Using idioms

Question

When using idioms such as "Andar sobre aviso" (To be on one's guard) or " Dar en el clavo" (To hit the nail on the head) do you conjugate the verb? For example, would I say "Andas sobre aviso!" to mean that my friend is to be on guard?

Answer 1

Hello Ciweidaw, welcome to the forum again

What a great question ! Your excellent question got me thinking. I felt fairly sure that you can and do conjugate idioms to the appropriate people So I consulted with a book I have on Idioms called:

2001 Modismos Espanoles e Ingleses por Eugene Savaiano y Lyn w Winget

Here are some idioms given as examples:

Andar por buen camino =To be on the right track

Anda por buen camino = You're are on the right track

Dar en el clavo = To hit the nail on the head

Dio en el clavo = You hit the nail on the head

Cumplir con su palabra = to keep one's word

Cumple con su palabra = He keeps his word

However,some idioms, I think are general (impersonal) and so would not be conjugated to a particular person ! (although they use the impersonal 3rd person singular)

eg En la variedad está el gusto = Variety is the Spice of life

Está lloviendo a cántaros (Llueve chuvos) = It's raining cats and dogs

I hope this helps

Answer 2

Hi and welcome to the forum.

That's a great question, and the answer is "yes."

For example, to say "under the weather (not feeling well)" you could use "Estar indispuesto." Now, to say "I'm feeling under the weather" you would say "Estoy indispuesto(a)."

Answer 3

Marianne , My friend, I wasn't saying or meaning to imply that the impersonal 'Se' is being used here but rather, in my view, that a sentence that 'makes a statement' or uses the word 'It' is impersonal by its very nature since neither are conjugated in a personal way despite the fact that the 3rd person singular is used to conjugate the sentence ..it remains objective.

i.e. he , she is personal

but 'It is raining cats and dogs' and 'Variety is the Spice of life' are impersonal since they are not saying.

she is raining cats and dogs or 'We are the spice of life'

I have tried to make my point in a respectful way even if Iam eventually proved wrong lol

Ahhhhhh...I see! Thank you! When you mentioned the topic of the "impersonal se" I immediately thought of all the lessons on the topic, e.g., se habla español. - --Mariana--, Sep 17, 2010

Answer 4

Feliz said:

However,some idioms, I think are general and would not be conjugated to a particular person ! (although they use the impersonal 3rd person singular)

En la variedad está el gusto = Variety is the Spice of life

Está lloviendo a cántaros (Llueve chuvos) = It's raining cats and dogs

I disagree that the "impersonal se" is used here.

In the first example, we are talking about "la variedad" and, therefore, "estar" is conjugated accordingly as "está."

In the second example, we are using present progressive "Estar + Gerundio."