AdultLingoSpanish course › Section 1 › Unit 3
⚡ Chemistry & Body Language in Spanish
Put unspoken tension and physical touch into words. Dancing, electricity between two people, touch, holding hands, recognizing mutual attraction.
“Malèna. Tonight, Seville. Most of what happens between two people is never said. I will teach you to say it anyway, slowly.” — Malèna, your host for this unit
Practise this unit free ➔Key Spanish words and phrases
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sonreír | to smile |
| sostener | to hold (up) |
| guiñar un ojo | to wink |
| sostener la mirada | to hold someone's gaze |
| bajar la mirada | to look down |
| saludar | to greet, say hello |
| venir | to come |
| bailar | to dance |
| bailar pegados | to dance close together |
| la cintura | waist |
| el ritmo | rhythm |
| dejarse llevar | to let yourself go, be carried away |
| la pista | dance floor |
| la música | music |
| la mano | hand |
| acercarse | to come closer |
| seguir | to follow; to keep going |
| hay química | there's chemistry |
| sentir | to feel |
| la chispa | spark |
| rozar | to brush against |
| el roce | a light touch |
| la piel | skin |
| coger de la mano | to hold hands (Spain) |
| la piel de gallina | goosebumps |
| tocar | to touch |
| creo que… | I think (that)… |
| la atracción | attraction |
| mutuo | mutual |
| la prisa | hurry, rush |
| sin prisa | no rush |
| despacio | slowly |
| más despacio | slower |
| no hay prisa | there's no hurry |
| el arte | flair, grace (Andalusia); art |
Example sentences
I like your gaze.
If you want to talk come and say hello
Let yourself be led by the music.
Come closer and follow the rhythm.
There's chemistry between us.
I felt electricity when you touched me.
The attraction is mutual.
I like you, but let's take it slow.
A conversation from this unit
Early evening on a terrace by the river in Triana. Catherine and Malèna are having a vermouth.
Catherine: Ese chico de la barra no deja de mirarme.That guy at the bar won't stop looking at me.
Malèna: Y tú le sostienes la mirada.And you're holding his gaze.
Catherine: Claro. Es guapo.Of course. He's good-looking.
Malèna: Ahora te sonríe.Now he's smiling at you.
Catherine: ¿Voy a saludar?Shall I go and say hello?
Catherine: Viene. Viene hacia aquí.He's coming. He's coming over here.
Malèna: Te lo dije. Ahora, sonríe.I told you. Now, smile.
Culture notes
Seville in spring. A friend from Seville takes you to the Feria de Abril. You see a striped marquee full of people dancing. Can you just walk into any caseta?
Usually not: most casetas are private, so you go in as the guest of someone who belongs.
Most of the Feria's casetas (the striped marquees) belong to families, groups of friends, clubs and associations, and you get in as somebody's guest. A few public ones, run by the city's districts, are open to everyone. So when a sevillano asks you to come along, it's a real invitation.
Say it like a local: ¿Te vienes a la Feria? — Do you want to come to the Feria?
Inside the caseta, the music starts and people pair off for sevillanas. How do partners dance sevillanas?
Face to face, passing and circling each other, with hardly any touching.
Sevillanas are danced in pairs, face to face, in four short parts. Partners circle and pass each other, arms raised, and barely touch: the flirting is all in the eyes. Your partner can be anyone: a friend, a grandmother, a stranger who asks nicely.
Say it like a local: ¿Bailas conmigo? — Will you dance with me?
A tablao in Triana. The dancer starts a fast solo, her heels drumming out a complicated rhythm. Should you clap along?
Better not: off-beat clapping throws the artists. Call out ¡olé! at a high point instead.
Flamenco rhythms are tricky, and the palmas (hand claps) are part of the music, played by the artists. Unless you really know the rhythm, don't clap along. A well-timed ¡olé! when something moves you is welcome. In Andalusia, ¡qué arte! (what flair!) is the compliment for anyone with grace and style, on stage or off.
Say it like a local: ¡Olé! ¡Qué arte! — Olé! What flair!
Drinks with new friends in Seville. While telling a story, Javier keeps touching your arm. What does it most likely mean?
Probably nothing special: a hand on the arm while talking is normal friendliness in Spain.
Spaniards stand closer and touch more when they talk than many Northern Europeans or North Americans: a hand on the arm or shoulder is part of telling a story. On its own it isn't a pass. Read the whole picture: the looks, the pace, whether it's only you. And if a touch isn't welcome, saying so is normal too.
Say it like a local: Creo que es su forma de ser. — I think that's just the way he is.
A bar on the Alameda de Hércules in Seville. Two women are dancing together, holding hands. How do people around them react?
Most people barely notice: same-sex couples are widely accepted in Spain.
Spain legalised same-sex marriage in 2005, one of the first countries in the world to do so, and surveys rank it among the most accepting countries in Europe. The Alameda is Seville's best-known LGBTQ+-friendly area, and in Spanish cities two women holding hands rarely get a second look. It's also why this course says pareja (partner) when you don't know.
Say it like a local: Hacéis muy buena pareja. — You make a lovely couple.
Learn it properly
In the app, Malèna takes you through this unit in short lessons: multiple choice, matching and building sentences from tiles, with audio, plus listening scenes, chats that react to your replies, read-the-room choices, culture cards and a drama episode. Words you learn come back in review right before you'd forget them. It's free and there's no account: progress stays in your browser.
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