Using "anda, anda que, anda que no" for surprise, encouragement, emphasis (interjections)

The word "anda" is used very often in colloquial Spanish to express different things. It can indicate surprise, disbelief, rejection, admiration, emphasis, irony...

These are the main contexts where it is used:

Anda: to encourage/ask someone to do something.

Anda, levántate ya, que es muy tarde.Come on, get up right away, it's very late.

Sal de aquí, anda.Get out of here, come on.

Anda, cerrad la ventana, que hace frío.Come on, close the window, it is cold.

Anda: to show surprise or admiration

¡Anda, qué bien te han dejado en la peluquería!Wow, what a good job they did at the hairdresser's!

¡Anda, pero si ha llegado Carlos!Oh, Carlos is here!

¡Anda, vaya mancha tienes en el vestido!Good grief, look at that stain on your dress!

Anda que, anda que no:  to express something with irony/sarcasm

-Me he comido el último chocolate. -Anda que no eres caradura.-I ate the last chocolate. -You are so cheeky.

Anda que menudo susto nos has dado.You gave us such a scare.

-Yo no soy nada vanidoso. -¡Anda que no!-I am not vain at all! -Yeah right, sure.

Note that depending on what they convey, these expressions using anda, anda que, anda que no,  can have very different translations as there is no direct equivalent in English. 

Anda is an invariable word in these cases, coinciding with the imperative form of the verb andar, but here it's used as an idiomatic expression and is completely disconnected from the meaning "to walk".

There are short expressions using the word anda that are used on their own as exclamations, meaning different things depending on the context. For example:

¡Anda! He perdido la cartera.Dammit! I lost my wallet.

-¡Me ha tocado la lotería! -¡Anda ya!-I won the lottery! -What? Are you kidding?

-¡Eres muy egoísta! -¡Anda que tú!-You are very selfish! -Look who's talking!

Notice when using anda que..., anda que no... (when anda and que are part of the same phrase) that que does NOT have a written accent:

¡Anda que tú! ¡Anda que no hace calor hoy!

¡Anda qué tú! ¡Anda qué no hace calor hoy!

Qué only has a written accent after anda when qué is not part of the same phrase:

¡Anda, qué desastre!

 

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-¡Eres muy egoísta! -¡Anda que tú!-You are very selfish! -Look who's talking!
¡Anda! He perdido la cartera.Dammit! I lost my wallet.
Sal de aquí, anda.Get out of here, come on.
Anda, cerrad la ventana, que hace frío.Come on, close the window, it is cold.
¡Anda, qué bien te han dejado en la peluquería!Wow, what a good job they did at the hairdresser's!
¡Anda, pero si ha llegado Carlos!Oh, Carlos is here!
-Me he comido el último chocolate. -Anda que no eres caradura.-I ate the last chocolate. -You are so cheeky.
Anda que menudo susto nos has dado.You gave us such a scare.
-Yo no soy nada vanidoso. -¡Anda que no!-I am not vain at all! -Yeah right, sure.
-¡Me ha tocado la lotería! -¡Anda ya!-I won the lottery! -What? Are you kidding?
Anda, levántate ya, que es muy tarde.Come on, get up right away, it's very late.
¡Anda, vaya mancha tienes en el vestido!Good grief, look at that stain on your dress!
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