Mini‑quiz: bromear en España (tomar el pelo, vacilar, de coña, de cachondeo)
Mini‑quiz de expresiones para bromear: elige la opción adecuada en 3 diálogos.
Dannis
Diálogo 1: —Te regalo un ático en la Gran Vía. —¿_____?
Choose the most natural answer.
Correct: 0/7
Hints for this Quiz
Think: which option is grammatically correct and commonly used? "tomar el pelo" is a fixed expression.
Choose the most natural answer.
Correct: "¿Me estás tomando el pelo?". The idiom "tomar el pelo" = to tease or play a prank on someone, a "small deception just for a joke". It’s a well‑known, age‑neutral expression in Spain.
Look for the colloquial equivalent of "you’re kidding". The form has to fit after "estás…".
Complete with the most natural option.
Correct: "estás de coña". The expression "estar de coña" = "to be joking, not speaking seriously". It’s very colloquial; because of its coarse origin, avoid it in formal contexts.
Think of an expression that describes fun and lack of seriousness as a fixed phrase after "estar".
Complete the fixed expression.
Correct: "de cachondeo". "Estar de cachondeo" = to be in "joking/partying mode", often with a nuance of not being serious or even of things being a bit of a mess. In some sources, "cachondeo" can also mean a state of chaos or disorganization.
Look for the form that both 20‑year‑olds and 60‑year‑olds will easily understand without it sounding like slang.
Choose the most “universal” synonym.
Correct: "tomar el pelo". It’s understood by all generations and means "to play a prank on / to tease". "Vacilar" is very informal and youth‑oriented; "estar de coña" is also very colloquial (with a coarse origin).
In a formal email, avoid expressions with a coarse nuance or that sound too "street".
Pay attention to formal register.
Correct: "Estaba de coña". This sounds too colloquial/rough in origin; in formal communication it’s better to use "era una broma / no iba en serio".
Remember the rule: negative imperative = "no + subjuntivo". And use the fixed idiom "tomar el pelo".
Negative imperative + fixed expression.
Correct: "No me tomes el pelo". In the negative imperative you use "no + subjuntivo": "no me tomes". The other options are ungrammatical in this pattern; "vacilar" is possible as "no me vaciles", but here the construction with "el pelo" is already given.
Look for a verb that normally takes a direct object: "vacilar a alguien = tomarle el pelo".
Choose the appropriate colloquial verb.
Correct: "te está vacilando". "Vacilar (a alguien)" = to wind someone up / to mess with someone; very colloquial, especially among young people, and close in meaning to "tomar el pelo".
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