spanisch
Spanish
Relating to Spain, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben gestern Abend leckere spanische Tapas gegessen.
We ate delicious Spanish tapas yesterday evening.
spanisch
Spanish
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Meanings
das kommt mir spanisch vor
that seems fishy to me
A fixed expression that indicates that something seems strange, incomprehensible, or suspicious to someone.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine Ausrede nach der anderen – das kommt mir alles sehr spanisch vor.
He has one excuse after another—that all seems very fishy to me.
Usage tips
Word formation
The adjective 'spanisch' (Spanish) is derived from the country name 'Spanien' (Spain). The ending '-isch' is a typical ending for adjectives that indicate origin or language.
EXAMPLE
Die italienische und die spanische Küche haben einige Ähnlichkeiten.
Italian and Spanish cuisine have some similarities.
Capitalization
As an adjective, 'spanisch' (Spanish) is written with a lowercase letter in German. But when referring to the language as a noun, it is capitalized: 'Spanisch' (Spanish).
EXAMPLE
Ich lerne gerade Spanisch.
I'm learning Spanish right now.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'Das kommt mir spanisch vor' (That seems fishy to me) has a fixed structure. The person to whom something seems strange is always in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Er war plötzlich so freundlich. Das kam mir sofort spanisch vor.
He was suddenly so friendly. That immediately seemed fishy to me.
Compare with
spanisch vs komisch
funny / strange
Komisch can generally mean that something seems strange or unusual. In the fixed expression “Das kommt mir spanisch vor,” spanisch also conveys this impression, but it often suggests stronger incomprehension or suspicion.
spanisch
Dass der Verkäufer nur Bargeld ohne Quittung verlangt, kommt mir spanisch vor.
It seems fishy to me that the salesperson is asking for cash only, without a receipt.
komisch
Dass der Laden heute so früh schließt, kommt mir komisch vor.
It seems strange to me that the store is closing so early today.
In real life
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