pick up lines in spanish

35 Spanish Pick-up Lines to Break the Ice [With Audio]

Even though a corny piropo  (pick-up line) might make you want to roll your eyes, you have to admit they’re fun to learn and share!

Pick-up lines in Spanish employ clever plays on words and evoke images both poetic and mundane.

Plus, they can teach you a lot about Spanish grammar and introduce you to new vocabulary.

Read on to discover some of the best Spanish pick-up lines, and learn some Spanish while having a good laugh!

Contents


1. Si besarte fuera pecado, caminaría feliz por el infierno.

(If kissing you were a sin, I’d happily walk through hell.)

Note the structure of this sentence: It starts with the word si (if) and contains a past subjunctive verb as well as a verb in the conditional tense. Lots of piropos take this structure, so you’ll want to learn it well!

Using the conditional verb caminaría (I would walk) is technically correct, but in colloquial Spanish you could also use the imperfect caminaba. Since piropos are by definition colloquial Spanish, you should expect to hear these variations quite a bit.

2. Quisiera ser joyero para poder apreciar todos los días un diamante como tú.

Diamond-in-tweezers

(I’d like to be a jeweler to be able to appreciate a diamond like you every day.)

Si clauses are one use of the past subjunctive, but they are far from the only use. With this pick-up line, we move away from si clauses, which is why you won’t see any verbs conjugated in the conditional tense.

Quisiera, from the verb querer (to want) is a special verb in the past subjunctive. It’s a very polite or elegant way to say “I’d like,” not much different from me gustaría (I’d like).

3. Si Cristóbal Colón te viera, diría: ¡Santa María, qué Pinta tiene esta Niña!

(If Christopher Columbus saw you, he’d say, “Saint Mary, that girl looks incredible!”)

This piropo is a great example of how certain things just don’t translate between English and Spanish. Cristóbal Colón is Christopher Columbus’s name in Spanish, and the three ships that Columbus sailed to America were the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María.

Santa María (Saint Mary) can also be used as an interjection in Spanish, like “Oh my God!” and tener pinta is a colloquial way to say that someone (or something) looks good. This is another si clause, this time with the past subjunctive of the verb ver (to see), viera.

4. Si el agua fuese belleza, tú serías el océano entero.

ocean-water-close-up

(If water were beauty, you’d be the whole ocean.)

Here we have another si clause, using the verb ser (to be) in both the past subjunctive and conditional forms.

Note that this pick-up line uses the verb fuese instead of fuera, but those two verbs are completely interchangeable! Any time you see a verb in the past subjunctive, keep in mind that it has an equivalent form.

5. No necesito que la noche caiga para poder ver las estrellas.

(I don’t need it to be nighttime to be able to see the stars.)

This line uses the present subjunctive form of caller (to fall) to refer to the night falling, or in this case not needing to fall to see stars, when the person on the receiving end of the pick-up line is present. 

6. Hasta el sol siente celos de la forma en que brillas.

bright-sun-in-sky

(Even the sun is jealous of the way you shine.)

The adjective “jealous” is celoso/a in Spanish, but you can also say tener/sentir celos to mean “to be jealous” or “to feel jealousy.” 

7. Tú eres la estrella que guía mi corazón.

(You’re the star that guides my heart.)

Unsurprisingly, many piropos involve stars. This one would make more sense between a couple rather than strangers. 

8. Ojalá la mitad de las estrellas brillaran tanto como tus ojos.

person-observing-starry-night-sky-with-telescope

(If only half of the stars in the sky shined as brightly as your eyes.)

The word ojalá has its roots in the Arabic word Allah (God) and is always followed by the subjunctive past or present. When you follow it with a present tense verb, it means something like “hopefully” or “God willing”:

¡Ojalá haga buen clima! (I hope the weather is good!) 

However, with the past subjunctive, ojalá expresses an impossible desire and is similar to the English “If only…” or “I wish…” Because of this, ojalá plus the past subjunctive is perfect for romantic proclamations, such as the one above!

9. ¿Qué hace una estrella volando tan bajo?

(What’s a star doing flying so low?)

Another star-themed line, this one comes in the form of a question and is just as cheesy as the previous one. 

10. Me gustaría ser lente de contacto para que no pudieras sacarme tu mirada.

close-up-of-womans-eye

(I’d like to be a contact lens so you couldn’t take your eyes off me.)

Some piropos evoke beautiful images of the sea, the stars, the moon… and others just talk about contact lenses! Pick-up lines in Spanish, like in English, don’t have to be super-serious and passionate. Some of the most entertaining ones are silly plays on words like the one above.

Para que (so that) is another trigger phrase that should let you know you’ll likely need to use a subjunctive verb. In this case, since you’re talking about a desire or unlikely event, use the past subjunctive.

11. Diría que Dios te bendiga, pero parece que ya lo hizo.

(I’d say “God Bless You,” but it looks like he already did.)

