Cuando

Question

I am trying to read a children's book that is in Spanish and English. I am reading the Spanish while my 7 yr old son reads the English.

Can some one please explain the translation:

English version: The baby chicks are hungry, and are too cold to sleep.
Spanish version: Cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frio.

Why do they use cuando?

Thanks

Answer 1

What I think is that the original is in Spanish. Makes sense there because of the rhyme. What is not right is the english version. Gus' transaltion is correct considering this.

Answer 2

I was talking about this: "Pío, pío, pío dicen los pollitos cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío"
Maibe is not technically a rhyme, but is something similar. I don't know how to call it then.

Ah, I see. But I still don't think that would be considered a rhyme. If we reworded it as:

Dicen los pollitos pío, pío, pío,
cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío

then that would definitely be a rhyme. It's the last sound that counts.

Answer 3

I was talking about this: "Pío, pío, pío dicen los pollitos cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío"
Maibe is not technically a rhyme, but is something similar. I don't know how to call it then.

James Santiago said:

Guillermo wrote:Makes sense there because of the rhyme.By the way, Guillermo, we wouldn't call this rhyme in English. For that, the last word or words would have to rhyme, which they don't here. And we don't call it a rhyme when the same words are just repeated, as in "cuando tienen...cuando tienen."Also, are you the same Guillermo who used to have a nice avatar photo of himself and a younger man (or boy)?

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Answer 4

James Santiago said:

Also, are you the same Guillermo who used to have a nice avatar photo of himself and a younger man (or boy)?

Yes, that's me.

Answer 5

Guillermo wrote:
Makes sense there because of the rhyme.

By the way, Guillermo, we wouldn't call this rhyme in English. For that, the last word or words would have to rhyme, which they don't here. And we don't call it a rhyme when the same words are just repeated, as in "cuando tienen...cuando tienen."

Also, are you the same Guillermo who used to have a nice avatar photo of himself and a younger man (or boy)'

Answer 6

Guillermo said:

What I think is that the original is in Spanish. Makes sense there because of the rhyme. What is not right is the english version. Gus' transaltion is correct considering this.

Ah, I see what you mean. But that would mean that the rest of the Spanish lyrics have to be in the book, too, or else the Spanish would make no sense out of context. If that is true (that the book gives the lyrics to this song), then the English translation is horrible!

Answer 7

I'll go so far as to say that that is some kind of printing or translation error. It just makes no sense here. Literally, it should be "Los pollitos tienen hambre, y tienen demasiado frío para dormir," although there may be other ways to express the concept that sound more natural in Spanish.

Answer 8

La gallina busca
el maíz y el trigo
Les da la comida,
Y les da abrigo.
The hen looks for corn and wheat
she feeds them and covers them

Bajo sus dos alas,
Acurrucaditos,
Hasta el otro día,
Duermen los pollitos.
confy under her wings,
until the dawn
the chicks sleep.

http://www.caxigalines.net/canciones/lospollitosdicen.html

Gus said:

am not an interpreter but the word baby is reduntant in the sentence,The baby chicks are hungry, and are too cold to sleep, because by definition chick is a baby bird'. In this song it is a baby chicken.Pió, pió, pió dicen los pollitos cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frió.Tweet,tweet, tweet, the chicks say, when they are hungry, when they are cold.I shoulld know, I sang this song when I was in kindergarden.

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Answer 9

am not an interpreter but the word baby is reduntant in the sentence,The baby chicks are hungry, and are too cold to sleep, because by definition chick is a baby bird'. In this song it is a baby chicken.

Pió, pió, pió dicen los pollitos cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frió.

Tweet,tweet, tweet, the chicks say, when they are hungry, when they are cold.

I shoulld know, I sang this song when I was in kindergarden.

Answer 10

Obviously, these sentences have not been translated literally. The Spanish version reads: "When they are hungry, when they are cold".