05/24/2025
Colombian Spanish is full of colorful expressions to describe family relationships — and sounding like a native starts with mastering these idioms! 🇨🇴💬
Here are four family-themed idioms you’ll hear in Colombian homes:
✨ SER UÑA Y CARNE
Literal: "To be nail and flesh"
Means: To be inseparable or extremely close.
✅ English equivalent: "To be joined at the hip" / "To be inseparable"
✨ PARECERSE COMO DOS GOTAS DE AGUA
Literal: "To look like two drops of water"
Means: To look exactly alike.
✅ English equivalent: "To be like two peas in a pod" / "To look identical"
✨ DE TAL PALO, TAL ASTILLA
Literal: "From such stick, such splinter"
Means: Children resemble their parents.
✅ English equivalent: "The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree"
💡 Want to sound more Colombian when you talk about your family?
Try these idioms and see how native your Spanish feels.
📌 Which one did you already know? Drop your favorite in the comments and try using it in a sentence!