the slogan: ‘True clothes for a fake system.’

READ ALSO: In Spain, migrant-designed trainers kick against system

Top manta is illegal but still a common sight in Spanish city centres. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)

Though top manta sellers are a familiar sight on streets around Spain, manteros have gained traction in the Spanish media in recent years.

Amadou Diouf, a Senegalese mantero, told El Diario that “a person who dedicates himself to top manta does so because the law on foreigners forces him to do so”, despite the fact that one “arrives in Spain with a desire to work and integrate into society.”

READ ALSO: Spain to debate blanket legalisation of its 500,000 undocumented migrants

If the laws were changed, Diouf said, manteros “would dedicate themselves to their own trade”, and he stressed that he and many others were not street sellers in Senegal or their home countries, but started to do so in Spain because they had no other option.

Top Manta used in the Spanish press.

Some years ago a top manta seller who goes by Lory Money went viral on Spanish social media for his song in which he talks about ‘doing a Santa Claus’ (hago el santa claus) referring to the way street sellers quickly turn their manta into a sack, like Santa Claus, before running away.

Examples of top manta in speech

Aunque el top manta sea ilegal, los que lo dedican a ello lo hacen para sobrevivir (Even though street hawking is illegal, the guys who do it for a living need it to survive).

Creo que la policía ha pillado a algunos de los manteros, (I think they caught some of the street vendors).

SHOW COMMENTS