When someone sneezes, Spanish speakers typically say ¡Salud!” But to say “Bless you,” you would say “Que Dios te bendiga” (literally: May God bless you). So this pick-up line really only makes sense after someone sneezes. 

We can see the subjunctive in action in this sentence, with the trigger word que followed by bendiga (which comes from bendecir, meaning “to bless.”) 

12. Ojalá fueras bombero para apagar el fuego de mi deseo.

two-firefighters-in-uniform

(I wish you were a firefighter to put out the fire of my desire.)

Here’s another example of ojalá plus the past subjunctive (fueras).

13. ¿Te dolió cuando te caíste del cielo?

(Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?)

You’ve probably heard this classic pick-up line in English, and now you can add the Spanish version to your arsenal!  

Here we see the verb doler (to hurt/to be painful)—which is used similarly to the verb gustarin action with the indirect object pronoun te (you). 

14. Si yo fuera azafata, te llevaría en mi avión, pero como no lo soy, te llevo en mi corazón.

Male-Flight-Attendant-Standing-in-Aircraft-Aisle

(If I were a flight attendant, I’d carry you in my airplane, but since I’m not, I’ll carry you in my heart.)

This cute rhyming pick-up line consists of a compound sentence. The first half is a si clause like the ones we’ve seen so far, including the past subjunctive verb fuera from ser (to be) and the conditional verb llevaría from llevar (to take).

The second half of the pick-up line is written in the indicative, with two present tense indicative verbs: soy (I am) and llevo (I take).

Because the first half of the sentence describes a dream or a hypothetical (If I were a flight attendant…), it requires subjunctive and conditional tenses. The second half of the sentence deals with reality (I’m not a flight attendant) so you can stick to the indicative.

15. Debo estar muerto porque estoy viendo angelitos.

(I must be dead because I’m seeing angels.)

Note that because muerto (dead) is an adjective, if you’re female you would say muerta instead.

16. Espero que te guste la fruta, porque soy tu media naranja.

oranges

(I hope you like fruit because I’m your half-orange.)

As strange as this one may sound, it does actually make sense in the Spanish-speaking world. In Spanish, it’s common to use the phrase media naranja (literally, half-orange) to mean “soulmate” or “better half.” 

17. Hay una fiesta en mi corazón y tú estás invitado.

(There’s a party in my heart and you’re invited.)

Remember to change the word invitado to invitada if you’re addressing a woman. 

18. ¿Me harías el honor de un baile?

couple-dancing-on-rooftop

(Would you do me the honor of a dance?)

Here we make use of the conditional tense with harías (you would/would you). If you prefer to simplify things, you could also use the conditional tense to say: ¿Bailarías conmigo?  (Would you dance with me?)

19. ¿Hace calor aquí o eres tú?

(Is it hot in here or is it just you?)

This is another good opportunity to see how Spanish isn’t always translated literally into English. You might want to say “o es tú?” to mean “or is it you?”, but we never combine the verb form es (it is/is it) with (you). 

20. Tu papá debe ser pirata, porque eres un tesoro.  

Open-treasure-chest-filled-with-gold-coins

(Your dad must be a pirate because you’re a treasure.)

In English we use the indefinite article “a” in the phrase “must be a pirate,” but in Spanish, it suffices to say “debe ser pirata” (literally, “must be pirate”).

This is because we don’t need to use an indefinite article (or any article at all) when talking about things like your profession, nationality, or religion—in this case, being a pirate counts as a profession!

21. Tus labios parecen solitarios, ¿les gustaría conocerse con los míos?

(Your lips look lonely, would they like to meet mine?)

This is a “big risk, big reward” type pick-up line—it has the potential to fail spectacularly, but who knows, maybe it’s worth the risk. Just make sure you’re getting positive, romantic signals from them first… or save it for making your partner laugh. 

22. ¿Perdone, está ocupado este asiento?

couple-sitting-together-on-bus

(Excuse me, is this seat taken?)

This pick-up line is both low-risk—if they aren’t into it, you could pretend you really needed the seat—and polite. Note the use of perdone, which is used with the formal usted

If you’re flirting with a stranger and aren’t sure whether to use tú or usted, play it safe and go with usted to show some respect.

23. Si amarte fuera trabajo, no existiría el desempleo.

(If loving you was a job, unemployment wouldn’t exist.)

This cheeky phrase is another example of a now-familiar structure: si + [verb in the past subjunctive tense] + [verb in the conditional tense]. While this structure is common with piropos, it’s also a handy structure to know for everyday Spanish.

24. Si la belleza fuese delito, yo te hubiera sentenciado a cadena perpetua.

judges-gavel

(If beauty was a crime, I’d sentence you to life in prison.)

Here are two more verbs in the imperfect subjunctive: fuese and hubiera. We also have a phrase that might be new to your vocabulary: cadena perpetua, which means “life imprisonment” or “life in prison.”

25. ¿Dónde has estado toda mi vida?

(Where have you been all my life?)

