Tips on How To Flirt in Spanish and Up Your Game 😘

Q: How do you call someone a “flirt” in Spanish?

Ligar in Spanish means “to flirt” and you would refer to someone as a flirt by either calling the person ligón (in the case of a guy) or ligona (in the case of a gal). So, to refer to someone as a flirt would go something like this: Eres un ligón . (“You are a flirt” - for a guy) Eres una ligona (“You are a flirt” - for a gal)

Q: What are some pick-up lines in Spanish for him?

Here are some examples of flirtatious compliments – piropos – with their English (loose translations) you might hear Spanish lads utter: Niña, vete por la sombra que los bombones al sol se derriten (Girl, go walk by the shade, that chocolate candies under the sun melt.) Se te ha caído el papel que te envolvía, bombón . (The paper wrapping you fell off, you chocolate candy.) ¡ Guapa ! (Gorgeous/pretty) Tu madre debía ser pastelera porque un dulce como tú no lo fabrica cualquiera (Your mother must have been a baker because a sweet like you does not get made by just anybody. ¡ Tía Buena ! (Hottie, female) ¡ Maciza ! (Hottie, female) ¡ Viva la madre que te parió ! (Long live the mother that gave birth to you!)

By LTL Team HQ
Spanish Culture
September 2, 2024

How To Flirt in Spanish
Spain’s Unique Romance Style

Flirting in a new language can be both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking, especially when you want to make a great impression.

Spanish, with its melodic flow and passionate expression, is a language made for romance.

Whether you’re planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, trying to impress someone special, or just want to add some flair to your language skills, learning how to flirt in Spanish is a fun and rewarding experience.

👉 In this blog, we’ll explore essential vocabulary, phrases, and tips to help you flirt confidently in Spanish. From charming compliments to playful banter, you’ll learn how to express your interest in a way that feels natural and genuine.

So, get ready to turn up the charm and dive into the world of Spanish flirting! ❤️‍🔥

How To Flirt in Spanish || What to Expect
How To Flirt in Spanish || El Piropo, the Essential Tool
How To Flirt in Spanish || Flirting Cultural Differences
How To Flirt in Spanish || Flirting Lexicon
How To Flirt in Spanish || Quiz
How To Flirt in Spanish || FAQs

PLAY

How To Flirt in Spanish || What to Expect

You’d have to agree that it is always important to set one’s expectations right, whether
it be in flirting in Spain or in life in general.

👉 Knowing what to expect then, already gives you an edge and why not, may avoid some unnecessary cross-cultural confusion in Spain when it comes to the flirting realm.

For starters, know that Spanish in general are more expressive, direct and passionate than their more continental counterparts.

So when it comes to flirting, expect that to translate to being more physical with your touch, overt with your feelings and especially not shy away from direct eye contact.

Are you starting to get the picture?

How To Flirt in Spanish ||
El Piropo, the Essential Tool

👉 Some basic flirting vocabulary.

The more commonly used word in Spain when referring to the act of flirting is ligar (to flirt), although flirtear is also synonymous, accepted and understood, albeit not as frequently used.

Now for some flirting tools… Being more open and expressive with their thoughts and feelings is generally the Spanish way of being. So what more when it comes to flirting!

Who can deny that the combination of a timely uttered piropo with an accompanying smile and direct eye contact can often do the trick and garner one’s attention towards you.

So, for best results, loosen up your repertoire and use compliments more liberally (and respectfully, of course).

Also, don’t be surprised to find that women in Spain can be just as bold as men and accordingly compliment just as frequently as men do! There is in fact a famous Spanish vintage song that reflects this sentiment and chants:

La española cuando besa ¡ole! (The Spanish woman, when she kisses ¡ole!)

Es que besa de verdad (Truly kisses)

In case you’re curious, the vintage song is (aptly) called El Beso (The Kiss) and was sung by a group called Los Churumbeles de España. Check it out!

Some historical context and fun facts:

Some historical authors trace the origins of the piropo back to Spanish-Arab times, having to do with the art of the troubadours and courtly love in the era of Al-Ándalus (the Muslim-ruled territories within the Iberian Peninsula – from the 8^th century up to almost the turn of the 15^th century).

The Super Powers of Y in Spanish

Y in SpanishWhere the Y Is Located Makes All the Difference The chameleonic letter ‘y’ is the 26th letter of the Spanish alphabet and is referenced as ye or I griega (y or the Greek i), in contraposition…

How To Flirt in Spanish ||
Flirting Cultural Differences

Some neighbors…

While some witty banter is appreciated when flirting, it is not the highlight of flirting in Spain, much unlike their up-north British neighbours.

Flirting in Britain, at least initially, is said to be more subtle and focused on the exchange of witty banter rather than the more physical displays Spaniards are known for.

From the get-go, flirting in Spain is all about body language and the physicality of touch, eye contact and flirtatious enchantments.

Moving along to a different Spanish neighbouring country, Italy.

Italians are renowned for being just as overt and explicit in their flirtatious approach as the Spanish are. Perhaps even more so, as Italian men have been characterized as being noticeably more persistent in their pursuits.

Preferred flirting spots…

👉 Let’s start with clubbing and nightclubs. While maybe in other countries, flirting can mostly unfold in nightclubs, in Spain, that’s not necessarily the case.

In Spain, before hitting a nightclub (if you even get there), you will have most likely met up with friends for drinks in a bar, where you will probably spend most of your night. You will have more chances to flirt and meet people in this setting.

