Expressions with the verb “hacer” and “hacerse”.
Hello everybody! Today we will learn together the most used Spanish expressions with the verb hacer and hacerse. Take a look at this list and learn how to use them properly!
The verb hacer and its pronominal hacerse are one of the verbs with more meanings in the Spanish language. In fact, according to the RAE (Real Academia de la lengua Española), this verb has more than fifty meanings.
Today we bring you some of the most common idioms that will help you express yourself like a native Spanish-speaker.
1. Hacer acto de presencia
Meaning: to make an appearance, to be present.
Example: El presidente del Gobierno hizo acto de presencia en la ceremonia de inauguración. / The President of the Government made an appearance at the inauguration ceremony.
Originally, it meant “to attend a place for a very short time and just to comply”. More recently, a more general usage has spread, meaning “to show up at a place”.
2. Hacer algo al pie de la letra
Meaning: to follow the instruction to the T, doing something very precisely.
Example: Seguí tus consejos al pie de la letra y conseguí lo que quería. / I followed your advice to the T and got what I wanted.
3. Hacer borrón y cuenta nueva
Meaning: to start over with a clean slate.
Example: Después de una larga discusión decidimos hacer borrón y cuenta nueva y empezar de nuevo. / After a long discussion we decided to start over with a clean slate.
4. Hacer buenas migas
Meaning: to get along with someone, to hit it off.
Example: Estoy súper contenta, Juan y Pablo han hecho buenas migas enseguida. / I’m very happy, Juan and Pablo hit it off straight away.
5. Hacerse chuletas (en un examen)
Meaning: to cheat in an exam.
Example: Lucía no había estudiado para el examen y decidió hacerse chuletas. / Lucia hadn’t studied for the exam, so she decided to make cheat sheets.
6. Hacer las paces
Meaning: to make peace, to make up with someone.
Example: Lucas y tú lleváis demasiado tiempo enfadados. ¿Por qué no hacéis las paces de una vez? / You and Lucas have been angry for too long, why don’t you two just make up?
7. Hacer falta
Meaning: to need a person or a thing.
Example: ¿Puedes ir al supermercado? Me hacen falta huevos para hacer la tortilla. / Can you go to the supermarket? I need eggs to make a tortilla.
The expression “hacer falta” is conjugated together with the direct object pronouns and must agree with the subject in the same way as the verb gustar.
8. Hacer la vista gorda
Meaning: to pretend not to realise or see that something is happening. To turn a blinde ye.
Example: El jefe le vio usando el móvil en el trabajo pero hizo la vista gorda y no le dijo nada. / The boss saw him using his mobile phone at work but turned a blind eye and said nothing.
The expression “pasar por alto” is also often used with the same meaning.
9. Hacerse la boca agua
Meaning: enjoy thinking about food that we woule like to eat or like a lot.
Example: Cuando pienso en las croquetas de mi madre se me hace la boca agua. / When I think of my mother’s croquettes, my mouth waters.
The water (el agua) refers to “saliva” and the verb “salivare” (to salivate).
10. (No) Hacer ascos a
Meaning: (not) to turn something down.
Example: Carlos es un zampabollos*, nunca le hace ascos a la comida. / Carlos is a glutton; he never turns food down.
*Who eats a lot.
11. Hacerse de rogar
Meaning: not to agree to somebody’s request until it has been insistently asked for. It can also mean “to delay”.
Example: Si al final vas a venir no te hagas de rogar. / If you’re going to come with us, don’t make yourself begging.
12. Hacerse de oro
Meaning: to get rich, to make fortune.
Example: Se hizo de oro con el negocio de venta de barcos. / He made his fortune in the boat sales business.
13. Hacerla buena/ Haberla hecho buena
Meaning: having done something wrong or harmful. To have really done it.
Example: -No podemos entrar en casa porque nos hemos dejado la llave dentro. -Pues sí que la habéis hecho buena./ We can’t get into the house because we left the key inside. -Well, you’ve really done it.
14. Hacerse el sueco/ Hacerse el loco/tonto
Meaning: to pretend not to know what’s going on. To play dumb.
Example: Siempre que tiene un problema se hace el sueco. / Whenever he has a problem, he plays dumb.
The expression comes from the Swedish sailors who docked in Spanish ports and who, it is said, took advantage of their lack of knowledge of the language to understand only what was of interest to them.
The expression ‘”como si nada”, has also the same meaning.
15. Hacer novillos/pellas
Meaning: to skip school.
Example: Manuel y Pedro hicieron pellas para irse de compras. / Manuel y Pedro skipped school to go shopping.
16. (No) hacer gracia
Meaning: colloquially, it means “to like” something or someone. With someone, the meaning can be physical or sentimental attraction.
Example :-¿Te gusta el helado de fresa? -No me hace mucha gracia pero no me importa comérmelo./ -Do you like strawberry ice cream? -I don’t like it very much, but I don’t mind eating it.
It also means “to make someone laugh”. When something is funny and we laugh, we can say “Me hace gracia”.
El chiste que ha contado Enrique me hace mucha gracia. / The joke that Enrique told is very funny to me.
17. Hacer caso
Meaning: to pay attention, to listen to somebody.
Example: Mi hijo siempre me hace caso a lo que le digo, es muy bueno. / My son always listens to me; he is very good.
18. Hacerse a la idea de algo
Meaning: to get it into your head.
Example: Aunque no te guste trabajar deberías hacerte a la idea porque necesitamos el dinero. / Even if you don’t like to work, you should get it into your head because we need the money.
19. Hacerse cargo de algo
Meaning: to take care/charge of something.
Example: Yo me hago cargo de traer las bebidas y la tarta para la fiesta./ I will take charge of bringing the drinks and cake to the party.
Here are 19 expressions with the verb hacer and hacerse that will help you to enrich your vocabulary a little bit more.
If you liked this post, you might be interested in our previous article on expressions with the verb ser.
Finally, we would like to remind you that the teaching staff at our Spanish language school, El Rincón del Tándem, is always available to answer any questions you may have about the Spanish language and culture.
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