This classic line includes an example of the present perfect tense

26. ¿Te has perdido? Porque el cielo está bien lejos de aquí.

gates-to-heaven

(Are you lost? Because heaven is a long way from here.)

Noticing a certain theme here? This gem expands on our angel and heaven-themed pick-up lines, and gives us another example of the present perfect tense. 

27. Perdí mi número, ¿me das el tuyo?

(I lost my number, can I have yours?)

While this one doesn’t make much literal sense, it’s a flirtier (albeit cheesier) way to ask for someone’s number. 

28. Si tus ojos fueran el cielo y tu boca el mar, me gustaría ser el horizonte para poderte besar.

ocean-sky-horizon

(If your eyes were the sky and your mouth were the sea, I’d like to be the horizon to be able to kiss you.)

Here we have another great example of a si clause using the verbs ser (to be) and gustar (to like, to please). But this pick-up line touches on another tricky grammar issue as well: the difference between por and para.

29. ¿Te llamas Google? Porque tienes todo lo que busco.

(Is your name Google? Because you have everything I’m looking for.)

This might be one of the cheesiest lines on the list, but it’s sure to get a smile out of them! 

30. No creía en el amor a primera vista hasta que entraste aquí.

couple-talking-flirting-in-cafe

(I didn’t believe in love at first sight until you walked in.)

This is a good example of the imperfect and preterite tenses used together in one sentence. 

31. Pasas tanto tiempo en mi mente que debería cobrarte la renta.

(You spend so much time in my mind that I should charge you rent.)

Remember that debe means “must” while debería means “should.”

32. ¿Me puedes decir que hora es?

checking-time-on-watch

(Can you tell me what time it is?)

While it’s not very creative or poetic, this (or some variation) is the pick-up line you’re probably most likely to hear in Spanish. It’s a common way to try to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

33. Dios debe de estar distraído porque están cayendo ángeles del cielo.

(God must be distracted because angels are falling from heaven.)

Here’s an example of debe (must) as referred to earlier. 

34. ¿Podrías prestarme un diccionario? Es que al verte me he quedado sin palabras.

finger-pointing-to-term-in-dictionary

(Could you lend me a dictionary? It’s just that seeing you has left me without words.)

Using al followed by an infinitive verb usually means something like “upon,” “on” or “when” followed by the gerund (verb ending in “-ing”) in English. So the end of this line literally translates to “upon seeing you I’ve been left without words.”

We would typically translate sin palabras to “speechless,” but “without words” makes more sense for this pick-up line.   

35. Qué poco azul llevas… para el cielo que eres.

(What little blue you’re wearing… for the sky that you are.)

This pick-up line makes more sense if you know that cielo means not only “sky” but also “heaven,” and is also a term of endearment that one might call a significant other.

Here are a few more Spanish pick-up lines to add to your repertoire:

Using the Past Subjunctive in Spanish Pick-up Lines

You may have noticed that many of our Spanish pick-up lines feature the infamous past subjunctive to express desires, unfulfilled wishes or unlikely occurrences.

Let’s review the conjugation of the past subjunctive using the verb hablar (to talk). Start with the third-person plural form of the preterite: hablaron. Next, chop off the final -ron and add one of the two accepted verb endings.

yo-ra-se
-ras-ses
él/ella/usted-ra-se
ellos/ellas/ustedes-ran-sen
vosotros-rais-seis
nosotros-ramos-semos

For example:

Él quería que hablaseis con la profesora. (He wanted you to talk to the professor.)

Ojalá hablara español. (If only I spoke Spanish.)

Si hablaras inglés, ¿te irías a vivir a Irlanda? (If you spoke English, would you go live in Ireland?)

These verb endings don’t change, regardless of whether the verbs end in -ar, -er or -ir. Just remember that any irregular verbs in the past tense indicative maintain their irregular stems in the past subjunctive, such as fuera from ser (to be) or quisiera from querer (to want).

How to Learn More Pick-up Lines in Spanish

Spanish piropos frequently employ puns and plays on words that can teach you a lot about the language and culture. They’re also a great way to hone in on tricky grammar points like the past subjunctive. 

To learn more Spanish pick-up lines, listen for them while watching Spanish movies or TV shows to see how they’re used in context. Reality TV dating shows especially are full of cheesy pick-up lines and other interesting Spanish vocab, which will help you practice everything we’ve learned here today (and more). 

You can find plenty of useful Spanish videos on YouTube and language learning programs like FluentU—which includes hundreds of authentic videos, from clips of telenovelas (soap operas) to music videos and much more. 

Each video on the platform comes with interactive subtitles that let you hover over a term to find its definition, pronunciation and use in different contexts.

pick up lines in spanish

You can add words you don’t know to multimedia flashcard decks and take personalized quizzes to track your progress. Plus, it’s easy to learn on the go with the FluentU iOS and Android apps.

 

Spanish pick-up lines are a ton of fun, whether you’re flirting with your crush or simply swapping funny phrases with your friends.

Not to mention, they’re great grammar and vocabulary practice!

Which of these pick-up lines will you use first?

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