Also, statistics show that you are most likely to meet a potential partner (hence, flirt) in other more mundane scenarios like in university, at work, through friends of friends, at the gym, etc.).

Nightclubs – again, if you even get there – are the last destination when partying out at night in Spain. Chances are that by then, you might not be in full use of all your cognitive faculties – not always the ideal scenario to flirt.

Also, you will find that in Spain, friends mostly go to nightclubs in groups and to have fun, enjoy the music and dance. Come to think of it, it’s also pretty difficult to maintain a flirtatious conversation in a nightclub with all the diversion and loud music going on.

Funny enough, it’s spot on how many Spanish mothers are known to admonish their kids not to expect to find their future spouses in a nightclub…

Oh, and in Spain it’s not really a thing for someone (most especially a stranger) to buy you a drink when out at night, unlike perhaps in the US where someone you don’t know can offer to buy you a drink.

📌 Did you know? What’s more customary in Spain, if ever, is for friends to take turns buying each other drinks or rounds of drinks.

More traditional cultures (in comparison)…

In stark contrast to the Spanish flirtatious ways, we may perhaps consider other Asian cultures, which in general can be more reserved and traditional in their ways.

Societies in some of these countries are known to favor a more traditional approach, especially of roles, circumstances and places where flirting is acceptable.

And speaking of places, in Spain, displays of affection in public are widespread and generally accepted, which may not be the norm and even be discouraged in other countries and cultures.

BECOME A WORLDWIDE FLIRT 😘🌍 Learn Cheesy Pick Up Lines in Chinese and How to Say Beautiful in Japanese

How To Flirt in Spanish || Flirting Lexicon

👉 While the flirtatious lexicon ( piropos ) is diverse and is expressed in a wide variety of ways in Spain, here are some phrases that you can bet your bottom dollar you will hear at some point when in Spain.

Oh and believe it or not!

But there are studies on the nature, evolution and tendency of the Spanish piropos, which shed some interesting light on the preferred general usage for both men and women.

Apparently, men prefer to use words such as bombón (which usually refers to a chocolate candy but when used in a flirtatious context, loosely translates to “gorgeous/stunner”).

Other preferred piropos by the Spanish lads are guapa (beautiful/pretty) and sol (which literally means “sun” and can equate to the English term of endearment “sweetheart/darling”.

💃 Women on the other hand, prefer the use of the words guapo (handsome) and bueno (either in conjunction with the verb estar – like so, está bueno or está muy bueno – or with the word tío – like so, tío bueno – all equating to calling a guy hot or so hot.)

Now you’ve mastered ‘How to Flirting in Spanish’ , why not check out these Spanish essentials?

👉 Spanish Question Words

👉 What time is it?

👉 The Super Powers of Y in Spanish

How To Flirt in Spanish || Quiz

Before you dive into the world of Spanish romance, make sure to test your knowledge here first!

How To Flirt in Spanish || FAQs

How do you call someone a “flirt” in Spanish?

Ligar in Spanish means “to flirt” and you would refer to someone as a flirt by either calling the person ligón (in the case of a guy) or ligona (in the case of a gal).

So, to refer to someone as a flirt would go something like this:

Eres un ligón. (“You are a flirt” – for a guy)

Eres una ligona (“You are a flirt” – for a gal)

What are some pick-up lines in Spanish for him?

Here are some examples of flirtatious compliments – piropos – with their English (loose translations) you might hear Spanish lads utter:

Niña, vete por la sombra que los bombones al sol se derriten (Girl, go walk by the shade, that chocolate candies under the sun melt.)

Se te ha caído el papel que te envolvía, bombón. (The paper wrapping you fell off, you chocolate candy.)

¡Guapa! (Gorgeous/pretty)

Tu madre debía ser pastelera porque un dulce como tú no lo fabrica cualquiera (Your mother must have been a baker because a sweet like you does not get made by just anybody.

¡Tía Buena! (Hottie, female)

¡Maciza! (Hottie, female)

¡Viva la madre que te parió! (Long live the mother that gave birth to you!)

What are some pick-up lines in Spanish for her?

Here are some of the more frequent ones used by the Spanish dames – together with their loose translations to English.

¡Guapo! (Handsome)

Guapísimo (Handsome, with more emphasis)

¡Qué guapo eres! (You’re so handsome)

¡Tío bueno! (Hottie, male)

¡Qué bueno que estás! (You’re so hot!)

¡Qué ojazos! (What beautiful eyes)

How to ask someone out on a date?

The easiest and safest way to ask someone out on a date is to ask them out for drinks (understood in the ample sense of the word, that is, including a soda or a coffee), so this can be extensive to any time of the day.

Here are several versions of the same phrase, “Would you like to go get a drink?”

¿Vamos a tomar algo? (Let’s have a drink)

¿Te apetece tomar algo? (Are you up for having a drink?)

¿Tomamos algo? (Let’s have a drink?)

¿Quedamos para tomar algo? (Shall we meet for a drink?)

You get the gist… Another widely used word would simply be: ¿Quedamos?, meaning to say, “Let’s meet up?”.

What’s a cute Spanish nickname?

Here are some of the most commonly used Spanish terms of endearment:

Amor (love) or mi amor (my love)

Cielo (literally means “sky” but akin to saying “love/darling”)

Tesoro (literally means “treasure” but akin to saying “precious”)

Cariño (sweetheart/sweetie)

Corazón (literally means “heart” but akin to saying “darling/dear”)

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