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how would you say the frase "her stomach dropped" without making it literal?
meaning she was nervous.

  • Posted Oct 7, 2008
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15 Answers

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Si el mercado se hundiera (o hundiese), a mí , personalmente, se me haría un nudo en el estómago.

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You can say:

Tenía mariposas en el estómago.

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Natasha said:

You can say:

Tenía mariposas en el estómago.

Natasha, I think that's incorrect. It is the same as the English saying, which means to be nervous or anxious, but that is not what "my stomach dropped" means. It means that you felt a sudden dread that left you feeling week or maybe even queasy. You would have butterflies in your stomach before asking someone out on a date or before going on stage, but your stomach would drop if someone told you your child had been kidnapped or the stock market had completely collapsed.

I'm not sure how to express this in Spanish, but I'm pretty sure your suggestion isn't right.

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James Santiago said:

Natasha said:

You can say: Tenía mariposas en el estómago.

Natasha, I think that's incorrect. It is the same as the English saying, which means to be nervous or anxious, but that is not what "my stomach dropped" means. It means that you felt a sudden dread that left you feeling week or maybe even queasy. You would have butterflies in your stomach before asking someone out on a date or before going on stage, but your stomach would drop if someone told you your child had been kidnapped or the stock market had completely collapsed.

I'm not sure how to express this in Spanish, but I'm pretty sure your suggestion isn't right.

Well, I would actually be in agreement with this, except that the person posting the question specified that it should mean "nervous."

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Well, I would actually be in agreement with this, except that the person posting the question specified that it should mean "nervous."

Good point.

Janet, you need to tell us exactly what you're trying to express, because you don't have the English expression quite right.

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Natasha said:

You can say: Tenía mariposas en el estómago.

I've been telling always everybody that doesn't make sense in Spanish; I learned that expression in English a few years ago, but I have never heard such thing before in Spanish. Apparently, some people are starting to use it now in some places. To me still sounds alien: I have never heard it in over 35 years in my own language, and it doesn't feel like Spanish to me.

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lazarus1907 said:

Natasha said:

You can say: Tenía mariposas en el estómago.

I've been telling always everybody that doesn't make sense in Spanish; I learned that expression in English a few years ago, but I have never heard such thing before in Spanish. Apparently, some people are starting to use it now in some places. To me still sounds alien: I have never heard it in over 35 years in my own language, and it doesn't feel like Spanish to me.

That's good to know, but how would you say "My stomach dropped," as defined by me in my post above'

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James Santiago said:

That's good to know, but how would you say "My stomach dropped," as defined by me in my post above?
"Por poco me desmayé.", perhaps'

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Guaito said:

Si el mercado se hundiera, a mí , personalmente, se me haría un nudo en el estómago.

Nice one, Guaito! Tenemos la misma expresión en inglés, y es casi sinómina con la otra frase. No sé por qué no se me ocurrió.

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"(ella) tenía un nudo en su estómago" OR
"a ella se le hizo un nudo en el estómago" OR
"a ella se le puso un nudo en el estómago"

(she got a knot in her stomach)

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I got it, I really got it

su estomago se revolco
el estomago de ella se le fue al suelo

el estomago de ella se fue al suelo
ella sintio que las entrañas se le revolcaron

el estomago de ella se le aguado

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su corazón se le paro

el estomago se le hiso nudos..... is the best - with the proper accents of course... I have to stop and think were the diagonal lines go over the letters. it takes me so long

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samdie said:

James Santiago said:

That's good to know, but how would you say "My stomach dropped," as defined by me in my post above?

"Por poco me desmayé.", perhaps?

Doesn't that mean I fainted'

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Natasha said:

samdie said:

James Santiago said:

That's good to know, but how would you say "My stomach dropped," as defined by me in my post above?

"Por poco me desmayé.", perhaps?

Doesn't that mean I fainted?


The "por poco" makes it "I almost fainted". Since it's still not completely clear what the original poster wants to communicate, I was suggesting another expression relating to ones possible reaction to sudden, shocking news.

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"Se quedo de a seis", "se le fue la sangre a los talones"

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