Is "con pocas ganas" a good thing or a bad thing?

Question

I heard it in a song, and I would literally translate it as "having little desire" to do something etc.. but then I started thinking what if it was like "With a few desires" like you did feel a little desire to do it. I can't remember the song but I found these on google.

• Los mercados abren con pocas ganas a las puertas del G-20
• The markets open their doors with few desires (? Good or bad thing?)
• Con pocas ganas de amar
• With little desire to love (or with a little desire to love? good or bad?)
• Comienzo con pocas ganas - I start with few desires.
• En la cama con pocas ganas de levantarme - In bed with little desire to get up.

So it seems like a bad thing based on those. I could have sworn it was a good thing in the song, similar to "con tantas ganas". Can it ever be used to be a good thing? Or does it just mean "with little desire" as in "I have little to no desire to do something" Gracias....

Answer 1

Tengo pocas ganas de comer is "I feel a little bit like eating" as opposed to Tengo tantas ganas de comer :~) - Jack-OBrien

This is not correct.

Tengo pocas ganas de comer is equivalent to : No tengo ganas de comer.

I don't feel like eating, not, I feel a little like eating. Completely different story.

That is:

a little = tengo ganas

Little = no tengo ganas

Answer 2

Tengo pocas ganas de comer:- 'I don't feel like eating' or ' I have little desire to eat'. 'No tengo ganas de hacer algo' means 'I have no desire to do something'.

'Tengo pocas ganas de hacer algo' means, 'I have little desire to do something' Both are used to mean 'I don't feel like doing something'

Perfect, that's precisely it. Couldn't have said it better. - Gekkosan, Jul 25, 2010

Exactly!! I don't feel like doing something...:) might be good or bad, it depends - Benz, Jul 25, 2010

I dont agree, benz, to have little or no desire to do something, is always indication of something bad, that is why you have little desire to do it - 00494d19, Jul 25, 2010

Answer 3

It wouldn't necessarily be a good thing or a bad thing, it depends. It's as you said at the end, just "with little desire".

Answer 4

Tener ganas de usually means to feel like doing something

Answer 5

Hi, I would have translated it as 'unwilling' or 'couldn't be bothered' lol tiene sentido. and what was said before, in general 'the lack of wanting to do something' they all mean basically the same

Answer 6

I have no definitive answer, but: maybe it's both?

As has been said already, in English, we can say "I have a little desire" in either meaning. "I have a little desire to eat" could mean that you don't feel like eating anytime soon, or it could just as easily mean that you are beginning to feel an interest in eating maybe not NOW, but perhaps in a little while.

"I have a little desire" really, at its root, means "I kind of want to do this, but not enough to get up and act on it right now." Whether you might feel that way in the future is usually told by other indicators: "I don't feel like it RIGHT NOW." etc.

I think the answer to your original question is going to come from the rest of the song. Which meaning makes sense with the other words? How does the music sound?

I hope this helps!

Answer 7

Thanks Soccery. What about like this though: Tengo pocas ganas de amarla. Tengo pocas ganas de amarte. Is it more like "I have little desire to love her/you" (as in I don't want to , I have no desire) or "I have a little bit of desire to love her/you" (as in I love you or I'm starting to love you). You know like in English "I'm a little hungry". Tengo pocas ganas de comer. Is it more like "I have little desire to eat" I don't want to eat. Or is it that the English I have a little desire = I'm a little hungry? Gracias.

I believe "Tengo unas ganas" is "I have a little desire/I kind of feel like" - socceryo3, Jul 24, 2010

Tengo pocas ganas de comer is "I feel a little bit like eating" as opposed to Tengo tantas ganas de comer :~) - Jack-OBrien, Jul 24, 2010

Tengo pocas ganas de comer means, 'I don't feel like eating'. - aeroplod, Jul 25, 2010

Answer 8

Yes I agree except that I also saw it used like this

• "Michael Jackson tenia pocas ganas de vivir"
• Tenia pocas ganas de actualizar
• She was not over-eager to help - tenía pocas ganas de ayudar
• Mi problema es que si antes tenía pocas ganas de hacer algo ahora no tengo ganas de hacer casi nada.

The last one says it all. We all know tener ganas is to have desires, to want to do something, and tantas ganas means you really want to do it, and it seems like pocas ganas could mean you sort of want to do it (maybe) but the more I look at it, I see it used like you don't want to do it. Look at the last one. Si antes tenía pocas ganas de hacer algo ahora NO tengo ganas de hacer casi nada.

So pocas ganas seems to correspond more with "no tener ganas" than "tener ganas". Any thoughts? I see it now as a negative thing. Con pocas ganas = with little desire or no desire as opposed to "I kind of want to do it" more like "I have very little desire to do it". Anyone? Bueller?