''get a life'' any equivalents in spanish?
If I want to tell someone to ''get a life'' (and I do, quite badly...) what would the spanish equivalent be?
Thanx!
16 Answers
We use to say "hacé tu vida", meaning something like "leave me alone and live your own life". I think it matches "get a life" pretty close but on the other side, I don't know if this is used other than in Argentina. Buy the way, this is "voseo". The clasic Spanish equivalent is "haz tu vida".
Natasha said: Suppose your neighbor is always in your business and seems to have nothing better to do than always call you and say, "Who came to visit'" "I saw you got a package, what was it'", etc. So you tell him, "Get a life!" (probably would be considered rude, but you know . . .)
In this case I think the perfect verb would be meterse or the adjective metiche (which is used a lot here in Mexico).
If you really want to use a phrase that any spanish spoken person can understand you have to say "haz algo por la vida"
''Hazte algo que vale la pena! -- Do something worthwhile!''
I think this was as close as to what I was intending as possible. Thank you all very much!
I have to run, I have a wedding in a couple of days.........
Comprate una vida! ("Get a life")
Hazte algo que vale la pena! -- Do something worthwhile!
Just expanding on what James said: I've been privileged to have quite a few international friends for whom English was a second language. Even if they speak English really well, it can be hard to tell if they've "intentionally" said something a bit odd, or just made a mistake. It's safer, when a relationship might be at stake, to go for the plain meaning than to try to achieve a certain nuance.
For example, I heard a Chinese person say that "of course you can do such-and-such if you want to." He meant that you really should NOT do it; but he was so overly polite that it wasn't clear.
That extra S was a fingerfehler. My finger remember having typed metas, and did it again without being told. That finger is now sitting in the corner.
As for harshness, "Get a life!" can be very harsh indeed, depending on the context and how it is pronounced. That's why I included that Spanish phrase, to show the range of nuance possible.
In my experience, we should all be very careful when using insulting phrases in a foreign language. To a foreign ear the words are just sounds, and have no impact,' but to a native ear those same words can burn. Using such language is difficult, and requires subtlety. Sometimes it is better to be overly polite, which can have a chilling effect on the listen, but without the dangers involved in using the hotter phrases.
' When I was living in Japan, the first couple of years people told me that I sounded much harsher in Japanese than in English, and I came to realize that it was because of the phenomenon I describe above. I knew the words and phrases, and how and when to use them, but I was off by just the slightest margin, which changed the whole situation. It takes a long time to learn such nuances.
James Santiago said:
In Natasha's first example (the nosy neighbor), we might say something like "No te metas [en lo que no te importa]."
That one is rather harsh, even more than like "Mind your own business". Here I would definitely say "¿No tienes nada que hacer'", unless I don't care whether I annoy the neighbour and he doesn't talk to me again. In other situations I'd say something different.
But you're right: we definitely need more details.
As Natasha has pointed out, this phrase can be used in various meanings, and we need the exact context to provide a good Spanish version. One definition of this phrase is "something that you say which means someone is boring and they should find more exciting things to do."
In Natasha's first example (the nosy neighbor), we might say something like "No te metas [en lo que no te importas]."
In her second example (depressed friend), maybe "A ver si ya te ocupas en algo" or "¡Muévete y haz algo!"
Mz Badger, what is the nuance you want to convey'
I don't think in Spain we say something similar as widely used and recognized as "Get a life!", and I think it is pointless to try to find an expression with the word "vida" (life), or similar in structure, if we don't really have one. If I found myself in a situation where I'd say "Get a life!", in Spanish I'd probably say, in a ironical or tired tone:
¿No tienes nada qué hacer?
¿No tienes nada (mejor) qué hacer, o qué? (a bit less tactful)
I think with this question we convey a similar idea in the same contexts.
Natasha said:
Guillermo said:
Is that voseo form? I don't understand the conjugation.
Yes, it is voseo, and unlike the standard "haz", it is regular (the accent is always on the last syllable).
I was already adding that to my original post when you asked this.
Natasha said:
Guillermo said:
We use to say "hacé tu vida", meaning something like "leave me alone and live your own life". I think it matches "get a life" pretty close but on the other side, I don't know if this is used other than in Argentina.
Is that voseo form? I don't understand the conjugation.
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Guillermo said:
We use to say "hacé tu vida", meaning something like "leave me alone and live your own life". I think it matches "get a life" pretty close but on the other side, I don't know if this is used other than in Argentina.
Is that voseo form? I don't understand the conjugation.
áprende a vivir.... learn to live
might be this on: agarra la vida.. to grab life
vive para ti ........ live for you
I dont know but I am guessing, none the less
disclaimer, my usual one, you are on your own when it comes to the written accents.
