Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 43

CEFR A2-B1

5 min read

Test yourself (24 questions)

Spanish Set Phrases: tener ganas, echar de menos and More

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

Five ordinary verbs, , , , and , hand their meaning to the noun beside them in fixed phrases:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

  • . - I miss you. ( is to throw)
  • . - I don't mind. ( is to give)

Learn each one as a whole chunk, little words included.

The light verbs on one screen

One everyday phrase per verb. The rest of the page takes them one verb at a time.

VerbPhraseEnglish
to feel like
to realise
to be needed
to miss
to agree

For , and your age, the A1 phrases, see tener expressions.

tener: states you have

With the noun is something you have in a loose sense, and English usually reaches for be, make or take rather than have.

the fixed little wordWhat do the colours mean?
ExpressionLiteralReal meaning
to have urges ofto feel like
to have senseto make sense
to have placeto take place
to have in accountto bear in mind
to have careto be careful
to have to see withto have to do with
  • . - I really want to see you.
  • . - That makes no sense.
  • . - The meeting will take place on Monday.
  • . - Bear the price in mind.
  • . - Be careful.
  • . - That has nothing to do with the subject.

English says make sense, but Spanish has it: , never .

dar: things that are given to you

With something is handed over, often a feeling. In and the person who feels it is the indirect object, as with :

ExpressionLiteralReal meaning
to give equalnot to matter
to give oneself accountto realise
to give fearto frighten
to give sorrowto make one sad
to give the thanksto thank
to give a walkto take a walk
to give the turnto turn round
  • , . - I don't mind, you decide.
  • . - I didn't realise the time.
  • . - That film is frightening.
  • . - It makes me sad to see you like that.
  • . - We went for a walk in the park.

needs both its pieces: the reflexive pronoun and the .

hacer: actions you do or make

builds phrases for shared, everyday actions:

ExpressionLiteralReal meaning
to make lackto be needed
to make caseto pay attention
to make tailto queue
to make the peacesto make up
to make oneself the foolto play dumb
  • . - There's no need for you to come.
  • . - Nobody pays me any attention.
  • . - I hate queuing at the supermarket.
  • , . - They argued, but they made up.
  • . - Don't play dumb.

In the thing needed is the subject: - I need a car; - I need two.

echar: the least literal of all

normally means to throw, yet its set phrases are about missing, helping and looking:

ExpressionLiteralReal meaning
to throw of lessto miss
to throw a handto lend a hand
to throw a glanceto have a look
to throw oneself toto burst out (doing)
  • . - I miss you a lot.
  • ¿ ? - Will you give me a hand with this?
  • . - I'm going to have a look at the menu.
  • . - He/she burst into tears.

is the usual phrase in Spain; most of Latin America says : - I miss you.

poner: getting things set

puts something into a state or into motion, and its reflexive is the busiest form:

ExpressionLiteralReal meaning
to put oneself in accordto agree
to put in marchto set going
to put to the dayto bring up to date
to put on the batteriesto get cracking
  • . - In the end we agreed.
  • . - They' going to get the project going.
  • . - I need to bring you up to date.
  • , . - Get cracking, there's not much time left.

Mistakes English speakers make

The verb is rarely the problem. The little words are:

WrongRightWhy
. .echo is from
a . .the phrase takes
Me . .
. .sense is something you have
me . .attention is

What to do next

  1. Do the sort and spot-the-mistake drills below.
  2. Pick three phrases and write one true sentence with each.
  3. Then time and frequency phrases: , a , a .

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/8

Which verb goes with each phrase?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/5

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

Fill in the blank

0/6

Complete each set phrase with the light verb in the right form.

  1. No ganas de salir esta noche. (I don't feel like going out tonight.) (tener)

  2. Te de menos cuando viajas. (I miss you when you travel.) (echar)

  3. Por fin nos de acuerdo. (At last we agreed.) (ponerse, preterite)

  4. Creo que tú razón. (I think you're right.) (tener)

  5. No falta comprar más pan. (There's no need to buy more bread.) (hacer)

  6. De repente me cuenta del error. (Suddenly I realised the mistake.) (darse, preterite)

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose the light verb that completes each phrase.

  1. Hay que cola en el banco. (You have to queue at the bank.)

  2. Vamos a un paseo por el parque. (Let's take a walk in the park.)

  3. Tienes que las pilas antes del examen. (You need to get cracking before the exam.)

  4. ¿Puedes un vistazo a mi trabajo? (Can you have a look at my work?)

  5. Después de la pelea, quieren las paces. (After the fight they want to make up.)

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Frequently asked questions

Why can't I translate Spanish set phrases like word by word?
Because the verb has lost its literal meaning. normally means to throw, but means to miss someone. In a set phrase the verb carries the grammar (person, tense) and the noun carries the sense. (I miss you) has no throwing in it, just as English take a walk has no taking.
What is a light verb?
A common verb that adds little meaning of its own and props up a noun that supplies the sense: (to take a walk) leans on , not on . English does the same with take, make and have. , , , and are the busiest light verbs in Spanish.
Do these set phrases take a preposition?
Some do, and the preposition is part of the phrase: , , . Some take no preposition: , , . Some are reflexive: , . Store the whole frame, plus an infinitive, not just the verb.
What does ?
To miss someone or something: (I miss you), (I miss my home). It is the usual phrase in Spain; Latin America mostly says : . Spell it echo, from , not , which belongs to .
How do you say I feel like in Spanish?
plus an infinitive or a noun: (I feel like going out), (I fancy a coffee). Add to stress it: (I really want to see you). In the negative, means I don't feel like it.