Spanish Phrases and Idioms Using ‘Ojo’

Spanish Phrases and Idioms Using ‘Ojo’ Sight is one of the most important senses, the one most of us use most to learn whats happening around us. So it shouldnt be surprising that a number of phrases refer to the organ of sight. This is especially true in Spanish, which has over two dozen phrases using the word ojo. Following are some of the most common ones, along with some examples of their use. Many of the definitions below include a literal translations. These are word-for-word translations of the phrase rather than how the phrases would be used or understood by a native speaker. Spanish Phrases Referring to Eyes abrir/cerrar los ojos (to open/close ones eyes): Es un ejercicio que consiste en abrir y cerrar los ojos. (Its an exercise that consists of opening and closing the eyes.) ojo a la funerala, ojo a la virulà ©, ojo morado (bruised or black eye; literally ) ojos saltones (bulging eyes; literally eyes that jump) poner los ojos en blanco (to roll ones eyes; literally to make the eyes white): Cuando no saben de quà © hablar, ponen los ojos en blanco. (When they dont know what to say, they roll their eyes.) Names of Things Using Ojo ojo de buey (porthole; literally crabs eye or oxs eye) ojo de la cerradura (keyhole; literally eye of the lock) ojo de la escalera (stairwell; literally eye of the stairway) ojo de gallo (corn, a type of growth on a foot; literally roosters eye) ojo de pez (fish-eye lens; literally fishs eye) ojo de la tormenta (eye of the storm) Idioms Using Ojo abrir los ojos a alguien, abrirle los ojos a alguien (to open someones eyes): El curso me abrià ³ los ojos a cosas que nunca se me habà ­an ocurrido antes. (The course opened my eyes to things that never had occurred to me before.) a ojos vistas (in plain sight, clearly, obviously; vista comes from the past participle of ver, to see): Antonio progresaba a ojos vistas en todos los aspectos. (Antonio clearly progressed in all aspects.) andar con ojo, andar con mucho ojo, andar con cien ojos (to be careful; literally to walk with an eye, to walk with much eye, and to walk with 1,000 eyes): Anda con ojo con el coche. (Be careful with the car.) a ojo de buen cubero (by rule of thumb, approximately, roughly; literally by the eye of a good barrel maker): La capacidad de la bandeja de papel, a ojo de buen cubero, no supera las 150 hojas. (The capacity of a tray of paper, as a rule of thumb, doesnt exceed 150 sheets.) comerse con los ojos a alguien (to figuratively drool over someone, to stare at someone): Andrea se comà ­a con los ojos a mi amigo Luis. (Andrea drooled over my friend Luis.) costar algo un ojo de la cara (to cost an arm and a leg; literally to cost an eye of the face): Este perro le costà ³ un ojo de la cara. (That dog cost him an arm and a leg.)  ¡Dichosos los ojos que te ven! (How great it is to see you! Literally, happy the eyes that see you!) en un abrir y cerrar de ojos (in the twinkling of an eye; literally in the opening and closing of eyes): En un abrir y cerrar de ojos la vida nos cambià ³. (Life changed us in the twinkling of an eye.) mirar algo con buenos/malos ojos (to look at something favorably/unfavorably, to approve/disapprove of; literally to look at something with good/bad eyes): Esa religià ³n miraba con malos ojos la comunicacià ³n con los antepasados. (That religion looks unfavorably on communication with the dead.) no pegar ojo (to not get any sleep; literally to not seal the eye shut): Hace dos noches que no pegà ³Ã‚  ojo Antonio. (Two nights ago Antonio didnt sleep) poner los ojos a/en alguien/algo (to set ones sights on someone/something): Pinochet puso los ojos en Sudfrica. (Pinochet set his sights on South Africa.) ser todo ojos (to be all eyes): Martà ­n era todo ojos y todo oà ­dos para aprender. (Martin was all eyes and ears for learning.) tener ojo clà ­nico para algo (to be a good judge of something, to have a good eye for something; literally to have a clinical eye for something): No tiene ojo clà ­nico para elegir a quienes le acompaà ±an. (He doesnt have good judgment in picking who goes with him.) tener ojos de lince (to have extremely good eyesight, to have eagle eyes; literally to have the eyes of a lynx): Si tiene ojos de lince posiblemente pueda ver los pequeà ±os loros verdes. (If you can see really well, you might be able to see the small green parrots.) Proverbs and Sayings Ojo por ojo, diente por diente. (An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.) Ojos que no ven, corazà ³n que no siente. (What the eye doesnt see, the heart doesnt feel.) Cuatro ojos ven ms que dos. (Two heads are better than one. Literally, four eyes are better than two.)  ¡Ojo! can also be used by itself as an interjection to mean Watch out! or Be careful!