Nada menos se me acurrió

Question

I have read this in a book, but after many people for an exact translation, I still can't get one. Perhaps you can help!

The full sentence is:

"Nada menos se me ocurrio a visitar a mi tio!

The 'nada menos' is the problem!

Many thanks!

Welcome to SpanishDict. Perhaps you can take a moment to complete your profile. :) - rac1, Aug 18, 2015

Answer 1

"Nada menos se me ocurrio a visitar a mi tio!" Is wrong. You must say : Nada menos se me ocurrió visitar a mi tio or nada menos se me ocurrió ir a visitar a mi tio.

Nada menos is used often for express surprise.

What an idea so fool I had!, It occurred to me to visit my uncle.

You can use too, for express a positive surprise , and can be expresed as nada menos que /nada mas y nada menos que/ ni más ni menos que. For example:

An optimist man could say. He ganado un premio nada menos que de 100€./un premio de nada mas y nada menos que 100€/un premio ni más ni menos que de 100€.I have win( a great) prize of 100€. (A great not have the same traslation, but i think it helps to make sense)

To express exactitude you must use nada más y nada menos but at the end of the sentence.

I have win a prize of 100€, no more no less. Yo he ganado un premio de 100€, Nada mas y nada menos.

To express deception you must use nada mas. Yo he ganado un premió de 100€ nada más / yo he ganado un premio de solo 100€. I have win an only 100€ prize

I hope be usefull. Correct my English please

My sentence wasn't wrong by much! Just an extra 'a'! A translation I had a guess at was, 'whatever possessed me to visit my uncle'. Would this work too? Gracias! - HigashiPete, Aug 18, 2015

Your comment, 'what an idea so fool I had', is better expressed as, 'what a foolish idea I had'! - HigashiPete, Aug 18, 2015

Your comments - chantaneeyip, Aug 19, 2015

Your explanation of “nada menos”is very complete. Some corrections – I have won, I hope to be helpful (or I hope the above explanation helps.) - chantaneeyip, Aug 19, 2015

Answer 2

No more no less,....

Answer 3

I could think of nothing less than paying a visit to my uncle... ???

I had so many answers to this question, and that was one of them! I guess 'I could think of nothing other than ...' works too! Gracias! - HigashiPete, Aug 18, 2015

I think that yours is the best, Falda.♥ - Daniela2041, Aug 18, 2015

And if the intent of visiting your uncle was to get money from him? - chileno, Aug 19, 2015

Answer 4

Is it something like "I can't think of anything worse than visiting my uncle"?

Sorry for the double post. Perhaps a mod can delete one? Thanks!! - Winkfish, Aug 18, 2015

I dare say that could work too! Seems like a very flexible term!! - HigashiPete, Aug 19, 2015